Author: Wisconsin Public Radio

As ranked-choice voting gains steam elsewhere in the country, a leader of Wisconsin’s Green Party is calling for that method of electing government officials to be adopted here, as the future of democracy and a way to increase enthusiasm for voting. “The current system is centered around getting people to fear and hate the other side,” said party co-chair Dave Schwab. “Ranked-choice frees people from the idea that you have to vote for the lesser evil.” “The current system is centered around getting people to fear and hate the other side,” Schwab said. “Ranked-choice frees people from the idea...

Communities across Wisconsin are funding a variety of solar projects after the $1.7 trillion bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Act earmarked more than $255.7 million for Wisconsin. Sun Prairie is receiving a hefty $3.2 million in federal funding that will go toward a solar radiation water pollution control facility. Leaders describe it as a more sustainable process for treating wastewater. Jeremy Cramer, Sun Prairie’s wastewater treatment director, said the system cleans water using bacteria before it’s removed and digested in an anaerobic digester — a material that becomes “biosolids,” or sewage sludge. “We would use the sun’s solar rays to actually...

Wisconsin’s housing shortage is expected to worsen by the end of the decade, and outdated zoning codes could make it harder for municipalities to address the issue. A recent report from Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association, found the state needs to build at least 140,000 housing units by 2030 to keep up with current demand. If Wisconsin hopes to increase its working-age population by the end of the decade, the number of housing units needed jumps to 227,000. The report said the number of baby boomers retiring and remaining in their homes long after...

The U.S. military is working to combat a different kind of enemy this year, a significant decline in the number of new recruits signing up for service. The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s goal for recruitment was about 1,000 new recruits this year. But Lt. Col. Shannon Hellenbrand of the Wisconsin Army National Guard said recruitment numbers are around 25 percent below the target for 2022, both nationwide and in the state. “It really does impact the functionality of our units, our ability to accomplish our missions at the rate and at the skill level that we’re used to,” Hellenbrand...

Congressional lawmakers have authorized another heavy icebreaker on the Great Lakes as part of the $858 billion defense bill to be approved by President Joe Biden. Wisconsin lawmakers, including Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, said the authorization of a $350 million heavy icebreaker is vital after thick ice cover in the last decade has cost billions of dollars in shipping delays. They say authorization is a key step toward securing money for a new U.S. Coast Guard cutter to keep commerce moving. “In the cold winter months, icebreaking helps keep the economies and...

New York has Broadway, England has the London West End and now Wisconsin’s biggest city has its own theater district. After years of speculation about the future of a Milwaukee Theater District, it’s finally coming to fruition. The collective is part of a statewide effort to celebrate the arts and draw more visitors. Nine performing arts and live entertainment groups have joined the collective, including the Marcus Performing Arts Center. “All great cities, you know, you need a few hooks to hang the story,” said Andrew Flack, chief commercial officer for Marcus Hotels & Resorts, adding that the arts...