(The Center Square) – While opposition remains to Wisconsin’s planned liquor law rewrite from wedding barn owners, some breweries and wineries are celebrating the changes.

A Wisconsin Senate committee will hear testimony Thursday about the changes to Wisconsin’s three-tiered liquor law that would allow wineries and breweries to sell more directly to customers,

“For too long uncertainty surrounding the state’s alcohol laws has created a patchwork of regulation that is not only challenging for the industry, but could also better serve consumers,” the coalition representing Wisconsin’s alcohol industry said in a statement.

The coalition includes the Wisconsin Brewers Guild and Wisconsin Wine and Spirits Institute, as well as Molson Coors, The Wisconsin Tavern League and Kwik Trip.

The coalition says the rewrite “includes reforms that will streamline regulations, increase competitio, and expand choices for consumers. And while stakeholders still hold differing perspectives on individual provisions contained in the bill, this negotiated package required all coalition members to find consensus and agree to finding a solution.”

A coalition spokesman told The Center Square eliminating extraneous or outdated regulations will only help people and small businesses in Wisconsin.

“These comprehensive reforms will streamline alcohol regulations in a way that benefits Wisconsin consumers by preventing monopolies and government overreach,” the spokesman said. “This legislation builds on Wisconsin’s legacy of promoting free market competition and makes further strides toward simplifying the three-tier system for all consumers.”

While the coalition supports the liquor law rewrite as a whole, there are some members who still have questions about every piece of the package, including rules requiring wedding barns to get the same liquor licenses as bars or banquet halls. That has been a goal of the Tavern League for years.

As previously reported by The Center Square, a number of free market groups in Wisconsin said that portion of the rewrite threatens to put wedding barns out of business.

The liquor law rewrite has already passed the State Assembly. Thursday’s hearing is its first step in the Senate.

In the United States, the common law principle known as the "castle doctrine" allows individuals to use deadly force, if reasonable, to protect themselves from home intruders. Variations of the castle doctrine are the law of the land in all but a handful of states. But in recent years, a number of states have expanded on the principle, allowing individuals to use deadly force in public spaces under certain circumstances, even if they have the option to safely retreat. These statutes are commonly known as "stand your ground" or "shoot first" laws.

Unlike the castle doctrine, which is deeply rooted in historical precedent, stand your ground laws represent a meaningful departure from American legal tradition. According to gun control advocacy group Giffords Law Center, stand your ground laws increase the likelihood of avoidable violence and death -- especially if firearms are involved, which, in states with these laws and weak gun control regulations, they often are.

Wisconsin is a state that does not have stand your ground laws on the books and where citizens have a legal duty to retreat from potentially dangerous public confrontations if doing so safely is possible. State residents are also required to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 793 firearm-related fatalities in Wisconsin in 2021, or 13.5 for every 100,000 people, the 15th lowest gun death rate among the 50 states.

All data in this story on stand your ground laws and concealed carry regulations is from Gifford's Law Center, a gun control advocacy group. It is important to note that policy details can vary by jurisdiction.

StateStand your ground laws?Permitless concealed carry of a firearmFirearm deaths per 100,000 people, 2021Total firearm deaths, 2021AlabamaYesLegal26.41,315AlaskaYesLegal25.2182ArizonaYesLegal18.31,365ArkansasYesLegal23.3698CaliforniaNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal9.03,576ColoradoNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal17.81,064ConnecticutNoIllegal6.7248DelawareNoIllegal16.6158FloridaYesLegal14.13,142GeorgiaYesLegal20.32,200HawaiiNoIllegal4.871IdahoYesLegal16.3309IllinoisNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal16.11,995IndianaYesLegal18.41,251IowaYesLegal11.2364KansasYesLegal17.3503KentuckyYesLegal21.1947LouisianaYesIllegal (with exceptions)29.11,314MaineNoLegal12.6178MarylandNoIllegal15.2915MassachusettsNoIllegal3.4247MichiganYesIllegal15.41,544MinnesotaNoIllegal10.0573MississippiYesLegal33.9962MissouriYesLegal23.21,414MontanaYesLegal25.1280NebraskaNoLegal (effective Sept. 2023)10.3200NevadaYesIllegal19.8633New HampshireYesLegal8.3123New JerseyNoIllegal5.2475New MexicoNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal27.8578New YorkNoIllegal5.41,078North CarolinaYesIllegal17.31,839North DakotaYesLegal16.8128OhioYesLegal16.51,911OklahomaYesLegal21.2836OregonNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal14.9670PennsylvaniaYesIllegal14.81,905Rhode IslandNoIllegal5.664South CarolinaYesIllegal22.41,136South DakotaYesLegal14.3128TennesseeYesLegal22.81,569TexasYesLegal15.64,613UtahYesLegal13.9450VermontNo (some protections from legal precedent)Legal11.983VirginiaNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal14.31,248WashingtonNo (some protections from legal precedent)Illegal11.2896West VirginiaYesLegal17.3319WisconsinNoIllegal13.5793WyomingYesLegal26.1155

(The Center Square) – On paper, the Biden Administration said the president was coming to Milwaukee on Tuesday to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act. It took about 15 minutes, however, for President Biden to shift the focus to Bidenomics.

“The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal started calling my plan, and not initially as a compliment, Bidenomics,” the president told the crowd at the Ingeteam, a clean energy manufacturer that makes wind turbine generators and is the kind of green energy job creator the president wanted to praise.

“Like the 12 solar energy projects Alliant Energy is building across Wisconsin,” Biden noted. “Paris Solar has broken ground on the state’s first, large scale battery and storage project in Kenosha County.”

The president also mentioned Siemens will open in Kenosha County, with a plant that will make solar inverters.

Biden’s visit is his first to Wisconsin during the 2024 election cycle.

He won the state by about 20,000 votes in 2020.

He didn’t talk about the race, or the group of Republicans who will be in Milwaukee next week for their presidential debate.

Instead, Biden talked mainly about jobs during his nearly hour-long speech.

“I came to Milwaukee to talk about what we’re doing to bring manufacturing back home,” the president said to a round of applause. “It’s about our progress. Building an economy from the middle out, and the bottom up. Not the top down.”

President Biden’s visit did not go without opposition.

The group Americans for Prosperity in Wisconsin was outside the president’s speech, offering its own version of Bidenomics.

“From higher gas prices to more expensive groceries, we can’t afford it anymore,” the group said.

Wisconsin is one of the key battleground states in 2024. Politicos in the state have said that whoever wins Wisconsin could very well win the White House.

(The Center Square) – President Biden may not mention Bidenomics during his visit to Milwaukee this afternoon, but Republicans in the state talked about little else ahead of his visit.

Wisconsin Republican Chairman Brian Schimming and Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany spoke to reporters ahead of Biden’s stop in the state.

“It’s costing more to fill-up your gas tank, a $1.40 a-gallon more than when Joe Biden took office. We’re receiving paychecks that are literally worth less because of the cost of living being up. We’re paying 30% more for a cup of coffee. Everything in this administration has gone up,” Schimming said. “There is no amount of political spending that the president can do in Milwaukee today that can fool Wisconsinites.”

The president’s visit includes a tour of a green energy manufacturing center in Milwaukee. It is Biden’s first visit to the state in the 2024 election cycle.

Schimming noted that.

“Wisconsin is important. We’re really not one of 50 states for this election, we’re one of only five,” Schimming said. “We’ve had 12 races in the last 24 years in this state of 6 million people that have been decided by less than 30,000 votes.”

President Biden won Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes in 2020. Former President Donald Trump won the state by about 27,000 votes.

Tiffany said President Biden should talk about Bidenomics to explain to voters why things like cars and homes now cost so much.

“People are going to have to pay interest rates that are not 2% or 3% like they were paying in the previous administration. They’re now going to have to pay 7% or 8% for a new home loan,” Tiffany said. “And that’s made it further out of reach for young people to live the American dream.”

Home prices in Wisconsin are rising. The latest report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors said the average price for a home in the Milwaukee metro area is now more than $400,000.

As for the Republican presidential candidates, who will be in Milwaukee next week, Schimming avoided a specific endorsement.

“Look, we have a number of people running for president on our side,” Schimming said. “Anyone of them would be better than Joe Biden.”

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., laid out a litany of new evidence in the ongoing investigation into an alleged Biden family “bribery scheme” Monday after interviewing one of the Biden family’s business associates.

Comer interviewed Devon Archer, a long-time friend of Hunter Biden who attended Yale with him and has ties to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, which allegedly paid millions of dollars to the Biden family as part of a “bribery scheme.”

“Devon Archer’s testimony today confirms Joe Biden lied to the American people when he said he had no knowledge about his son’s business dealings and was not involved. Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ that his son sold around the world to enrich the Biden family,” Comer said.

Most notably, Comer said that Archer alleged that President Biden met with Hunter Biden’s business partners more than “20 times,” directly refuting the president’s previous claim that he did not discuss the matter with his son.

“When Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States, he joined Hunter Biden’s dinners with his foreign business associates in person or by speakerphone over 20 times,” Comer said. “When Burisma’s owner was facing pressure from the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company for corruption, Archer testified that Burisma executives asked Hunter to ‘call D.C.’ after a Burisma board meeting in Dubai.”

Biden has repeatedly dismissed questions about his involvement in any overseas deals of this kind and Democrats have downplayed the seriousness of the investigation, including Archer’s contribution.

Comer’s comments come after IRS whistleblowers testified earlier this month that the Biden family and its associates received about $17 million distributed to about 20 shell companies from Chinese, Romanian and Ukrainian entities.

The comments came after a four-hour transcribed interview behind closed doors with Archer, who had previously canceled the interview but finally went through with it Monday. Archer, who faces prison time for conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe, declined to comment to reporters who questioned him as he arrived on Capitol Hill Monday.

Over the weekend, controversy erupted after the Department of Justice sent a letter to a federal judge saying that Archer report to jail to begin his sentence.

Critics blasted the decision from the DOJ, saying it was politically motivated, though Archer did not echo that sentiment.

The House Oversight Committee released a timeline of events Monday based on Archer’s testimony and version of events.

From the Committee:

Devon Archer testified that the value of adding Hunter Biden to Burisma’s board was “the brand” and confirmed that then-Vice President Joe Biden was “the brand.”Archer admitted that “Burisma would have gone out of business if ‘the brand’ had not been attached to it.” He believed that Hunter Biden being on the board and the Biden brand contributed to Burisma’s longevity. People would have been intimidated to mess with Burisma legally because of the Biden brand.In December 2015, Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Burisma, and Vadym Pozharski, an executive of Burisma, placed constant pressure on Hunter Biden to get help from D.C. regarding the Ukrainian prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. Shokin was investigating Burisma for corruption. Hunter Biden, along with Zlochevsky and Pozharski, “called D.C.” to discuss the matter. Biden, Zlochevsky, and Pozharski stepped away to make the call. This raises concerns that Hunter Biden was in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.Devon Archer testified that Hunter Biden put then-Vice President Joe Biden on the speakerphone during business meetings over 20 times. Archer testified that Joe Biden was put on the phone to sell “the brand.” These phone calls include a dinner in Paris with a French energy company and in China with Jonathan Li, the CEO of BHR.Archer acknowledged that then-Vice President Biden had coffee with Jonathan Li, the CEO of BHR, in Beijing. Then-Vice President Biden even wrote a letter of recommendation for college for Li’s daughter.Archer confirmed Joe Biden was referred to as “my guy” by Hunter Biden.In spring of 2014, then-Vice President Biden attended a business dinner with his son, Hunter, and his associates at Café Milano in Washington, D.C. Elena Baturina, a Russian oligarch who is the widow of the former mayor of Moscow, attended the dinner. Notably, the Biden Administration’s public sanctions list for Russian oligarchs does not contain Baturina.

Newly released polling shows that former President Donald Trump holds a sizable lead over an array of Republican primary challengers.

A New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday shows that Trump has held on to his lead with 54% support from Republicans. In a distant second place is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has 17%, followed by several candidates around 2-3%.

According to the new poll, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley all have 3% support.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy both have 2% support. Polls have varied significantly in how well lower-polling candidates are faring. Recent polls have showed either Ramaswamy or Pence polling higher.

Regardless, one trend is clear across polls: A major lead for Trump.

That poll comes after a CBS news poll released over the weekend shows 60% of Americans disapprove of the job President Joe Biden is doing as president.

Trump had a lead over DeSantis last year but saw his numbers shoot up after federal agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents, kicking off a string of legal problems for the former president.

Trump’s poll numbers, though, have seemingly been propelled by the targeting, which the former president calls a coordinated, corrupt attempt to keep him from winning the White House.

“Hillary Clinton deleted 33,000 Emails, many of them Classified, after getting a Subpoena from Congress,” Trump posted Sunday on TruthSocial, his social media site of choice. “Nothing happened to her, & stupid James Comey, then head of the FBI, stated that no reasonable prosecutor would prosecute this. Then why is Deranged Jack Smith prosecuting me when I did nothing wrong, as per the PRA? The answer is Election Interference - They are using the Department of Injustice in an attempt to Rig & Steal the Presidential Election on 2024. This is Prosecutorial Misconduct!”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will not see a law that keeps transgender girls out of female sports in the state.

Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday took to Twitter to promise a veto of the legislation from Republican lawmakers that would put transgender athletes in their own category in Wisconsin high schools and colleges.

“Trans kids, people, and families are part of our world. And any time you want to mess with them, you’re going to get a veto from me. Pretty simple,” Evers said in a tweet.

Evers’ promise is not a surprise.

No one at the Wisconsin Capitol expected the governor to sign the Save Women’s Sports Act from Rep. Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, and Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, who reintroduced the plan last week.

“This legislation will ensure that female athletes continue to have equal access to athletic opportunities and safe competition under the spirit of Title IX,” Knodl said at the time. “As the father of two daughters and former student athletes, I am committed to upholding a level playing field where female athletes can thrive, compete, and excel.”

Dittrich said the plan is about fairness.

“To every biological girl & woman out there, we see you,” Dittrich said on Twitter last week. “You matter! You don't have to keep giving your awards to boys & men. Our fed'l gov't made sure that you would be protected under Title IX. We reject this assault on your protected spaces & categories.”

Gov. Evers said questions about trans kids and young people playing girls’ sports is a political issue.

“It's wrong for us to take people that have different views, different ways of life, and mess with their lives. I find that atrocious. So, yeah, it is a national issue. It's an idiotic national issue. And it's disgusting,” Evers added.

There’s no word just when Wisconsin lawmakers will take-up the Save Women’s Sports Act, the legislature has largely wrapped-up its business for the year.

Seven Republican U.S. senators, led by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced a joint resolution to condemn a federal policy created by the Biden administration through a federal agency rule-making process called the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule.

They did so as the Biden administration has held fast to its plan to facilitate the migration of and release into the U.S. of as many people as possible from all over the world. Biden spoke of the plan in January, which was devised in cooperation with other world leaders and publicly announced two years ago.

The rule created additional ways to funnel foreign nationals “into unlawful parole programs that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set up without Congress’ consent,” the senators said in a joint statement. It went into effect May 11, the same day the public health authority Title 42 ended.

Joining Cornyn are Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Steve Daines of Montana and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Missouri.

“The Biden administration’s rule is an unserious attempt at resolving the border crisis and is full of loopholes that the cartels will easily exploit to continue moving unlawful migrants into the United States and overwhelm our Border Patrol,” Cornyn said. “Rather than stop unlawful migration, President Biden is using this rule to funnel the migrants into unlawful parole programs, and this resolution would put an end to this shell game to hide an unprecedented level of illegal immigration.”

Among other things, the rule created a new parole program to allow up to 30,000 citizens each from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba to enter the U.S., or an additional 120,000 every month.

The parole program has since expanded to include citizens of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

At the same time, the administration announced it was coordinating with the governments of Mexico, Canada, Spain, Colombia and Guatemala to expand entry to the U.S. “through a combination of expanded lawful pathways.”

Through the rule, DHS also launched the new CBP One mobile app, which a federal court in California just held is illegal. The administration has instructed foreign nationals to use the app to make appointments at CBP processing centers at land ports of entry before they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Once they apply through the app, they arrive at their appointment, undergo a background check, and are released into the U.S., with some exceptions. They are given court dates to meet with an immigration official three to four years in the future. They are also given work authorization papers to begin working in the U.S. while they wait years for a court hearing to determine if they are allowed to legally remain in the U.S.

DHS and the State Department also opened processing centers in other countries for the first time in U.S. history, beginning in Columbia, Guatemala and Mexico. Citizens of these countries use the app to make appointments with an immigration specialist to help expedite their application before they ever leave for the U.S.

To facilitate the expanded parole program, DHS allocated $15 million to a new Case Management Pilot Program to provide voluntary case management and other services to noncitizens to increase compliance with court dates and accelerate processing times to help them stay in the U.S.

The rule allows foreign nationals to claim asylum at any place or time even after they’ve been denied asylum in a different country prior to their arrival in the U.S., the senators point out.

“The first two of these three pathways constitute an abuse of the DHS Secretary’s parole authority,” they said, “which under our immigration law is only to be used on a true case-by-case basis.”

The rule, which is full of loopholes and easily exploitable, they argue, “is not a serious attempt at resolving the crisis on the southern border, and it does nothing to deter migrants from unlawfully migrating to the U.S.”

While deterring migration to the U.S. may be the goal of the senators, it is not the stated goal of the Biden administration. At a summit in Mexico City on Jan. 10, Biden said, “We’re trying to make it easier for people to get here, opening up the capacity to get here.”

In his remarks in January, Biden said he’d previously agreed with world leaders to facilitate more people coming to the U.S. at a North American Summit in Washington, D.C. in 2021. The agreement, which has the support of 21 countries, was formalized in the 2022 Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.

U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., reintroduced the Protect Equality and Civics Education (PEACE) Act, a bill that would block tax dollars from promoting Critical Race Theory within the Department of Education’s American history guidelines.

The legislation comes after a litany of examples have become public showing how federal tax dollars have been used to promulgate CRT, a philosophy that teaches the U.S. is a fundamentally racist nation and always has been.

States like Florida are also entangled in a battle over how U.S. history is taught.

“Critical Race Theory is an outrageous, Marxist teaching that has no place in our schools,” Rubio said. “I will not allow American history to be rewritten by the radical left. It is not only inaccurate but also dangerous. We need to protect our students from propaganda that seeks to divide and indoctrinate young children into believing they are inherently racist solely based on the color of their skin.”

The DOE’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has increasingly embraced more progressive ideas on how race and American history is taught.

Rubio and Kramer’s bill specifically would ban the DOE’s American History and Civics Education program from promoting “divisive concepts” as defined by former President Donald Trump’s "Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping." President Joe Biden overturned that order, which applied to federal agencies, nonprofits or groups with federal contracts, after taking office.

From that executive order:

“Divisive concepts” means the concepts that (1) one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; (2) the United States is fundamentally racist or sexist; (3) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; (4) an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex; (5) members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex; (6) an individual's moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex; (7) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; (8) any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex; or (9) meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a particular race to oppress another race. The term “divisive concepts” also includes any other form of race or sex stereotyping or any other form of race or sex scapegoating.

The bill is one of several legislative efforts from Republicans to block federal funding for progressive projects like CRT and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has introduced the Combating Racist Training in the Military Act as well as the Stop Critical Race Theory Act.

The Center Square previously reported on similar funding at the collegiate level. Federal grant documents show that the U.S. Department of Education awarded roughly $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars to a Florida-based education program that trains future teachers and other professionals in critical race theory.

Another similar program, "The Research Institute for Scholars of Equity," received millions of dollars for “training” college students in critical race theory at several higher educational institutions.

Top Republicans in the U.S. House launched an investigation last year into reports that federal funding meant for COVID-related learning loss was spent to promote “equity warriors,” critical race theory teachings and more at local schools.

“Woke concepts like critical race theory only serve to spread division," Cramer said. "We are all created equal in God’s image, and any implication otherwise is just plain wrong. Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for liberal academic agendas.”

New legislation that would require AM radio capability in every new vehicle is gaining momentum.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation discussed the “AM For Every Vehicle Act” in an executive session and passed it out of committee this week, putting it one step closer to a potential vote.

“Minnesotans look to AM radio for everything from news and weather updates to music and sports scores,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said. “It’s critical to protect AM radio for our communities, but right now, it's on the chopping block.”

Proponents argue AM radio is crucial for weather and emergency alerts in times of crisis and is more resilient after infrastructure damage because fewer towers are needed.

The bill, which has nearly 30 cosponsors in the Senate and almost 140 in the House, would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create a new rule requiring car manufacturers to put AM radios in vehicles without charging an extra fee for that capability.

“Each day, millions of Americans turn to AM radio to stay up to date on life in their community, engage on the issues they care about, or to be simply entertained during rush hour,” said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “AM radio is a critical bulwark for democracy, providing a platform for alternative viewpoints and the ability for elected officials to share our efforts with our constituents.”

Electric vehicle manufacturers have raised concerns about the proposal, saying the drivetrain in electric vehicles creates frequencies that interfere with the radio waves.

As a result, AM radio has been phased out in electric vehicles by several automakers.

AM radio can be streamed through apps on a phone, but that requires internet access which could be limited in a crisis.

As part of the bill, the Government Accountability Office would also commence a study on whether AM radio, which uses waves that travel much further than FM waves, actually is better for informing the public in emergency situations than FM radio.

The bill has backing from industry experts, including Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the National Association of Broadcasters, and National Association of Farm Broadcasters Nathan Simington.

“There is a clear public safety imperative here,” Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Having AM radio available in our cars means we always have access to emergency alerts and key warnings while we are out on the road. Updating transportation should not mean sacrificing access to what can be life-saving information.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the country’s decline is a choice but is not inevitable in a speech Wednesday to the American Legislative Exchange Council.

"This country is in a state of decline. Economic decline, military decline, cultural decline, and if we look at states that are governed by leftist politicians, wielding leftist ideology, those states are symptomatic of the larger decline in our country," the Republican candidate for president said at the organization’s annual gathering in Orlando.

DeSantis noted that states that have imposed anti-freedom policies are hemorrhaging businesses, residents and wealth.

"We see crime going through the roof in many of the urban centers in these areas, and their education system have declined dramatically as those policies have taken hold more and more," DeSantis said.

DeSantis pointed out that Florida has experienced the opposite over recent years and has continued to grow, despite the situation around the nation looking dire.

"The decline of our country, though, is not inevitable," DeSantis said. "The decline is a choice. It's a choice we as Americans will be making in the ensuing months and years. I believe that Florida shows the way to reverse our nation’s decline, restore sanity to our society and usher into this country a new birth of freedom."

Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis stated that almost 25% of Florida’s total debt has now been repaid and that the Sunshine State has the lowest tax burdens per capita in the country.

"We have in Florida shown the way on how to have a strong, robust economy. Our economy is now ranked number one in the nation by U.S. news and world reports overall…We have a large budget surplus, a AAA credit rating," DeSantis said, adding that through Florida’s Debt Repayment Program, around $400 million in debt had been recently paid back.

Ranking highest for economic growth, Florida is also tops in business formation, unemployment rates — especially amongst the largest states — and education.

DeSantis noted that all of the success that has been achieved since 2019 would not have been possible if Florida had not bucked the trend when it came to COVID-19 measures and restrictions.

"We fought for the people of this state, when nobody else was willing to do it," DeSantis said, adding that this is why he won his reelection by a 1.5 million vote margin.

"If people see that you're willing to fight for them, if they see that you're willing to take arrows for them, they will come out and support you…they just wanna know you’re willing to fight for them," DeSantis said.

(The Center Square) – There could soon be more livestock and larger blue ribbon checks at Wisconsin’s local fairs.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture on Thursday held a hearing on a plan that would double the prize money for Wisconsin’s county and district fairs.

“They’re excited when they get that little check,” Lori Ripp with the Lodi Fair told lawmakers. “That $2 dollar premium may not mean a lot to just everybody. But $2 encourages them to try again.”

Ripp said local fairs are for everyone, and the events and contests they offer are for everybody.

The plan before lawmakers, SB 311, would double the state’s share of prize money for local fairs from $10,000 per fair to $20,000.

Susan Quam, vice president at the Dane County Fair, told lawmakers that extra prize money will help all fairs across the state do what they need to stay open and relevant.

“The state aid they receive for premiums that are given to all exhibitors is a very vital part of their financial strategy,” Quam said.

But just as important as the extra money, fair managers add, is that the new legislation removes Wisconsin’s rule that bans people from showing animals at two different fairs.

“We’re in a unique situation,” Marie Preuss with the Elroy Fair told lawmakers. “Our exhibitors come from school districts. So they may be able to show at another fair, and most do. This bill allows fairs to determine who their exhibitors are.”

Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection currently bans people from showing livestock at multiple fairs.

“Nowadays with fewer and fewer people in agriculture, many more exhibitors are showing a managerial animal,” Preuss explained. “They just don’t have that huge herd to go out and bring a second, or third animal to a different fair.”

There are 74 county and district fairs in Wisconsin that got state-subsidized prize money last year. DATCP’s numbers show the total for premium spending came to $456,000. The new plan would double that, meaning Wisconsin would be providing nearly $1 million for local fair prizes if the plan becomes law.