Voters weigh property taxes, school funding

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We recognize with the economics going on now in the country, we didn’t want to ask for more because everyone’s hurting.”

– Bob Hesselbein, Middleton-Cross Plains school board president, on his district’s November referendum request

With state aid to schools failing to keep up with inflation, a wave of more than 70 school district referendum requests this fall are seeking $1.6 billion in support from property taxpayers. Baylor Spears reports on one request, in Middleton-Cross Plains, where taxpayers are getting weary even as schools face significant cuts.

On Friday Gov. Tony Evers’ Commutation Advisory Board met for the second month in a row to hear from another 12 incarcerated people in Wisconsin prisons applying for shortened sentences. Criminal Justice Fellows Andrew Kennard and Frank Zufall cover the latest round of cases.

The rare 2026 issue that draws huge support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress is the same one that’s mobilized many Americans: restrictions on giant data centers. The House has overwhelmingly passed legislation forcing state regulators to consider requirements that data centers absorb the cost of the electricity they use. But President Trump calls AI and data center concerns a “hoax.” David Lightman reports on the debate and its impact on the midterm elections.

PLUS:

Texas man canvassing for Tiffany charged with drunken hit and run

Trump rapid third-country removal policy blocked at appeals court

States fight to inspect federal immigrant detention facilities

Violent victimization at school rose among students in 2024, federal data show