Smokers may not be left out in the cold this winter after the Wisconsin Assembly voted Friday morning to amend the statewide smoking ban and allow certain outdoor smoking facilities. The amendment also cleaned up the language of the bill, closing a loophole that would have allowed indoor smoking in… Read more »

The state Assembly approved the Senate’s amendment to change the fine for texting while driving, ultimately passing the bill onto the governor’s office to be signed by Gov. Jim Doyle. The amendment, which changed the minimum fine for first time offenders from $100 to $20, was passed in the Assembly… Read more »

Facing allegations of ethics violations in a 2008 campaign ad, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is trying to exclude fellow Justice Patrick Crooks from taking part in the case because he believes Crooks to be biased against him. In a motion filed by Gableman’s lawyer on Friday, Gableman accuses… Read more »

An elderly Madison-area couple was convicted of voter fraud Monday after casting ballots in two separate Wisconsin elections. Janice and Louis Kwiatkowski, both 67, were charged with voting twice in Dane and Columbia counties because they own land in both places. The charge is a felony in Wisconsin. Janice Kwiatkowski… Read more »

Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill into law Tuesday requiring health care providers to disclose the median cost of medical services, tests and procedures at the request of customers. The law, which garnered bipartisan support in both the Assembly and Senate, also requires health care providers to publish the costs… Read more »

The Department of Education announced Thursday that Wisconsin will not be a finalist for the first round of the federal Race to the Top competition, a program providing states with more than $4.5 billion in funding to reform their educational systems. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia were chosen… Read more »

The Assembly passed a bill Thursday that legislators hope will lower the amount of money people pay for prescription drugs. The bill would exempt pharmacies from the Unfair Sales Act or “minimum markup” law prohibiting the sale of merchandise at a cost below what sellers originally paid. The law is… Read more »