Latest news with #ChrisLarson
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daylight saving time in Wisconsin would end under bipartisan bill in state Legislature
Among the legislation introduced in the state Capitol in March addresses a topic that sees yearly debate every fall and spring — doing away with daylight savings. The bill would end daylight saving time in Wisconsin and establish a consistent standard time throughout the year. Federal law allows states that sit entirely in one time zone, like Wisconsin, to forego daylight saving if it's a statewide policy. So far, 14 lawmakers from both parties have signed up in support of the bill. While introduced by Republicans, supporters include one of the Legislature's most liberal members, Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee. The bill authors — Rep. Nate Gustafson, R-Fox Crossing, and Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton — cited research that daylight saving affects mental health and productivity, increases workplace injuries and traffic accidents, and is especially difficult for kids in school. State lawmakers have debated doing away with daylight saving time before, but it's never changed. In 1999, 2001 and 2003, lawmakers wrote resolutions encouraging Congress to make daylight saving time permanent. Some received public hearings but never passed. President Donald Trump has also pushed to end daylight savings. If the bill gets signed into law — a long and difficult process in the Legislature — Wisconsin would join Hawaii and Arizona in no longer observing daylight savings. Several states have seen similar efforts to end the practice. Here's a roundup of other interesting bills lawmakers circulated in March, seeking support from their colleagues. None have received a public hearing or committee votes so far, some of the first steps toward becoming law. This bill would create tax credits to encourage video game production in Wisconsin. Employers are interested in leaving California, lawmakers say, and Wisconsin has an opportunity to attract them and create high-paying jobs. Wisconsin is already home to a handful of video game studios, including Raven Software in Middleton. Similar tax credits have been pitched for filmmakers in Wisconsin, including in Evers' budget proposal. But those bipartisan bills didn't go far in previous sessions, and there was no public hearing for them in 2024. The video game tax credits could see the same outcome. Supporters: Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie; Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point More: Milwaukee has seen a boost in tourism from 'Top Chef' fans Wisconsin courtrooms face a backlog of cases, including divorces and legal separations. After resolving all steps to dissolve a marriage, parties must appear in court for a final hearing — a "formality that can be stressful and time-consuming," the authors argue. The bill allows a signed affidavit instead, if the parties are represented by attorneys or working with an attorney mediator. Some counties used affidavits temporarily during the pandemic with "positive feedback," lawmakers say. The bill doesn't change the legal process for divorce, including the 120-day waiting period and six-month remarriage timeline. Supporters: Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison; Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto More: Milwaukee County has a backlog of court cases. A shortage of court reporters isn't helping. Democrats reintroduced a resolution to declare an Economic Justice Bill of Rights, which includes a job that pays a living wage, adequately funded public education, affordable child care, unions and collective bargaining, accessible health care and a sustainable environment. The resolution is almost certain not to gain Republican support — it's been introduced in 2021 and 2023 and didn't advance. Democrats said they put forward the resolution this year "as a reaffirmation of our commitment to these rights" while working on policy in 2025. Supporters: Reps. Francesca Hong, D-Madison; Angelito Tenorio, D-West Allis; Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee; Angelina Cruz, D-Racine; Darrin Madison, D-Milwaukee; Christian Phelps, D-Eau Claire; Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa; Sens. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee; Jeff Smith, D-Brunswick Lawmakers circulated a package of bills aimed at staffing shortages and funding issues affecting emergency medical services providers across Wisconsin. One bill would allow flexibilities for municipalities that choose to work together or consolidate their EMS services. Another provides tuition reimbursement for the cost of initial EMS education through the Wisconsin Technical College System. A third bill creates a pilot program for Live911, which lets dispatchers talk to callers via video. Republicans say they intend to include funding for both in the state budget. Evers also pitched solutions to EMS challenges in his budget, including making it easier for first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder to access worker's compensation, an idea Republicans also support. Supporters: Reps. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc; Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville; Rob Summerfield, R-Bloomer; Nate Gustafson, R-Fox Crossing; Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls; David Armstrong, R-Rice Lake, Sens. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green; Jesse James, R-Thorp; Andre Jacque, R-New Franken More: Rising 9-1-1 call loads, recruitment struggles put Wisconsin fire and EMS agencies on shaky ground, new report says This bill would require restaurants who advertise maple syrup on their menu to serve real maple syrup with the meal, instead of an imitation product. There are no penalties if restaurants don't comply. The bill is intended to support the maple syrup industry in Wisconsin, which produced nearly half a million gallons in 2024. In 2023, the same bill got a public hearing but never made it to a vote. Similar "truth-in-labeling" bills, like one that would prohibit plant-based beverages from being marketed as milk, have not made it to the governor. Wisconsin does have a longstanding law that says restaurants can't substitute margarine for real butter unless the customer asks for it. There are potential fines and jail time, but the law isn't enforced in practice. Supporters: Rep. Tara Johnson, D-Town of Shelby; Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison This bipartisan bill would designate and mark a stretch of U.S. 12 in Lake Delton as the 'Tom Diehl Memorial Highway.' Diehl, who died last year, was the president and co-owner of the Tommy Bartlett waterskiing show. He also served on Lake Delton's village board. "Though Tom has departed from us, his unparalleled influence in building the entertainment community and shaping Wisconsin Dells into the tourism landmark it is today will never be forgotten," lawmakers wrote in a memo seeking support. Other bills naming highways after Wisconsin figures have had success in the Capitol. Evers approved naming 'Corporal Benjamin H. Neal Memorial Highway" in honor of a Orfordville native who died while serving in Afghanistan. Green Bay's Walnut Street Bridge was renamed in honor of Packers legend Bart Starr. Evers vetoed a 2019 bill that would have established criteria for bills seeing to rename a highway or bridge, objecting to "limiting the ability to commemorate those who have made significant contributions to or sacrifices for the people of Wisconsin." Supporters: Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc; Sen. Sarah Keyeski, D-Lodi This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Daylight saving time would end under bipartisan bill in Wisconsin
Khaleej Times
21-03-2025
- Khaleej Times
Losing sleep over Bitcoin? How crypto helped me get over my fear of money
When I started in crypto, I had some of the strangest fears — ones that make absolutely no sense to me now. And looking back, the things I wasn't afraid of surprise me even more. My biggest, starting out, was that I wouldn't be able to get my money back out. Which, in hindsight, is ridiculous. If I could figure out how to put money into crypto, obviously, I could figure out how to take it out. But for some reason, I just didn't trust myself to be able to navigate it. Little did I know that seven years ago, even recently, people had their bank accounts shut down for dealing in crypto. Then there was the stress of keeping track of all my keys and passwords. When you use a crypto exchange, it's just a username and password — like any other website. But when you create a new crypto wallet, it comes with a set of keys. These are random words that act as the key to your funds. Lose your keys, lose your crypto. But also: 'Not your keys, not your crypto'. Because exchanges can go bust (Mt Gox, FTX) and be hacked (most recently, Bybit). I quickly learned that where and how people store their keys is a deeply personal decision. Some people circle random words in a dictionary. You're not supposed to store them in Google Docs or on your phone. Some use password apps or special devices. And this fear isn't unfounded. There are people with millions of dollars in crypto they can't access because they lost their keys. And then there's the infamous story of a guy whose hard drive, containing a fortune in Bitcoin, is sitting in a landfill somewhere. There is a legion of people ready to pounce, hack and steal your crypto. And coming up with new ways to do it all the time. That kind of thing can keep anyone investing in crypto up at night. If you do figure out a personal security system that works, hackers are always one step ahead anyway. Chris Larson, the co-founder of Ripple, reportedly had $150 million in XRP stolen when his password manager was hacked. There are also new crypto gangs targeting people in real life who have publicly talked about their stashes. And sending money? That terrified me, too. Crypto is complicated. It's not like buying a stock. If you're purchasing an altcoin on the Ethereum network, you first have to buy Ethereum, then swap it into the altcoin you want. Sometimes, you have to buy Ethereum in one place and send it to another wallet. And you wouldn't want to send Bitcoin to a MetaMask wallet — although MetaMask is making changes to allow that. At first every single step of the process felt like an opportunity to make an irreversible mistake, with so many bits and pieces to keep track of. It's gotten easier, but it still gives me pause. For a long time, I was even scared to talk about crypto. Not because of security concerns, but because people were dismissive, condescending — and sometimes, outright rude. I've realised that for many people, it's just a bridge too far. My late father, who was in finance and business, wanted nothing to do with it. I once visited his home, eager to discuss what I was learning, and he shut me down with, 'I do not want to talk about Bitcoin!' It was too much for him. People tend to reject what they don't understand. And who can wrap their head around a new form of money, and a new kind of financial system? What I didn't realise when I started was that crypto wasn't just about investing — it was about facing my fears. My fears about finance, security, scarcity and even my own worth. In the spring of 2023, those fears hit a peak. At 53 years old, all my friends were suddenly talking about retiring. I spent months freaking out. How am I going to do this? What's my plan? Why didn't I save more? Where's my rich husband? Then, one day, floating in the ocean in Koh Samui, staring at the sunset, I had a realisation: If I live to be really old, I have time. If I die soon, I have enough. And if it's somewhere in between, I have enough for that too. That moment changed everything. And crypto changed me. Every step in my journey — every wallet, every transaction, every fear and resistance level I had to push through — was an exercise in self-trust and resilience. The scares never fully disappear. But doing something over and over that scares you until you are versed in it? That's how you shift your mindset. That's how you grow. Crypto is more than an investment. It's a test. It will push you to your limits. And if you let it, it will change you in ways you could never have imagined.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers debate measure requiring state employees to return to in-office working
MADISON - Republican lawmakers want state employees who have worked remotely since the coronavirus pandemic to return to taxpayer-funded offices full-time following an audit that showed the vast majority of workstations in more than a dozen state agencies were not being used. The Republican-controlled Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs held a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that would require all state employees to work full-time in state office starting July 1, unless there is a telework agreement in place or their job was a telework position before the pandemic. The committee may vote remotely on whether to advance the bill on Thursday due to anticipated inclement weather, a move Democratic committee member Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee implied was ironic. The bill was introduced by Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, and Sen. Corey Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, who said getting such employees back to work is necessary to fill offices that taxpayers pay for, check in on employee efficiency and to build relationships between team members once again. But Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has already said he will veto such proposals. In December, Evers said he would not sign the upcoming state budget if Republicans include a requirement mandating state employees working remotely return to the office. "I think it's important for us to say, 'We want to get the best people working for the state of Wisconsin possible,' and sometimes that will mean that they will work from home, part-time, full-time," Evers said in an interview on WISN-TV's "Upfront" Sunday morning. "We can work that out. It's working fine." Work-from-home agreements were implemented to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 back in 2020, but that's no longer a risk, Nedweski said during Tuesday's testimony. "Simply asking employees to return to the work routine they enjoyed prior to the pandemic is not only fair, it is representative of what the public is demanding," she said. "And that is accountability." Tomczyk said he drew upon his experience in managing people to write the bill and knowing that people can't just work on their own all the time. "Everyone needs accountability in some way. It's what motivates us, it's how we prove our work. We are all accountable to the taxpayer," he said. "This bill is about good management and development of human beings in a work setting. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace the face-to-face experience when coaching or developing or creating something with humans." Democrats on the committee questioned why employees should be back in the office five days a week and raised concerns about the recruitment and retention of employees in Madison and across the state who choose to work for state agencies because of the flexibility. "I think one of the things that we learned was remote work can work," Larson said. Last year, an analysis released by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found most state agencies and University of Wisconsin institutions allowed employees to work from home up to five days a week and one-third or less of workstations in state offices were being used during auditors' visits. Based on six visits to 15 agencies and University of Wisconsin System offices between July and August 2023, the highest percentage of workstations being used was 34.5% at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The audit was released in December 2023. The lowest percentage was at the state Department of Public Instruction, where just 5.3% of workstations were used. Most agency officials told auditors telework increased the efficiency of their operations, but many had not assessed the effects of remote work in writing. Auditors wrote in the December report on their findings that the "precise extent to which employees worked in the office was not known." Through a review of the state and UW's human resources systems, auditors found that 3,439 agency employees used their key cards at four buildings on an average of 1.3 days per week and 186 UW System Administration employees used their key cards at two buildings an average of 1.5 days week. The key card data indicate some employees may not have worked in the office as frequently as expected, based on their agreements. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in November suggested he wants to have state employees working in the office "at least three to four days a week." During the hearing, lawmakers also discussed the idea of potentially auditing the levels of productivity of workers while working remotely vs in the office. "I'm not against the idea of saying we should do an analysis to see what's working and what's not working," Larson said. He added he has concerns about abruptly uprooting employees and putting them back in the office again. "I don't know, tackling one problem can often create more problems," he said. The Wisconsin proposal is similar to an order by President Donald Trump in January, requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work on a full-time basis. Nedweski said that the bill wasn't based on that "federal trend," which was issued after the Wisconsin audit, and was in fact one of the reasons that she decided to run for office. "It is about being responsive and accountable to the taxpayer and using that dollar to its maximum efficiency," she said. Laura Schulte and Molly Beck can be reached at leschulte@ and This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Republicans seek to return state employees to in-person work
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Lawmakers debate measure requiring state employees to return to in-office working
Lawmakers debate measure requiring state employees to return to in-office working MADISON - Republican lawmakers want state employees who have worked remotely since the coronavirus pandemic to return to taxpayer-funded offices full-time following an audit that showed the vast majority of workstations in more than a dozen state agencies were not being used. The Republican-controlled Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs held a public hearing Tuesday on a bill that would require all state employees to work full-time in state office starting July 1, unless there is a telework agreement in place or their job was a telework position before the pandemic. The committee may vote remotely on whether to advance the bill on Thursday due to anticipated inclement weather, a move Democratic committee member Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee implied was ironic. The bill was introduced by Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, and Sen. Corey Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, who said getting such employees back to work is necessary to fill offices that taxpayers pay for, check in on employee efficiency and to build relationships between team members once again. But Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has already said he will veto such proposals. In December, Evers said he would not sign the upcoming state budget if Republicans include a requirement mandating state employees working remotely return to the office. "I think it's important for us to say, 'We want to get the best people working for the state of Wisconsin possible,' and sometimes that will mean that they will work from home, part-time, full-time," Evers said in an interview on WISN-TV's "Upfront" Sunday morning. "We can work that out. It's working fine." Work-from-home agreements were implemented to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 back in 2020, but that's no longer a risk, Nedweski said during Tuesday's testimony. "Simply asking employees to return to the work routine they enjoyed prior to the pandemic is not only fair, it is representative of what the public is demanding," she said. "And that is accountability." Tomczyk said he drew upon his experience in managing people to write the bill and knowing that people can't just work on their own all the time. "Everyone needs accountability in some way. It's what motivates us, it's how we prove our work. We are all accountable to the taxpayer," he said. "This bill is about good management and development of human beings in a work setting. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace the face-to-face experience when coaching or developing or creating something with humans." Democrats on the committee questioned why employees should be back in the office five days a week and raised concerns about the recruitment and retention of employees in Madison and across the state who choose to work for state agencies because of the flexibility. "I think one of the things that we learned was remote work can work," Larson said. Last year, an analysis released by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found most state agencies and University of Wisconsin institutions allowed employees to work from home up to five days a week and one-third or less of workstations in state offices were being used during auditors' visits. Based on six visits to 15 agencies and University of Wisconsin System offices between July and August 2023, the highest percentage of workstations being used was 34.5% at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The audit was released in December 2023. The lowest percentage was at the state Department of Public Instruction, where just 5.3% of workstations were used. Most agency officials told auditors telework increased the efficiency of their operations, but many had not assessed the effects of remote work in writing. Auditors wrote in the December report on their findings that the "precise extent to which employees worked in the office was not known." Through a review of the state and UW's human resources systems, auditors found that 3,439 agency employees used their key cards at four buildings on an average of 1.3 days per week and 186 UW System Administration employees used their key cards at two buildings an average of 1.5 days week. The key card data indicate some employees may not have worked in the office as frequently as expected, based on their agreements. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in November suggested he wants to have state employees working in the office "at least three to four days a week." During the hearing, lawmakers also discussed the idea of potentially auditing the levels of productivity of workers while working remotely vs in the office. "I'm not against the idea of saying we should do an analysis to see what's working and what's not working," Larson said. He added he has concerns about abruptly uprooting employees and putting them back in the office again. "I don't know, tackling one problem can often create more problems," he said. The Wisconsin proposal is similar to an order by President Donald Trump in January, requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work on a full-time basis. Nedweski said that the bill wasn't based on that "federal trend," which was issued after the Wisconsin audit, and was in fact one of the reasons that she decided to run for office. "It is about being responsive and accountable to the taxpayer and using that dollar to its maximum efficiency," she said. Laura Schulte and Molly Beck can be reached at leschulte@ and
