Weekend Roundup: Wisconsin Democratic Lawmakers Push For Legalized Marijuana — Again

Earlier this week, the Wisconsin Democrats traveled across the border to South Beloit, Illinois to propose new legislation that would allow Wisconsin residents 21 years of age and older to purchase and purchase up to 2 ounces of marijuana and six plants own.

The bill would also create a medical marijuana registry. the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Republicans have not supported such proposals in the past.

People are traveling to other states to buy marijuana, lawmakers said Tuesday.

It is legal to buy marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes in Illinois and Michigan. Minnesota allows the use of medical marijuana.

“The people of Rock County, just minutes across the border, have spoken out strongly in favor of legalizing cannabis. In a referendum in November 2018, nearly 70 percent of Rock County’s residents voted to legalize and regulate cannabis, ”said State Representative Mark Spreitzer, a Beloit Democrat.

Democrats believe the proposal would boost agriculture and reduce racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests, according to the Sentinel Journal.

Wisconsin DHS: COVID-19 Weekly Summary

From August 8th to 12th there were 6,330 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the Wisconsin Department of Health, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic started to 636,344. Wisconsin lost 7,471 human lives in total.

Fifty percent of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated – 82 percent of people ages 65 and older and 30.9 percent of children ages 12-15.

Report: Packers valued at $ 3.475 billion

Forbes has the value of the Green Bay Packers according to a. valued at $ 3.475 billion report in the Green Bay Gazette.

The Forbes rating says NFL teams’ scores have risen over the past year despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated drop in sales.

The report said the Packers ranked 13th among the 32 teams in the NFL, according to estimates released last week.

Dane County creates position to focus on helping the “hidden homeless”

The Dane County Board is using federal funds to create a position that advocates and supports people who are “hidden homeless,” meaning they do not have a home of their own, so stay with family and friends or pay for motel rooms. The position is the first of its kind in the United States. reports the Wisconsin State Journal.

“If we don’t find solutions for people affected by this type of homelessness, homelessness will never end in our community,” said Sup. Michele Doolan, 28th Ward. Doolan is the main sponsor of the resolution behind the position.

Plan to replace the aging mail car fleet that has been delayed by a lawsuit

The United States Postal Service’s aging truck fleet continues despite a contract for greener replacement vehicles being questioned.

In February, USPS announced it awarded a 10-year contract to Oshkosh Defense, a Defense company based in Wisconsin. The losing bidder, an Ohio company called Workhorse Group, questioned the fairness of the decision in June.

The 1987 primary fleet of vehicles is set to be replaced under the new contract, but the award is being questioned. This means that the delivery of new trucks planned for the end of 2023 could be delayed further.

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The new trucks – also known as Next Generation Delivery Vehicles – have either fuel-efficient motors or electric battery drives and are made in the USA. WPR previously reported.

According to the Associated Press, there is no deadline for a decision on the lawsuit, but research suggests that “contract disputes generally take about four to five months from filing to decision,” said David Ralston and Frank Murray, Washington-based attorneys for Foley & Lardner LLP said AP.

The workers don’t care what model they get. They just want something that is safe.

Current vehicles are catching fire at an alarming rate, lacking adequate heating and cooling, low fuel consumption, and becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

The initial $ 482 million contract includes the design and preparation for the construction of at least 50,000 trucks, including a Press release from the postal service. The contract could be worth more than $ 6 billion. according to The Motley Foolwhen Oshkosh Defense delivers 165,000 new postbuses.

Evers hands $ 70 million in coronavirus aid to Wisconsin hotels

Governor Tony Evers hands $ 70 million federal coronavirus aid to Wisconsin hotels. The governor announced the move on Monday.

He says grants of up to $ 2 million were issued on Friday to 888 accommodation companies across the state to offset losses caused by the pandemic.

The money is part of the American Rescue Plan Act’s $ 140 million in US Rescue Plan Act funds that are earmarked for the Wisconsin tourism and entertainment industries, including $ 11.25 million for theaters and $ 12 million for small ones Company in live events, $ 2.8 million for minor league sports teams, and $ 8 million for summer camps.

Prisons, telephone companies benefit from the paid calls from inmates and their families

The price of a prison phone call for an incarcerated person varies by state. But there’s a constant writes the Post Crescent: These counties and telephone service providers benefit from the calls at the expense of the financially weakest.

“There has been a lot of talk in this country in recent years about people who are a few hundred dollars away from a personal debt crisis. “, Said Wanda Bertram, communications strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative.

Data shows that LGBTQ adults are almost twice as likely to starve as others

The COVID-19 pandemic has marginalized many people in the United States. Food insecurity has increased across the country, but new US Census Bureau data shows that LGBTQ adults are almost twice as likely to experience food insecurity as non-LGBTQ adults.

NPR Reports that of the more than 64,000 people who replied to the latest news from the office Household pulse survey, just over 13 percent of LGBTQ adults reported living in a household that had experienced food insecurity for the past seven days, compared with 7.2 percent of non-LBGTQ adults.

The Pulse poll is intended to be a window into how Americans are doing during the pandemic. The survey is sent to around 1 million households every two weeks.

Accordingly Gallup survey data5.6 percent of US citizens identify as LGBTQ.

Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.