This is your WCQM Daily News Roundup for 98Q Country 98.3 FM and Trail Mix 103.1 FM and 980 AM WPFD in Dark Falls.
I'm Leslie Lotto at the Civic Media State News desk. The universities of Wisconsin are planning to expand their use of AI throughout the 13 campuses.
UW President Jay Rothman says he's investing more into AI and is going to discuss expanding its use with the UW Board of Regents today.
Rothman saying they will continue addressing ethical concerns and research more on how artificial intelligence can improve the lives of students, faculty and administration.
He also says he wants to prepare students for the future and make sure they'll have the skills so they can move from job to job.
Ping sales tax on menstrual products could be a thing in the past if two Apple tin lawmakers from opposite sides of the political aisle get their way.
Representative Lee Snodgrass, a Democrat and Senator Rachel Cabral Guevara, Republican are introducing legislation to eliminate the 5% sales tax on menstrual products.
There was a press conference this week with the Women's Fund and the Monthly's Project, where representative Snodgrass called the tax regressive and discriminatory.
The American Medical Association has deemed medical menstrual products essential for women's health and has called the tampon tax a regressive penalty that disproportionately burdens those who can least afford it.
The sales tax on menstrual products treats individuals differently based solely on their sex.
Snodgrass says 32 other states in the United States have introduced and passed similar legislation. Wisconsin better business bureaus reminding residents to be on the lookout for tax scams.
A press release says one of the most common scams during tax time involves scammers posing as IRS officials trying to trick their potential victims into paying them or sharing personal info.
The BBB is recommending residents file their taxes early to avoid scams, work with trustworthy tax professionals and contact the IRS directly if they have concerns.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale.
Governor Tony Evers sent a letter to Wisconsin's Congressional delegation this week urging them to revise the new federal hemp law, which bans the sale of most hemp products in the United States starting in November of 2026.
It was passed as part of the plan to reopen the federal government last year after the longest federal government shutdown in US history.
According to Evers, the new federal hemp law is projected to jeopardize $700 million in economic impact for the state and nearly 3,500 jobs in Wisconsin.
The impacts of the new federal hemp bill will be further intensified in Wisconsin due to the fact that Wisconsin has not yet legalized medical or recreational marijuana.
The growing of hemp has become a strong diversification option for Wisconsin farmers and as of November 2025, Wisconsin had 470 federally licensed hemp producers.
Meanwhile, a bill that would allow Wisconsin law enforcement agencies to conduct roadside drug tests is on Governor Tony Evers' desk for consideration.
Civic Media's James Kelly reports.
If signed into law, the legislation would allow law enforcement authorities to conduct a saliva test while investigating potential operating while intoxicated violations.
Like the use of a preliminary breath test during OWA investigations, the result that the scene could not be used as evidence but would allow law enforcement authorities to require a blood test be taken to confirm or deny that result.
The saliva test will be able to detect substances like marijuana, methamphetamines and certain opiates.
Because the test would not be admissible evidence in court, law enforcement authorities would also be required to dispose of the samples taken during their investigation.
Governor Evers has previously expressed his intent to sign the bill into law but it will still take some time for law enforcement authorities to train and test the new tool before it can be widely used.
13 people could face criminal charges tied to the failed recall of Wisconsin assembly speaker Robin Voss two years ago.
Officials say those who tried to oust Voss allegedly listed fake addresses on petition forms and other submitted signatures from people who didn't actually sign.
But the state's election commission ruled that there's not enough proof that organizer Matt Snorick or the recall committee violated the law.
The committee is recommending charges to the Racine County District Attorney's Office which will decide whether to take the matter any further.
One of the partisan races coming up in November of 2026 as a repeat the 2022 election in 2022 attorney general Josh called narrowly defeated fondle at county district attorney Eric Tony.
This year Tony seeks to unseat the two term incumbent again. The latest Marquette law school poll finds that 10 months before the election voters view both candidates favorably.
Poll director Charles Franklin. We love us some attorney general candidates. I exaggerate a little bit but not hugely both Eric Tony and Josh call have slightly net positive favorability ratings both of them have a plus five.
Franklin says call is the better known of the candidates with 56% of poll respondents saying they had no opinion of him that's compared to 75% with no opinion of Tony.
The most recent Marquette poll was conducted between February 11th and February 19th with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3.
Governor Tony Evers in the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs have announced $2 million in grant funding to bolster flood resilience across the state. Civic Media's James Kelly has the story.
According to a press release the funding through the pre-disaster flood resilience grant program is meant to help communities identify and mitigate flood vulnerabilities with strategies like reconnecting streams and flood planes or reducing erosion hazards.
Two types of grant funding were made available through the program one for assessing vulnerabilities and one to implement the mitigation methods.
The goal is to naturally manage flooding before disasters like in Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties last August strike. The Onida Nation received the largest funding award at $300,000 to create a covert inventory and study water flow and hydraulic structure.
The city of Madison, Ozaki County and city of Stevens Point also received significant funding awards of over $200,000.
For Civic Media News, I'm James Kelly. How much will it cost to see the Packers play? Civic Media's County film and has that answer.
The price to see the Packers play has gone up for this season. The team announced the new pricing on Friday. Depending on where you sit in the bowl, you'll be paying between $4 and $22 more per ticket.
Packers president and CEO Ed policy said the ticket prices for a game at Lambo are around the middle of the NFL's pricing range with the new increases, base value prices for regular season tickets are between $143 and $196.
Pre-season tickets are cheaper, but tickets sold through a third-party ticket broker can be substantially higher. Packers fans don't seem to be priced out, though, with more than 155,000 people on the waiting list to buy Packer Season tickets, most weight decades for their chance to buy that 18 inches of pure aluminum pleasure.
I'm Connie Feldman for Civic Media News.
For Civic Media News, I'm Lisa Hale. For news anytime, visit our website at civicmedia.us.
Badgers Basketball today. Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports. The Wisconsin Badgers take on the Washington Huskies at the Big Ten tournament going on at the United Center in Chicago.
The Badgers ranked 23rd in the nation. The Huskies beat USC yesterday, 83 to 79 in overtime to advance to today's game. NBA, the Bucks in Miami tonight to play the heat.
Yannis and Tadacupo played 30 minutes Tuesday night as he's trying to get to 100% as soon as possible.
I love the challenge, you know, obviously we have 18 games left and hopefully we can have fun and help the team keep on winning games.
Baseball, the Brewers play the Cleveland Guardians out in Arizona. Jake Bowers having a good spring training at the plate, nine for 17, five walks and three home runs.
NFL, the Packers make a move in free agency. As soon as the Vikings released nose tackle, Javan Hargrave for salary cap relief, Green Bay signs him to a two-year deal worth $23 million.
Hockey, the Badger men's season is over. They lost to Ohio State 701. The Buckeyes jumping out to a five to nothing lead.
I'd say, you know, it didn't start good and it got worse. You know, I mean, a lot of things that happened tonight on the negative were deserved.
That's the Badger's hockey coach Mike Hastings with sports on Mike Clemens.
A little sunshine this morning, but becoming breezy and cloudy with some light snow by later this afternoon are high to day 36.
Tonight, heavy snow with wind and blowing snow. We could get four to eight inches tomorrow, a little more snow, maybe another inch or two with a high near 30.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.
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