Education Week: A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated a Michigan law that bars school districts from deducting teachers' union dues for their employees. A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, in Cincinnati, ruled 2-1 that the state's Act 53, a 2012 measure that by its own terms was meant as "a check on union power," likely does not violate the free speech or equal protection rights of teachers' unions.

Wisconsin Family Action sent a letter to Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) Friday inviting him to  clarify what he believes regarding the best interest of children.

Religion Clause Blog: The Baraboo, Wisconsin News Republic and Wisconsin Ag report that a Wisconsin state trial court judge in a ruling from the bench on Monday rejected a religious freedom defense to an aspect of the four misdemeanor charges against Amish dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: But the agreement announced by Johnson and Baldwin calls for partisan parity. Each senator, regardless of whether he or she belongs to the same party as the president, will appoint three members to a six-member nominating commission. Johnson pushed for the change, and had the leverage to get it. That’s because individual senators currently enjoy effective veto power over federal judicial nominations in their own states.

Gazette Extra: With Arkansas and North Dakota legislators enacting laws they hope will end abortions in those state—and laws those lawmakers hope invite the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its Roe v. Wade decision—it’s a fair question: Will Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature debate new abortion restrictions this session?

Milwaukee Sentinel Journal: Roggensack's victory gives her a second 10-year term on the bench and preserves the court's conservative majority. On the most controversial issues and cases in recent years, the court has often split 4-3, with Roggensack in the majority.

One News Now: In response, Alliance Defending Freedom's (ADF) Jeremy Tedesco tells American Family News his firm sent a letter to school districts in Illinois and Wisconsin last Friday, informing them that it is, in fact, constitutional to take advantage of the resources at the nearby church-run camp. "Freedom From Religion Foundation says Well, it's a Christian-run camp; there's Christian symbols up here and there reflecting this, and because of that, you can't take them to this camp if you're a public school," the ADF attorney reports. "And that's just blank hostility towards religion. The First Amendment doesn't require that at all of public schools. It's just a scare tactic from Freedom From Religion Foundation." - See more at: http://www.onenewsnow.com/latest-headlines-from-american-family-news/2013/03/21/correcting-false-claim-re-whats-constitutional-for-public-schools#sthash.ScapJK6X.dpuf  

American Federation for Children: The Marquette poll reported that 37 percent of Wisconsin voters would support a statewide expansion of the program while another 14 percent would support its expansion to large school districts with some failing schools. In contrast, 14 percent of voters say they favor not expanding the program, while 28 percent would end it.

WisPolitics includes part of this Alliance Defending Freedom press release and links to it.

Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to seven school districts in Illinois and Wisconsin Friday debunking legal claims and misinformation provided by an atheist group. The letter reassures the school districts that, contrary to the atheists’ claims, taking students on field trips to participate in non-religious educational programs at a church-run camp is constitutional.

LifeNews: They’ve scored some major victories already, but pro-life Wisconsin Republicans aren’t finished yet. The Associated Press reports that state senators Glenn Grothman and André Jacque have introduced legislation that would recognize unborn babies as human beings for the purposes of letting parents file wrongful death claims on their behalf, regardless of developmental stage.

WTAQ: Parents could sue for the wrongful deaths of their unborn children, under a bill proposed by two Republican lawmakers.

Religion Clause Blog: Last year the Freedom From Religion Foundation objected, arguing that this amounts to preferential treatment in public accommodations on the basis of creed-- a violation of Wis. Stat. 106.52(3)(a)(2).

Sioux City Journal: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin says it plans to file a state lawsuit over a Wisconsin law that subjects doctors who perform medication-induced abortions to possible criminal charges.

The Capital Times: And it sounds like the first bill to get a warm reception from Republicans will be what's being dubbed the “Woman’s Right to Know her Unborn Child Act,” also being termed the "ultrasound bill" by pro-choice forces.

WTAQ.com: The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Walker administration yesterday. The group wants the state to stop requiring permits to demonstrate at the Capitol – and to stop arresting protestors who don’t have those permits.

Northwestern.com: That means it only took about 54 years for the Freedom From Religion Foundation to send a letter to the county complaining that the prayers before County Board meetings are “pervasively Christian.” The Madison gadfly group reviewed 11 prayers and found that nine were delivered “in Jesus name.”

Religion Clause Blog: In Eau Claire County v. Borntreger, (WI App., Jan. 29, 2013) . . . Defendant's religious objections to installing smoke detectors does not excuse non-compliance with the requirement that the building be structurally sound.

ChristianNews.net: Government officials in a Wisconsin county have voted unanimously to continue with prayers at their monthly county board meetings despite threats from a national atheist organization to file a lawsuit over the matter.

Rice Lake Online: Thirty-five people braved the bitter cold and a packed auditorium Monday night, Jan. 21 to urge the Barron County Board to continue its longstanding practice of praying at the start of its meetings.