(MADISON) Madison's mayor and police chief are considering launching an anti-gun violence program targeting juveniles who may be hiding their guns at home.

“Consent to Seizure” aims to essentially get illegal guns out of the hands of teens, and has proven successful already in St. Louis. The way it works, is if police suspect a juvenile may have gun at home they approach the parents with a consent form. The document allows police to search the home, but with the understanding that if a gun is found it will be confiscated and no charges will be filed against the teen.

UW-Madison law professor Paul Scott worked in St. Louis when the program was started. He says there was 90-percent compliance from parents, many whom were surprised to find a gun was in their home, and pleased police took it away.

Scott says there's reason to believe this approach would work in Madison as well. But Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisolm says he's skeptical about giving teens a chance to avoid prosecution without giving police more than just an illegal gun. He says it’s an arrangement offenders can take advantage of, and give authorities “a little bit” but not everything.

Supporters of the “Consent to Seizure” program say the only way it’ll be successful is if the local district attorney signs off on it and teens are only allowed to escape prosecution once for a gun found in their house. Discussions are still under way with community leaders in south Madison about whether or not there is strong support for starting the program in the city.

(MADISON) Madison Area Technical College (MATC) is using a new grant to help returning soldiers transition from military to civilian life, to address a surge in veterans signing up for classes on its campus.

The quest for continuing education can be complicated for vets. Their military service may have brought on money problems or family tension. Colleges have tried to ease this stress so that vets stay in school. Michael Shumway, advisor of MATC's Vets for Vets student club, says they are hoping to expand business hours and locations to increase outreach which includes helping some service members talk about struggles linked to post-traumatic stress disorder. Shumways says they’ll also have specialized tutors and study groups to help if anyone has trouble concentrating in the classroom.

The American Council on Education and Wal-Mart Foundation recently gave MATC a "Success for Veterans" grant, worth $100,000. At a ceremony prior to the July 4th holiday, MATC president Bettsey Barhorst said the number of student veterans has almost doubled in recent years, and they have the third largest veteran enrollment in Wisconsin.

The highest number of student veterans in the state is at UW-Milwaukee and MATC Milwaukee. Enrollment has increased with the Wisconsin GI bill, which offers free tuition to eligible veterans and their dependents. MATC expects that legislation will add nearly 500 students to its classrooms.

(STATEWIDE) A new statewide campaign aims to deter possible bank robbers from following through on their crimes.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) -- with support from the FBI and local law enforcement -- is kicking off a campaign to coincide with the “Public Enemies” film release. WBA president Kurt Bauer says they’re concerned the movie glamorizes bank robberies. He says they're requesting people to remove hats, hoods, sunglasses or guns to help banks zero in on those looking for trouble. Bauer says a “legitimate” bank customer won’t have a problem complying with such requests. He adds customers will be served regardless of their appearance, but anyone not removing their sunglasses or hood could be confronted by a bank employee with a simple greeting, which he says is the last think a bank robber wants. He says robbers simply want to get to the teller line and conduct their robbery as quickly as possible.

The program kicks off on the heels of an arrest made by La Crosse police after a man entered a local credit union wearing a hoodie. Police lieutenant Bob Berndt says the man entered with a costume shirt and mask on his face, after parking his bike at the front doors. Employees were scared by his appearance, and that he was removing the mask upon entering. One observer believed he was preparing to possible rob the bank. Police determined the man had no such plans, but cited him for disorderly conduct. Berandt says he would’ve done the same. The man cited could not be reached for comment.

(STATEWIDE) More Wisconsin residents are rolling up their sleeves and digging in the dirt, to produce their own food.

The 2007 Wisconsin census of agriculture reports that the number of small farms, those less than 50 acres, has jumped nearly 30-percent since 2002. Most of the increase is due to small start-up farms, rather than larger farms downsizing.

Diane Mayerfeld, of the UW extension’s Small Farms team, says that most of these new farmers are not working the land for a living but rather as a hobby. She says the USDA refers to these as “lifestyle residential farms”, and people who have them love the challenge of farming, want to be closer to the land, be part of nature, and also be part of producing “something very elemental like food.”

One hobby farmer is Gay Davidson Zielske, an English professor at UW-Whitewater. She maintains a small vegetable garden and chicken coop. Zielske says it is important to know where your food is coming from, eat what you raise, and “get back to real food”.

Not only are new hobby-farms springing up across Wisconsin, but also new farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture operations. Mayerfeld says this is part of a national trend and reflects the increased interest in the environment and sustainable agriculture.

(STATEWIDE) Some Wisconsin women who work in wind power say that men dominate the industry. So, the women have started a local chapter of a national women's networking group. Jenny Heinzen teaches wind energy technology at Lakeshore Technical College in Manitowoc County. She says she's had very few female students, even though women at the school are not being discouraged from entering the wind energy field. She says many just don't realize it's an option. So, at the recent Midwest Renewable Energy Fair, Heinzen joined about 15 other people in helping form a Wisconsin chapter of Women of Wind Energy (WOWE) The group started in 2005 and says it has about 500 members nationwide.

Heinzen says she hopes the state chapter can help get the word out about wind energy to more young women who are ready to choose a career. Another member of WOWE is Meg McCormick, who works as an energy auditor in Waukesha. McCormick says she's hoping to network with other women and says some of her clients -- especially females -- have been very supportive when she shows up at their door. But McCormick says it won't be easy to get more women into the wind industry, until more enroll in the training schools.

(STATEWIDE) Disabled hunters can now apply for Wisconsin’s annual disabled deer hunt that takes place in October. And many are finding more people willing to let them hunt on their land.

Linda Olver, an assistant deer and bear biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says disabled hunters had access to 62,000 acres last year. That’s almost twice the number of acres than two years before and she thinks that’s because the DNR is doing better at getting the word out, through word of mouth and the media.

The North American Squirrel Association in Onalaska helps the disabled and elderly enjoy outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing. Its president, Pat Lamke, says in some years, several local landowners have opened their properties to disabled hunters, but not always.

Last year, the association held a deer hunt at a La Crosse County park.

(UNDATED) Former 1st District U.S. Congressman Mark Neumann officially declared his plans to run for Governor yesterday, setting up a primary battle among Republicans.

Neumann served two terms in the 1990s before losing a 1998 Senate race to Democrat Russ Feingold. Neuman now lives in Nashotah where he's a homebuilder and co-chairs a company that runs private voucher schools in Milwaukee. He joins Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Appleton businessman Mark Todd in the Republican field for Governor. Neumann says his private sector experience will help differentiate him from both Walker and Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. He says he’s not criticizing their backgrounds which are “clearly in the public sector” and “clearly in politics”, adding his campaign brings a different alternative to the people.

Neumann says he'll also differentiate himself from Walker by emphasizing education and the environment in his campaign. He says he opposes the cap-and-trade legislation Congressional Democrats are considering to curb greenhouse gas emissions. But Neumann says Republicans need to come up with an alternative that accomplishes the same goals, and in a way that creates jobs. He says that’ll be a different vision than his rival Scott Walker.

Walker has been positioning himself toward a run for Governor ever since he bowed out of the 2006 gubernatorial race, and has an early jump on both endorsements and fundraising. Neumann says he'll announce his own endorsements soon and expects to be competitive with Walker financially.

(STATEWIDE) Same sex Wisconsin couples will be soon be able to register for domestic partnership benefits.

When the Governor signed the budget into law, he gave Wisconsin the distinction of being the first state with a constitutional ban on same sex marriage to also legally recognize domestic partnerships through legislative action.

The law allows same sex couples to sign up for the registry at their local county courthouse, in a process similar to applying for a marriage license. Joint Finance Committee Co-chair Representative Mark Pocan helped craft the legislation. He says this essentially provides some basic legal protections and privileges for same sex couples including hospital visitation and end-of-life decision making.

The Wisconsin Family Council is staunchly opposed to the new law. CEO Julaine Appling says it flies in the face of Wisconsin's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and she doubts it’ll withstand “any kind” of legal challenge.

Appling says they're looking into potentially fighting the new law. But Representative Pocan is confident the legislation is solid. He cites the finding of the non-partisan Legislative Council that determined that the registration wouldn't create a status substantially similar to marriage.

The budget also extends health care benefits to same-sex partners of state employees.

The domestic partnership registry takes effect August 3rd.

(MADISON) Governor Jim Doyle says his staff and other lawyers simply missed one of his budget vetoes that violated a new constitutional amendment.

Last year, voters approved the amendment to restrict what's been called the "Frankenstein Veto." The amendment bans Governors from stitching together parts of two or more sentences to form a new sentence.

But the Governor used that tactic on one of his 81 vetoes in the budget. If allowed to stand, it would delete a study committee lawmakers wanted that would investigate facilities for the mentally retarded.

The Governor says the veto was one of those things his office missed in the brief time he had to work on the budget after the legislature passed it. He describes it as “not a big deal” and a “very technical little thing”. He says his staff had a day and a half to go over the budget and the legislative reference bureau missed the item. He says the state will go on with the study.

But the Governor's veto definitely caught the attention of one of the homes for the mentally retarded that wanted this study committee in the first place. Ardis Loeber is a Regional Director for Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services in Watertown. She says the state has been gradually trying to close down facilities like hers, and she wants lawmakers to hear more about it. Loeber says she’s concerned that not all the players will be brought to the table to discuss the issue.

It looks like Loeber and the legislature will get the study they wanted on this issue, now it's just a matter of how they get there. While the Governor would like to move on, Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker issued a statement yesterday saying the legislature was exploring its options.

(MILWAUKEE) It's been 18 months since Milwaukee launched a new witness protection program, with an approach that emphasizes preventing people from threatening witnesses, rather than spending money to protect the witnesses from attacks.

Most witness protection programs follow the TV crime drama formula: a witness is sequestered in a hotel room with police protection until he or she can testify. But Milwaukee district attorney John Chisholm has launched a different approach that targets the people who are threatening or attempting to bribe witnesses to prevent them from testifying. He says sometimes it means calling or directly confronting a person who may be trying to sway a witness, or – in the “appropriate case” Chisholm says – issuing a criminal complaint and a warrant, and arresting them.

Since the program began in January 2007, there have been 50 arrests and 50 successful convictions for witness intimidation. Chisholm says some of the $50,000 in federal funding has been sent on re-locating witnesses who are in danger, but he says for the most part, money has been spent helping witnesses stay in touch with police such as giving them gas money, a phone, and a gift certificate for family provisions, among other small services. Chisholm says the real focus has been to stop the intimidators.

The Milwaukee County board has taken over funding of the program this year and Chisholm is confident it will continue to be successful.

(STATEWIDE) Three Wisconsin lawmakers want to make roads safer by eliminating a distraction for those at greatest risk of having an accident: cell phones.

The National Transportation Safety Board says drivers age 20 and under account for 14-percent of fatal accidents, even though they make up only 7-percent of all motorists.

Representative Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay wants to ban cell phone use by drivers 17 years old or younger. She says the group is more distracted by the frequent use of cell phones, which includes texting.

A separate bill in the state senate would ban texting by drivers of any age. Across-the- board cell restrictions have failed to pass in previous sessions. Pasch hopes a more targeted approach on probationary drivers will have a better chance of becoming law.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 21 states currently restrict cell phone use by novice drivers. The Institute's Russ Rader says those numbers, though, aren't indicative of whether such laws work. He says the problem is enforcing those laws vigorously and with a lot of visibility, which has been the “only way” to actually change driver behavior.

The cell phone ban for probationary drivers proposed by Representative Pasch would be a primary offense, meaning law enforcement wouldn't have to have another reason to stop a young motorist. The only exception would be using cell phones for emergencies.

(LA CROSSE) U.S. Congressman Ron Kind says the United States should remain cautious in its reaction to the current political situation in Iran.

Iran’s opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is urging supporters to keep pushing for their rights. While Mousavi is declaring the cleric-run government to be illegitimate, Kind says the United States has to be careful about its involvement in the matter. He agrees with President Obama’s condemnation of violence and the crackdown against demonstrators, and Mr. Obama’s right to speak out and have their votes counted. But Kind says the President is not intervening in an aggressive fashion. That could give the current cleric government an excuse to claim the situation is a U.S. guise to overthrow them.

Kind says he’s hopeful there will be enough change in Iran to find common ground between the two nations, adding the future of Iran will be determined by Iranians. He says there’s a very young growing population who don’t like the direction Iran is taking. And people need to encourage the people’s desire for change.

Kind says the U.S. role in Iran will be determined by their actions moving forward.

(GREEN BAY) Three Wisconsin Universities have closed admissions for most students. But UW-Green Bay is making exceptions for some. While UWGB is joining Madison and Eau Claire in capping admissions for most new freshmen and transfer students, it’s left room in its freshmen class for students who live in 11 counties in Northeastern Wisconsin.

UWGB Director of Admissions Pamela Harvey-Jacobs says that's because about 75-percent of the school's graduates stay in that part of the state. And she says that's good for the local economy, if they can keep those people in the area.

Green Bay will also accept applications from transfer students who live in the region. Harvey-Jacobs says some families are looking to save money on room and board by choosing a school within commuting distance. She says they’ve had some students choose to stay closer because it’s more feasible, financially.

Harvey Jacobs has seen more interest in adults choosing to return to school during the recession. UWGB's adult education program is still open for applications.

(MADISON) Governor Doyle marked the return of Milwaukee's Circus Parade yesterday by welcoming two, century-old wagons from the Circus World Museum in Baraboo to the State Capitol.

The wagons will be part of the parade in Milwaukee taking place July 12th. Doyle says it is the third largest parade in the U.S., and more than half a million people are expected to attend. He says the Circus Parade event is only exceeded in numbers attending by Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Bowl Parade.

This will be the 40th Circus Parade in Milwaukee. It has been on hiatus for the past six years because of funding problems.

WPR Photo: Governor Doyle speaks in front of historic circus wagon

(UNDATED) Today President Obama is holding a national discussion on health care through an online town hall meeting in Virginia. But a listening session held yesterday in Dodgeville has already provided a microcosm about the various opinions on health reform. People questioned host U.S. Representative Ron Kind about who would pay for health reform, how quickly it should happen, and what role the government should play. .

The crowd was made up of mostly rural residents, many without health care. They were divided on how to reduce medical costs and ensure more people have insurance. Some said they didn't trust the government and expressed concerns about a public option potentially "eliminating" private insurance. Yet, the words "single payer" prompted applause. That quickly turned to dismay when Representative Ron Kind made it clear to the crowd that was not being discussed in Congress, because the President didn’t think it was a politically feasible option. Kind acknowledged the issue would create a great divide among Americans.

On one side of the chasm are people like Jean Murphy. The Boscobel resident has expensive catastrophic insurance. She believes a single payer system would bring costs down and ensure access to more people. So she was upset to hear Representative Kind say that's not going to happen.

On the other side of the debate on how to best reform health care is the American Medical Association. The organization is leery of a public option based on Medicare, a system doctors criticize for its low government reimbursement rate. Yet there are doctors who believe an alternative to private insurance is necessary.

Family physician Aaron Dunn runs a free community clinic in Dodgeville. He says the government can oversee a public health system without being heavy-handed, such as dictating what tests are ordered and what medication is prescribed. He says the federal government can save money and keep people on public programs healthy by paying doctors in a different way. Instead of compensating providers according to the volume of services, doctors should be reimbursed by the government according to proven treatment methods.

That means figuring out what works best through a system of comparing effectiveness. It's been estimated that up to one-third of medical costs do not help the patient. And any reform will have the bottom line in mind, something pointed out to the crowd by small businessman Bob Wills, owner of Cedar Grove Cheese. Wills supports a public option, but he says people have to be realistic in how many medical services they'll get, as government’s role will be to limit the amount people spend on health care in some way.

Along with pressure for a public option, there's a push for Congress to act on health care quickly before it fades from politician's minds. One speaker at Kind's constituent hearing said the issue was moving so fast it might become a "train wreck." That prompted single payer advocate Jean Murphy to say “Either we train wreck fast or we train wreck slow."

Representative Kind said reform won't take place overnight, describing it instead as a lengthy transition. He says the country will bankrupt itself if nothing is done.

WPR Photo: Congressman Ron Kind

(UNDATED) U.S. Senator Herb Kohl says he thinks Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor can shake off a loss this week from the current High Court. Kohl met behind closed doors recently with a task force he's convened to help prepare for Judge Sotomayor's nomination hearings next month. He was later asked about Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that favored white firefighters in a racial discrimination case. The justices reversed a decision from an appellate panel that included Judge Sotomayor.

Kohl says he's not bothered to see Sotomayor overturned, and contends the affirmative action issue will not be a major issue at the nomination hearings. A member of Kohl's task force says people should look at Sotomayor's whole body of work, not just a single case.

But private bar attorney Jose Olivieri says he hopes Kohl and other Senators ask important questions of the nominee. He says it looks like Sotomayor will be confirmed. Kohl says he'll wait until after the hearings to say if he'll endorse Judge Sotomayor.

(STATEWIDE) Starting today, police in Wisconsin will have the power to pull over motorists simply for not wearing their seat belts.

Currently, officers can ticket drivers for not being buckled up, but only if they’re pulled over for something else first. This new law changes that, and that means that as long as police suspect you're not wearing your seat belt, that would be reason enough to pull you over.

Supporters like AAA Wisconsin have argued for years that this will reduce traffic deaths. Spokesman Larry Kamholz says the fact that it's now law is a pretty big deal. He says statistics have long shown that by just wearing a seat belt, it reduces chances of being fatally or seriously injured in a traffic crash.

This is an issue that's been introduced regularly at the capitol without success. The thing that made the difference this year is that it was included as part of the budget, and tied to a $15-million incentive from the federal government.

Critics call it a case of "federal blackmail" and say this would have never passed the legislature on its own merits. They worry it will give police an excuse to pull over motorists who've done nothing wrong.

(UNDATED) Several Democratic lawmakers are angry with Governor Jim Doyle's veto of an optional sales tax increase to pay for transit in Milwaukee County.

The issue came to a boil yesterday during a meeting of the legislature's joint finance committee. The Doyle administration was asking the panel for $35,000 to continue studying a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line.

It came just a day after the Governor vetoed a plan the legislature passed in the budget that would have raised Milwaukee County's sales tax to pay for buses and police. Milwaukee Democratic Representative Tamara Grigsby says fixing her city's bus system is a crucial first step if the state wants to create a regional transit system down the road. She says it sends a “very bad message” that she’s going to give a token to keep some study going, when she’s lost the chance to save a bus system that serves thousands.

Milwaukee Democrat Pedro Colon says the transit deal the Governor vetoed was the product of lengthy and difficult negotiations between lawmakers, but apparently it wasn’t good enough. He adds if that’s the case, the state shouldn’t waste time employing a bunch of consultants to do something “that will never happen.”

Colon, Grigsby and several other Democrats joined with Republicans to deny funding for this study, in essence sending a message to the Governor that he needs to come their way on this issue.

Doyle's original budget called for local sales tax increases in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee County to pay for regional transit. Doyle wants lawmakers to revisit that plan this fall, but those who represent Kenosha and Racine Counties have been very resistant.

(GREEN BAY) A program aimed at getting kids from low income families interested in college is expanding. The program exposes kids to college life and mentors them in the hopes they'll return someday as university freshmen.

The Phuture Phoenix program began at UW-Green Bay. Now a similar program is being worked up at UW-Eau Claire. That one will be called Blue Gold Beginnings.

The idea at both schools is the same. Bring 5th graders to campus for a day long field trip. Then mentors--usually current college students-- follow the kids through middle and high school.

Eau Claire won a $100,000 federal grant to start Blue Gold Beginnings. The grant is administered by the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation. Chief Guaranty Officer Amy Kerwin says there's no more grant money available for other schools, but similar programs could be started at relatively low cost.

The first class to go through the program at UWGB is approaching high school graduation. They are being tracked to see how many end up in higher education.

Both Phuture Phoenix and Blue Gold Beginnings are targeted at schools with high numbers of kids who receive free or reduced lunch, an indication of low income families.

(VERNON COUNTY) Vernon County may begin making repairs to dams that were damaged by significant flooding in the past two years.

The state awarded the county $4-million in community development block grant funds earlier this month. Phil Hahn is a resource conservationist for the county land and water conservation department. He says it’s the best news they’ve had in years, and if the county gets another $8-million they’ll be set.

The money will go to fix the Runge Hollow and Jersey Valley dams in the respective Bad Axe and Kickapoo River watersheds. Hahn says repair on the latter will begin at the end of July. However, other dams in need of attention will have to wait on more funding. Meg Galloway, chief of the dams and floodplains unit with the Department of Natural Resources, says $4-million made it into the budget for dam repairs and she hopes that within a couple weeks, they can inform municipalities about how to apply for the money. However, she says the money will come in the form of competitive grants. She adds there are far more dams in need of repair than money available to fix them.

Vernon County’s Hahn says putting off repairs until more money rolls in does pose some risk. He compares the wait to trying to beat the odds of more flooding hitting the region.

DNR’s Galloway says they’re currently making changes so that dam owners may be able to apply for the money before April of 2010.

WPR Photo: Phil Hahn

(MADISON) Governor Jim Doyle signed Wisconsin's state budget yesterday, marking the first time in three decades that a budget was completed on time.

Doyle also vetoed several pieces, including an optional sales tax hike for Milwaukee County. The budget that passed the legislature would have allowed for a .65-percent sales tax increase to pay for buses and public safety in Milwaukee County. It was a far cry from the three-county sales tax the Governor would have allowed in his budget specifically for bus and rail in Southeast Wisconsin.

The Governor's plan would have created what's known as a "regional transit authority" which qualifies a region for federal funds. Doyle says the plan the legislature passed didn't quite fit that billing, adding that the proposal got things off on the wrong track and it’d be hard to build a true regional transit authority from that.

Doyle also used his partial veto to scale back film tax incentives that passed the legislature. Those are the credits that helped lure the film “Public Enemies” to shoot in Wisconsin. The Governor capped the credits at $500,000 which is along the lines of what he wanted all along. Doyle says these are refundable tax credits, which is like actual cash being handed out to film crews.

Most of the budget survived the Governor's veto pen, including two major insurance mandates. One would require all drivers to carry auto insurance. Another, which the Governor highlighted, would require all health policies to cover autism treatment. Doyle said at the signing that he could say it on a lot of issues, but on the autism one especially, “it shows elections matter.”

Doyle also vetoed the budget to give his office the power to cut an additional $200-million across all state agencies. That would be on top of the other cuts in the budget.

WPR Photo: Statehouse in Madison.

(MADISON) A political watchdog group is cheering on a bill that would let people find out about their elected officials’ finances without having to provide their names.

Representative Spencer Black of Madison says his bill would get rid of a state mandate that requires residents to give their names when looking up a politician’s financial disclosure form. That’s a summary of their business dealings, creditors, and investments, and more than 2,000 elected officials in Wisconsin fill them out every year.

Representative Black says the current process simply serves no useful purpose, and can be intimidating to the average citizen who wants to look up an official’s record. He says people have every right to examine a powerful official’s finances, but can be leery of having to let that person know their name and of their activity.

People who either don’t disclose their name or use an alias can be fined up to $5,000 and serve a year in prison. Mike McCabe of the Wisconsin Democracy campaign says this all has a “chilling” effect on the public’s right to know, and he’ll be speaking in favor of Black’s bill. He says earlier versions have gone nowhere in past sessions, and they have yet to successfully “smoke out” the opposition that’s allowed the proposal to die in the past.

McCabe says there’s a better chance of the bill’s passage this session than in the past. And both he and Black agree the legislation can help make elected officials accountable, and increase transparency of state government.

The legislation has a hearing today at the state capitol.

(STATEWIDE) Some undocumented immigrants will now have a chance to pay in-state tuition at Wisconsin universities and colleges.

The new law was included in the state budget the Governor signed yesterday. It would apply to kids who graduate from a Wisconsin high school as long as they've lived in the state for three years and are applying for permanent residency. Those kids could already attend Wisconsin universities, but they had to pay the higher non-resident tuition rates.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz is the director of the immigrants rights group Voces de la Frontera. She calls it an historic step forward, especially for low-income families from Wisconsin who can’t afford out of state tuition. She says most middle class families can’t afford out of state tuition either. Neumann says the new law recognizes these families as state residents, and Wisconsin has invested in their education and wants to have them continue.

The budget that passed the legislature got rid of another plan that would have let undocumented immigrants qualify for drivers cards in Wisconsin.

(UNDATED) U.S. Senator Herb Kohl doesn't like the pace of health care reform. While universal advocates have urged quick action, the Wisconsin Democrat is cautioning colleagues to be more deliberative.

President Obama promised health reform and he's getting pressure from unions and others to make good on that campaign pledge this year. Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl has assembled stakeholders in communities around the state to advise him as Congress tackles the issue. He says his own fear is in the need to try to readily accommodate political pressures rather than do it correctly. Kohl says it’s important not to meet “some artificial deadline” as they work.

Kohl says having a public option to employer-based health care is still being considered. However, Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine wants it to be a standby provision, which would kick-in only if the private market fails to provide affordable coverage. Tomorrow, President Obama plans to talk about health care at a town hall meeting in Virginia.

(UNDATED) Prison reform advocates in the state legislature aren't happy with the Governors budget veto message.

Democratic State Representative Joe Parisi of Madison worked hard to promote reforms in the parole revocation process. Parisi says he's disappointed the Governor ignored the fact that similar reforms have proved effective in reducing prison populations in other states. He says a high percentage of admissions to state prisons aren’t because of new crimes, but rather revocations as a rule violation, which really pushes the limits on prison populations. He says the Governor vetoed provisions that would have addressed that.

The Governor's budget also eliminated a mandated goal to reduce prison recidivism in the state by 25-percent over the next two years. In his veto message, Governor Doyle called that a goal that would be hard to measure. Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko agrees, adding it’s arbitrary.

But legislators committed to cutting the state prison population say they'll pursue their reforms through the normal legislative process.

(MADISON) Governor Jim Doyle denies rumors that he'll cut short his current term for a high-profile federal job.

Such rumors have circulated off and on ever since President Obama won his election last November. Doyle was an early supporter of the President's during last year's campaign.

The rumors picked up momentum again last week. But responding to a reporter's question yesterday, the Governor said he still had a lot of work to do in Wisconsin and is committed to the four-year term he ran for. He denies ever asking for or seeking a position with the Obama Administration.

The Governor's term runs through the end of 2010. While he has not committed to running for a third term, Doyle has been raising money to prepare for another campaign.

WPR Photo: Governor Jim Doyle.

(KENOSHA) A political refugee from north eastern Africa being held in a Kenosha jail is hoping a federal Immigration judge will agree to release him today.

Attorneys for Semere Abraha say the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has violated basic principle of due process by refusing to release the 32-year-old. He's been held in both Wisconsin and Illinois jails since February.

Abraha fled Eritrea in the fall of 2002 after being imprisoned and tortured for refusing to speak out against a group advocating democratic reforms in the country. He spent time in a Sudanese refugee camp and finally made his way to Chicago this year where he asked for political asylum.

Milwaukee attorney Andrew Frank says today’s hearing could finally result in his release, adding Abraha has a brother in Minnesota who’s a citizen and can house him and support him should asylum be granted.

Frank says immigration officials interviewed Abraha in March and determined he has well founded reason for seeking asylum but did not release him. He says Abraha was told he was being held while officials tried to find out who helped him get into the U.S. in the first place. He says he’s not been interviewed about his means, except for when he first arrived.

An ICE spokeswoman declined to comment on the case while it was still under review.

(MADISON) Governor Jim Doyle signs Wisconsin's state budget later today, marking the first time in more than three decades a budget was completed before the start of the new fiscal year.

The Governor could also veto some pieces that were agreed to by fellow Democrats.

During his first term, Doyle had used his veto pen to gut parts of the budgets passed by majority Republicans in the Senate and Assembly. When the legislature was under split control, his vetoes were more nuanced and agreed to ahead of time to help broker a budget deal.

This year is new territory in the sense that whatever the Governor vetoes will be something that someone in his own party wanted. Assembly Budget Committee Co-Chair Mark Pocan says there's a chance the Governor could make substantive changes, but he guesses that Doyle has a similar value set as the legislature, namely to help create jobs and protect working families. Pocan says this budget accomplishes that and he thinks the Governor will be with lawmakers in “very large part”.

But there are differences among Democrats. And late last week, legislators and interest groups were busy petitioning the Governor's office to change the budget more to their liking.

The Governor hasn’t had much time to work on vetoes, as the Senate passed the budget last Thursday and the Assembly signed off on it Friday night. But Doyle has to sign it today or the state stands to lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding.

WPR Photo: Governor Jim Doyle.

(STATEWIDE) Sentencing a teen offender to take a dance class is cheaper than locking her up. And advocates for youth courts say mentoring teenagers is also more likely to keep them from breaking the law in the future.

But some – namely corrections officials -- aren't convinced that cheaper might be better.

Dane County Youth Court coordinator Lorrie Hurckes says the teen juries who sentence youth offenders aren't really soft on crime. They require offenders to apologize to their victims and often make financial restitution. But Hurckes says they also try to force young offenders to focus on their strengths. In a recent case, a girl charged with beating up a classmate told the jury she knew she had a problem controlling her anger and had tried anger management classes to no avail. But when jurors learned she liked to dance, she was sentenced to five sessions of movement therapy at the Hancock Center for Dance and Creative Movement, an organizational time bank member.

Other creative sentences include teens studying massage therapy, and writing and producing rap music.

Wisconsin has more than 40 teen courts, most of which operate on small grants and a cadre of committed volunteers. Nationally, youth courts have successfully reduced teen recidivism rates from about 25-percent to 11-percent.

But Stephanie Rearick – also with the Dane County Youth Court -- says they can't handle all the teens that are eligible for diversion from the state juvenile justice system. Last year, police arrested more than 3,000 teens but only 40 of them were diverted to youth court.

Rearick says the biggest challenge is just obtaining enough funding to expand their capacity to a higher level. She and other advocates say it still costs more to send offenders into the juvenile justice system, and information exists about the efficiency of youth courts.

Rearcik says there is strong support from police departments who are looking for ways to redirect teen offenders away from crime and towards becoming positive contributors in their neighborhoods.

(WEST BEND) A Christian group is suing a West Bend public library. The Milwaukee Christian Civil Liberties Union says it wants a teen novel about homosexuality taken from its shelves – and burned.

Plaintiffs say the 1995 book – Baby Be-Bop – is obscene. CCLU member Robert Braun says the West Bend Community Memorial Library should get rid of it because it has offensive language and racial slurs, which could inspire violence. He says it condones hate crimes and killing minorities, and is confident that his group will be burning the book next month.

Braun and three other plaintiffs also want $120,000 in damages, saying Baby Be-Bop has harmed their well-being. And they want West Bend’s mayor to resign, for appointing the library board.

But library director Michael Tyree argues the examples Braun uses are taken out of context. He and other backers say Baby Be-Bop is about a gay boy’s struggles with identity and homophobia. Tyree acknowledges there is mature subject matter in his library including Baby Be-Bop. But he adds that they deal with drugs, violence, and sex, responsibly, by sharing consequences such as sexually-transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and addiction. Tyree says they’re not formulaic novels by any means, but they’re things teens learn about the world in which they live.

Tyree adds teens can get racier -- and more immediate content -- online. He adds there are no plans to remove the book, but Braun’s claim is being reviewed by the city of West Bend and its insurance company.

Despite their differences, both men agree the controversy has fired up more interest in Baby Be-Bop. Robert Braun says the book’s publisher called him recently to thank him, as they’ve been selling thousands of copies. Braun laughs that he’s regarded as the biggest promoter of the book.

(VERNON COUNTY) The best kept secret in Vernon County appears to be whether an Illinois developer intends to continue plans to place a concentrated animal feeding operation there.

Late last year, Illinois businessman Jeff Petry revealed plans to locate a 3,200 dairy cow operation in the county. Yet, county officials haven’t heard anything further from Petry or his spokesman, Marc Bourgault, since this past spring.

Paul Krahn, project manager for the Vernon County Land and Conservation Department, says it may simply be that Petry’s staff are doing all their homework and filling out all the permit applications, which takes awhile. He says an application could be submitted tomorrow or next, but local officials just don’t know.

Robert Rohland, an agricultural specialist with the Department of Natural Resources in Black River Falls, is another local official who’s uncertain what’s going on with the project. He says Petry’s company has contacted his department to say they’re looking at it and that they know the application procedure. But they have nothing further to go on.

Perhaps one reason mum’s the word is because a Vernon County group called the Alliance Concerned for Environmental Safety (ACES) opposes the development. ACES member Kathy Fairchild says the group has requested a complete environmental impact study from the DNR if permits are filed. She says ACES is “very concerned” with well water, streams, and fisheries, and how they can be affected by development on Petry’s 2,000 acres. She says a couple huge dairy farms could make Vernon County lose its multi-million dollar tourism industry.

Several attempts to reach Petry or his spokesman were unsuccessful.