Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is walking back comments he made that he wouldn’t rule out accepting federal money to expand Medicaid. The Republican said on WISN-AM radio Friday that he “went too far” when he said Thursday: “I don’t want to be presumptuous and rule it out.” > AP News
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Tony Evers’ pick for transportation secretary could face Senate opposition
One of Gov.-elect Tony Evers’ Cabinet appointees could have trouble securing confirmation from the Republican-led state Senate, with several GOP senators raising concerns about his transportation industry ties. > Cap Times
Fitzgerald says he won’t rule out Medicaid expansion
Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Thursday that he wouldn’t rule out accepting federal money to expand Medicaid in the state, breaking with fellow Republicans including outgoing Gov. Scott Walker. Gov.-elect Tony Evers ran on a plan to take federal money to expand coverage to about 75,000 poor people, long a Democratic priority. > AP News
Fitzgerald: Lawmakers could go it alone in crafting next state budget
In a shift from recent past practice, the Republican leader of the state Senate said Thursday he assumes GOP lawmakers will craft their own plan for the next state budget instead of building from what’s proposed by Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers. > Wisconsin State Journal
Fitzgerald, Shilling clash over importance of Foxconn job tracking
Wisconsin lawmakers are at odds over the importance of a new audit that questions how the state tracks jobs created by Foxconn Technology Group. The audit, prepared by the Legislature’s audit bureau, found Wisconsin is at risk of awarding tax credits to Foxconn for out-of-state jobs. > Wisconsin Public Radio
Time-traveling Samantha Bee warns Americans about the year U.S. democracy fell, and Wisconsin gets a mention
Samantha Bee warned Americans about the downfall of democracy by “traveling back in time” from 2068, skewering Republicans in Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan and Ohio for working to ensure the opposing party didn’t gain too much power. > Bustle
‘A reason to stand up’: Wisconsin activists fight threat to African American vote
Voting rights advocates are mobilizing after Scott Walker signed a lame-duck bill limiting early voting, a move that is being characterized as “retribution” by Republicans and an attempt to “stack the deck” against Democrats by discriminating against African Americans and Latinos. > The Guardian