In February of 2024, Gov. Tony Evers signed new maps for the Wisconsin State Legislature into law, putting an end to one of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders anywhere in the country. While that was a momentous achievement for democracy in the state, that wasn’t the end of the story.  Since then, for more than […]

Jul 19, 2025

1:00

In a chaotic and somewhat discombobulating end to the process, Wisconsin lawmakers passed a state budget and Gov. Tony Evers signed it into law at about 1:30 a.m. on July 3.  What made this budget different from the others signed in this era of divided government — with a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled legislature […]

Jul 11, 2025

1:00

Ever since I launched The Recombobulation Area, I have written an in depth breakdown of every new edition of the Marquette University Law School Poll. The newest poll asks about a range of topics — whether Tony Evers should run for a third term, where people stand on Donald Trump’s economic policies, and a host […]

Jun 27, 2025

1:00

For the last few months, Gov. Tony Evers has said repeatedly that he would make a decision about whether or not to run for a third term after the state budget process is completed. In a recent opinion column at The Recombobulation Area, I made the argument that the decision the  Evers should make should […]

Jun 13, 2025

1:00

In discussions over the so-called “big beautiful bill” backed by Donald Trump that’s making its way through Congress, none other than Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson has emerged as the most prominent Republican critic of the bill, saying at a recent Milwaukee Press Club event that it is “not even close to adequate.” Johnson has said […]

May 30, 2025

1:00

I’m Dan Shafer. Let’s recombobulate. We are in a rare moment right now in Wisconsin politics. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because we are not actively in the middle of a campaign cycle. It’s been more than six weeks now since any of us have seen a campaign ad. It’s been pretty nice, hasn’t it? […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

May 16, 2025

1:00

I’m Dan Shafer. Let’s recombobulate. The biggest thing that happens in Wisconsin’s state government every two years is the state budget, and last week at the state capitol, Republican lawmakers took a step forward in the process, by voting out more than 600 measures from Governor Tony Evers’ proposal. This is now the fourth budget proposal […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

May 9, 2025

1:00

I’m Dan Shafer. Let’s recombobulate.  There’s been a whole lot happening in the political universe these past few months. Much of it has been rather discombobulating, you might say. From the first 100 days of the Trump administration to the high-stakes race for Wisconsin Supreme Court and everything else that went into the Spring Election […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

May 2, 2025

1:00

I’m Dan Shafer. Let’s recombobulate.  On April 22 in the Wisconsin State Senate, something happened that you don’t see too often — a high profile bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 32-1 to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60 days to 12 months. Wisconsin is one of only two […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

Apr 25, 2025

1:00

I’m Dan Shafer. Let’s recombobulate.  In recent months, Milwaukee health officials have uncovered significant lead hazards in city schools, mostly due to lead-based paint. Several schools have been closed as the problem has been found to be more widespread. In late March, city officials formally requested help from the CDC  , but in doing so, […]

Guest: Dan Shafer

Apr 15, 2025

1:00