Hegseth and staff reprimanded by guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
apnews.com/article/hegset…

Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as state's first Black US senator since Reconstruction
apnews.com/article/scott-…

In a 5-1 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court today agreed to hear a lawsuit brought by unions seeking to overturn the 2011 law known as Act 10 that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler dissented

Republican Senate leader @SenBradley on the court accepting case seeking repeal of Act 10:

"The new Democrat trifecta committed to reversing Act 10, but the state’s activist left-wing Supreme Court is trying to beat them to the punch.”

Justice Brian Hagedorn, who was working as then-Gov. @ScottWalker's legal counsel and helped write Act 10, did not participate.

The court is taking the case as Democrats who take over the Legislature in January are talking about repealing Act. 10:

wicourts.gov/sc/order/Displ…

Gov.-elect @DavidCCrowley announces that Jeff Pertl will serve as his chief of staff.

Pertl was Department of Children and Families secretary under @GovEvers and was a top official at the Department of Public Instruction under Evers

He's also been a Dane County supervisor

51 years ago right around now (roughly 2:30 p.m.), the Edmund Fitzgerald departed from the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock No.1 in Superior, Wisconsin, on its way to Zug Island outside of Detroit.

It carried 29 men and 26,116 long tons of taconite

apnews.com/article/edmund…

Around now 51 years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerald was in sustained hurricane-force winds of about 70 mph and 35-foot waves

Captain Ernest McSorley radioed the Arthur A. Anderson at 3:30 p.m. to report damage to the ship:

"Will you stay by me until I get to Whitefish?"

Less than an hour later, the storm would knock out the Fitzgerald's radar as McSorley, the most experienced and respected captain on the Great Lakes, tried to navigate his ship to safe harbor.

McSorley had intended to retire after this one last trip.

Incoming Democratic Assembly Speaker @RepGreta:

“We are united and we are ready to govern.”

“We know we have to deliver for the people of Wisconsin.”

Neubauer says Democrats "have been waiting for this moment for a long time" and "we are not going to be patient."

Neubauer says the mechanics of how Democrats will pursue their agenda are still being discussed.

Incoming Gov. @DavidCCrowley dodges questions about his priorities for the coming session and Democratic lawmakers aren't giving many details either.

Assembly Speaker-to-be @RepGreta says Democrats are working on a 100-day agenda, what will be in the state budget and beyond

Democrat @RepGreta, who was elected today by her colleagues to be the first female speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, speaks to reporters next to a sign welcoming people to the chamber by outgoing Republican Speaker @repvos

Wisconsin Democrats are being coy about what exactly they will propose out of the gate next year when they take over.

In general, they say their priorities will be funding schools, AI and data center regulation, reducing child care, housing and education costs

(more)

They also say they're focused on increasing funding for local government, protecting the environment and expanding access to health care.

They've also talked about legalizing marijuana, redrawing congressional lines and doing away with the Electoral College

Democratic Senate Majority Leader @SenHesselbein says she assured Republican Minority Leader @SenBradley that Democrats will hear GOP bills to set a model of bipartisanship for the nation.

Hesselbein:

"Wisconsinites want their government to work for them, and for the past 16 years, Wisconsin Republicans have only pursued tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy rather than delivering great public services throughout our state.

That long nightmare is over."

Wisconsin Republican Senate Minority Leader @SenBradley asked how Republicans will deal with being in the minority after 16 years in the majority:

“I was born in the minority, so it’s a little bit easier for me.”

Bradley said he did speak by phone with incoming governor @DavidCCrowley. He said Crowley has started out "rough" for saying he would sign a bill redrawing congressional maps after earlier saying he wouldn't

Bradley says they both talked about their priorities

"He understands what we do in the building," Bradley said of Crowley, a former state lawmaker.

Bradley said given that Democrats control all of state government, "they're going to have to own their decisions."

Wisconsin Senate Democrats have elected their leaders for the two-year session starting in January:

Majority Leader: @SenHesselbein
Senate President: @MarkForWI
Assistant Majority Leader: Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim

Assembly Democrats also electing leaders today