Democrats

MADISON -- Wisconsin's unemployment rate is the lowest in 15 years, even though preliminary numbers show a loss of more than 10,000 jobs last month. State labor officials report a September jobless rate of 4.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis. That's one-tenth of 1 percent...

Do they or don't they? Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan and his office sent out mixed signals yesterday about whether he and Majority Democrats would support a higher liquor tax to get more drunken drivers off the road. Sheridan told reporters Thursday morning he would consider the...

Democratic legislative leaders met secretly Wednesday to try and hammer out an agreement on the new state budget. Gov. Jim Doyle says the budget needs to be signed by next Wednesday or else the state would miss deadlines to qualify for certain federal funds. Tuesday, Doyle ordered...

The environment is getting major attention at the State Capitol, now that Democrats control both houses and the governor's office. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who chairs the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, says conservation efforts are going full steam after "a dozen years...

Majority Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly are questioning parts of the new state budget endorsed a week ago by the Joint Finance Committee. Party members held a three-hour open session Thursday before going behind closed doors to discuss strategy. Some raised concerns about...

Lawmakers have historically lost clout in Washington when they don't march with their party's leadership. But that's not stopping Wisconsin's Herb Kohl and 15 others from forming what they call the Moderate Dems Working Group. Kohl says the group will keep a critical eye on what...

Wisconsin legislators could vote as early as mid-February on the proposed new hospital tax that's designed to bring in more federal Medicaid dollars. Republicans stripped the tax from the last two state budgets. But this time, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, says it will be part of...

Wisconsin legislators will be sworn in today, as Democrats take control of both houses for the first time in 14 years. The same party also has the governor's office. For the first time in 22 years, one party has control of both the legislative and executive branches. That means Democrats...

Wisconsin's Republicans in Washington say they won't just take cheap shots at everything the Democratic majority comes up with. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., of Janesville, says he's looking for ways to work with President-elect Barack Obama on the country's most pressing issues....

Wisconsin's new Democratic leaders say the faltering economy will put a damper on their biggest ideas. So for now, state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, says the focus will be on items with smaller price tags, like giving fringe benefits to domestic partners of University of Wisconsin...

Dear Editor, Election Day, Nov. 4, is a most important day for all of us because we can now put an end to our long national nightmare by casting intelligent votes. This nightmare began in 1994 when the Republicans gained control of the U.S. Congress. Remember that they told us they...