On Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Senate had a marathon session, passing over 70 bills.  
 
Several of these bills were direct recommendations from the non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau. Democrats opposed them all. One senator actually said that Tuesday was the day democracy died in Wisconsin. Seriously.
 
They opposed ideas like more training for clerks, cleaning up the voter rolls, and a bill securing voting for disabled and elderly voters supported by 23 disability and aging groups. They spoke for hours in favor of letting corporations run our elections, despite arguing for years that corporations shouldn’t be able to influence our elections. It was crazy talk – all because they don’t want to outlaw the shenanigans and close the loopholes they exploited in 2020.

You can read a good description of the bills from the self-described "progressive newspaper"  at The Capital Times and decide for yourself. 

This week, the State Senate also authorized spending $40 million on a new youth correctional facility in Milwaukee County. As you may remember, four years ago, a unanimous Legislature voted to close the troubled Lincoln Hills School. Unfortunately, we didn’t fund the replacements enough, leaving Lincoln Hills open. It didn’t help matters when Governor Evers picked two locations for Serious Juvenile Offenders that were not approved by the committee studying them, and had great local opposition.

While Governor Evers struggles to find a suitable location for a replacement, we need to keep the ball rolling. The Senate voted unanimously to fund the replacement this week. On Thursday night, with the urging of former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, the  Assembly amended the bill to improve it. I am certain the Senate will approve the amendment next month, and we can start to close Lincoln Hills. 

 
This week in 1846, William Horlick was born in Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England. A noted food manufacturer and philanthropist, Horlick arrived in the U.S. in 1869, and settled in Racine.

Since 1882 the Horlick Malted Milk Company Factory has stood at 2200 Northwestern Avenue in Racine, WI. As a native of England, William Horlick conceived a castle-like Gothic Revival architectural style. Originally, William and his brother James formed their company with the intent of manufacturing infant food. In 1883, William was granted U.S. Patent #278,967 which described a dried milk powder that enhanced their infant food formula. Soon thereafter, people began to find other ways to use the powdered milk, such as for travel and at soda and ice cream shops. Finally in 1887, Horlick trademarked dried milk, as “malted milk,” and its use has since spread to every part of the world. After his death in 1936, control of the company passed to his son, Alexander James Horlick.


Horlick Malted Milk Company Factory, ca. 1914

The author of this painting is T.C. Moeller of Racine, WI. Borrowed from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the original painting hangs in my office at the State Capitol.