WJI's Daily Reads for Mar. 16, 2022

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Tony Evers allocates $50 million in federal funding for courts and police.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: George Christenson and Anna Hodges now in race for clerk of court position.

Newsweek: Survey results show state of knowledge about U.S. Supreme Court and desire to limit justices' terms.

The survey of more than 1,000 likely U.S. voters found 69 percent of respondents said they support 18-year terms for justices, including 38 percent who said they "strongly prefer" such a limit. Meanwhile, 17 percent said they favor the current lifetime appointments, with just 7 percent saying they "strongly prefer" it. 

U.S. Department of Justice: Attorney General issues new Freedom of Information Act (federal open records law) guidelines favoring disclosure and transparency.

Slate: Don't be fooled by how proponents portray Florida's "don't say gay" bill.

In reality, H.B. 1557 uses intentionally vague language to outlaw a huge amount of speech about LGBTQ people, families, and issues—not just sex—in every grade. And it relies upon a vigilante enforcement mechanism to chill an even broader amount of speech by subjecting violators to humiliating investigations and ruinous lawsuits. The fact that H.B. 1557’s supporters lie about these basic facts suggests that they know their bill is indefensible and must conceal its true meaning to drag it over the finish line.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Oklahoma governor sued after barring changes to birth certificates for transgender and binary individuals.

“Having a birth certificate that reflects who I am as a human being is crucial and can present a basic issue of safety for me,” plaintiff Rowan Fowler, a transgender woman who wants to correct her birth certificate that currently indicates that her gender is male, said in a statement. “There was no reason for Oklahoma to take away this basic tool that transgender people need to simply go about their everyday lives with dignity, safety, and respect.”