Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, will take over as co-chair of the state’s powerful budget-writing committee after Rep. John Nygren’s resignation.
With questions lingering over how much the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could impact the state’s 2021-23 biennial budget, Born joins incoming co-chair Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, at the helm of the Joint Finance Committee.
“Assembly Republicans have a remarkable team at the helm of the Joint Finance Committee,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said in statement. “Both legislators have a wealth of experience putting together conservative state budgets. I’m certain they’ll continue to look out for the best interests of Wisconsin taxpayers.”
Born, who was elected to the Assembly in 2012 and has served on the budget committee since 2017, will effectively take over as co-chair Wednesday. Vos also announced that Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, will continue as committee vice chair, marking her fourth term on the committee.
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Nygren, R-Marinette — who has served as the JFC co-chair for four sessions, tied for the longest tenure in the committee’s 109-year history — announced this week he would resign from the Legislature on Wednesday.
Nygren said Born “will continue the Assembly’s strong record of responsible budgeting and prioritizing taxpayers.”
“Mark has played an important role in the last two budgets and his experience will continue to benefit the Finance Committee as he takes on this new role,” Nygren said in a statement.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, last month announced that Marklein would replace Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, as the Senate’s committee co-chair. Darling has led the JFC since 2011.
More COVID-19 outbreaks in Wisconsin prisons top recent notable crime-related news
5 more Wisconsin prisoners die from COVID-19, bringing DOC's total to 10 deaths
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Wisconsin prison system, the state Department of Corrections has reported five more prisoners have died, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related inmate deaths to 10.
In all, 4,925 inmates have been infected since the pandemic began, including 176 new cases among inmates Wednesday, according to DOC’s data dashboard. Nearly 1,000 new cases have been added within the last week.
COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin prison system rise again; 7 simultaneous outbreaks
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Wisconsin prison system increased again Monday, with several outbreaks now totaling more than 1,700 active cases among inmates.
Since Sunday, 383 new cases were added to the state Department of Correction’s data dashboard, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began up to 4,729.
Total COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin prison system break 5,000; active cases at 2,000
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Wisconsin prison system broke 5,000 for the first time Thursday, and the active case count surpassed 2,000.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections reported 467 new cases in a single day Thursday, bringing the total number of prisoners infected since the pandemic began to 5,392. Of those, 2,063 cases were active.
Reported kidnapping Downtown appears to have been ‘couple’s quarrel and fight,’ Madison police say
An incident Downtown on Halloween night that initially was reported as a kidnapping appeared to be a “couple’s quarrel and fight,” according to an eyewitness, Madison police reported.
Police took several calls Halloween night, including a few from the media, following a social media post that indicated someone "saw a girl get kidnapped" following an altercation between a man and woman in parking lot in the 400 block of West Gilman Street about 7:30 p.m., police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in a statement.
Rental office burns, but rest of South Side apartment building saved by Madison fire crews
A rental office was extensively damaged in a fire Tuesday morning, but the rest of a South Side apartment building was saved by firefighters, the Madison Fire Department said.
The fire at the Bram Hill Apartments, 613 Bram St., was reported at 8:59 a.m. and crews arrived at the scene at 9:03 a.m. to find a fire in the first-floor rental office, Fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster said.
Narcotics investigation leads to $10,000 worth of drugs, arrest of Fitchburg man
A Dane County Narcotics Task Force investigation led to drugs worth thousands of dollars, cash, a handgun and the arrest of a Fitchburg man Thursday morning.
Members of the task force seized $10,000 worth of drugs, $2,700 in cash, the gun and other evidence from 36-year-old Justin C. Miner's apartment on the 1400 block of Whispering Pines Way at around 8:10 a.m. Thursday, Madison police spokesperson Joel DeSpain said. Miner was arrested on a parole hold.
Convenience store worker traded tobacco, money for nude pictures, sex with teen, Middleton police say
A convenience store worker is accused of trading tobacco and money for nude pictures and sex with a teen girl.
Mohd Abdul Mujeeb, 37, of Madison, was arrested Oct. 29 on tentative charges of repeated acts of sexual assault of a child, possession of child pornography, and child enticement, Middleton police Det. Lt. Darrin Zimmerman said.
Medical Examiner releases name of man killed in Far West Side triple shooting
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the 30-year-old Madison man killed in a triple shooting Saturday on the Far West Side as Jason I. Eggleston.
Eggleston died at the scene of the shootings that also seriously injured two teens, ages 17 and 18.
Monticello man gets 42 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a felon
A Monticello man has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, Scott C. Blader, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, reported.
Justin Wenger, 38, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Friday by federal Judge James Peterson, who also gave Wenger two years of supervised release.
Report: No 'exigent' reason to enter Monona home where Black man was detained
An outside review of a controversial June 2 detainment of a Black man in Monona has found police likely did not have authority to enter the home where he was briefly handcuffed, but also says “officers were polite, professional and apologized for the misunderstanding.”
The so-called after-action review by the Madison-based Riseling Group makes 20 recommendations, mostly aimed at improving the Monona Police Department’s policies, procedures and training, and names itself and other local organizations as options for further training.
Man charged with threatening to kill grandmother, misuse of her identity
State investigators have charged a DeForest man, who in the 1990s masqueraded as a congressman as part of a scam, with misusing the identities of others, including his grandmother, and threatening to kill his grandmother to force her to cheaply sell him her condominium.
A criminal complaint filed last week by the state Department of Justice states that DOJ’s Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit began investigating Jason T. McDermott, 45, after his 82-year-old grandmother’s attorney became concerned he was taking advantage of her financially.
