☀️ Good morning!

It’s Sunday, February 15, 2026

I’d like to introduce you to Ellie, editor of our weekday newsletter at UpNorthNews.

Remember how we met Abby last week and shared how she compiles our “Do Something!” calendar of political events? Ellie plays a similar role with just about everything else happening around Wisconsin. The Badger State Buzz is your roadmap to weekend events you can get to on a tank of gas. Check it out by subscribing to our weekday newsletter.

Also, be sure to scroll down for our Question of the Week about a Wisconsin Republican claiming the Epstein files controversy is less about sexual abuse victims seeking justice and more about Democrats trying to distract from a growing economy.

(It might be worth a separate question of the week to see how you feel about Tiffany’s claim of a growing economy.)

Have a great week — and remember to stay up to date with our social media posts. 

We had the opportunity this past week to visit with three of the eight people running for Wisconsin governor this year. 

Missy Hughes – The former head of the state’s economic development office, has put out a three-part plan for growing the state’s economy, called “Unlock Wisconsin.” 

CLICK HERE to see the video of her talking about the plan.

CLICK HERE to read the full article on our website.

David Crowley – The Milwaukee County Executive says presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany would be a puppet for President Donald Trump if he is elected. That is made clear by his votes this week not to rein in Trump’s personality-driven tariffs and comments downplaying the Epstein files as something concocted by Democrats to hurt the president. CLICK HERE to watch a video of his comments.

Crowley also acknowledged the whispers out there about how Wisconsin voters “aren’t ready” to elect a Black governor.” He tackles it head-on. CLICK HERE to watch. 

Joel Brennan –  As we noted last week, Brennan said, if elected, he would set up an ICE accountability commission to address any violence, civil rights violations, and deaths caused by President Trump’s militarization of immigration enforcement.

CLICK HERE to see him describe the need for this kind of accountability.

CLICK HERE to read the full article on our website.

1️⃣ Pocan: Pick up the pace – Congressman Mark Pocan wants the progressive justices on the state Supreme Court to work faster to rewrite Wisconsin’s congressional district maps, which Republicans gerrymandered 15 years ago to give the GOP six seats and Democrats only two in a 50-50 state.

The justices appointed a three-judge panel late last year to hear the case and make a recommendation to the justices. Pocan says there is still time to change the maps but only if the justices expedite a ruling so that appeals can be heard and new maps potentially put in place by April. CLICK HERE to watch a video with Pocan’s comments.

2️⃣ Worth a watch – It was not a great week for Sen. Ron Johnson or Rep. Bryan Steil, as both were confronted with an inability to make factual statements on key issues. During a committee hearing on elections, Steil was called out by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) for his inability to simply affirm that Democrats have won certain past elections. Meanwhile, Johnson was slammed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for his ongoing mischaracterizations of anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis. 

3️⃣ Data center download – A grassroots-led public forum is being held Sunday afternoon in Menomonie, one of several communities where residents say data center proposals have sprung up after behind-the-scenes negotiations. Organizers like Blaine Halvorsen say the forums are an alternative to public hearings from city, county, and town governments, where they feel they’re not getting all of their questions answered — especially about ways a data center could have its plans adjusted to reduce its impact on the environment. 

The forum at the Off Broadway Banquet Center in Menomonie starts at 2:00pm Sunday and is open to the public. Halvorsen says he encourages people from surrounding communities to attend because if the people behind the Menomonie proposal are thwarted, they may try to build in a different community instead.

CLICK HERE to see Blaine talk about the forum.

⏮️ Last Week: Minimum wage 

Should Wisconsin move beyond the 21 states with a minimum wage stuck at $7.25 per hour?

🄰   5% said No, leave as-is.

🄱   8% said raise it for everyone, but also return to a pre-1996 lower rate for minors. 

🄲  30% want it raised for everyone… to around $10-$15/hour.

🄳  57% want it lifted to an actual living wage in the range of $15-$20 hour

Your Comments

👉🏼 “Speaking from the point of view of someone who had to survive on 3.35/hr with no benefits in my early 20’s, it was very difficult. But that difficulty is what gave me the courage and motivation to try something new when the opportunity came along.”

👉🏼 “Wages add money to the economy – money buys things – businesses benefit.”

👉🏼 “I’d like to say D, because that’s what’s needed for folks to make ends meet. But I know smaller businesses could likely not afford that. So, let’s at least start with $10-$15 but with a plan to tie future raises to inflation rates.” 

 ⏭️ This Week: Are the Epstein files a “distraction” from the economy?

US Attorney General Pam Bondi raised a lot of eyebrows during her testimony to Congress this week when she refused to answer questions about how the Justice Department botched the release of files related to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein — saying record highs in the stock markets are “what we should be talking about” rather than powerful men sexually assaulting girls.

Congressman Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican nominee in the Wisconsin governor’s race, told a right-wing cable channel he agreed with Bondi and blamed Democrats for focusing too much on Trump’s former friend:

“[Democrats] will change the subject in any way that they can for electoral gain. The people of America, I hope, are not hoodwinked by the Democrats because we’re going to have a great year in America in 2026 for our economy,” Tiffany said.

So… what do you think about that? Vote by emoji — and you can add your own comments, too. (Plus first name and hometown, if you want.)

Click the blue box (above) containing this week’s response options and you’ll be taken to a page on our website where you can press the specific option for your answer.

Our “Do Something” calendar is really growing right now. Here’s a small sample of what you need to know about next week.

Monday [Feb 16]

WisDems: Local Observer & ICE Watch Training (6:30pm, Appleton) The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is sponsoring a training to prepare participants to observe and accurately document ICE-related events.

Tuesday [Feb 17]

Spring Primary Election: Vote in the Spring Primary, if there’s one in your area. The only elections with primaries are the ones with large fields of candidates that have to be winnowed down for the April general elections for nonpartisan offices. Check your voter information, review voter deadlines, and see what’s on your ballot before the election. 

Gov. Tony Evers: State of the State Address

Gov. Evers will deliver his final State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison (7pm).

Wednesday [Feb 18]

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin: Changing Hearts and Minds, (La Crosse, 5-7pm)

A training on the Conversational Approach; how to talk about reproductive health care and advocacy.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great week!