News

As COVID -19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to climb in Sauk County, local public health officials are warning that area hospitals are nearing capacity.

“I’ve knocked on thousands of doors,” said Chase Binnie, the Republican running for Wisconsin’s 80th District Assembly seat. 

Incumbent US Representative Mark Pocan (D) will face off with Dr. Peter Theron (R) for the Wisconsin 2^nd Congressional District, a seat Pocan has held since 2013.

The Star News asked candidates vying for the 81st Assembly District of Wisconsin seat in the Tuesday, November 3, election the following questions. The responses of Republican David Dahlke and Democrat Dave Considine appear below. 

DAVID DAHLKE

REPUBICAN

The Sauk Prairie area has some of the lowest positive COVID-19 case totals in Sauk County. Even with the lowest case count in the County, local cases have still surged by at least 30 percent in the past month, an indication of just how the rest of county is doing.

This month, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi introduced his 2021 County Budget: Resilient, Resolved, Continued Commitment to Community. It works to address the impact of COVID-19 on Dane County residents and business, while continuing to prioritize human services, equity, renewable energy, conservation, and more.

The Mazomanie and Black Earth region have seen their COVID-19 cases double in the past two weeks, hitting 42 on Monday, October 12. For two and half months starting in July there were only 21 cases. The current count puts the cases per thousand figure at 8.7, equivalent to where Dane County was at in Mid-August.

A Judge’s changes to Wisconsin’s election laws, extending the dates for voter registration and turning in absentee ballots, has been overturned by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. After a few weeks of judicial back-and-forth, the November election will go on unchanged.

In the midst of increasing infections and deaths due to COVID-19, Sauk County is lost its Health Department Director. Tim Lawther resigned on Wednesday, October 14.

Potential changes to absentee voting in Wisconsin will come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming days. The 7th Circuit Appellate Court, while debating a lower court ruling, asked the upper court to intervene.

The legal process has been convoluted.