skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, April 28, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump touts immigration crackdown despite concerns about due process; NY faces potential impacts from federal vote on emissions standards; ND Tribes can elevate tourism game with new grants; WA youth support money for Medicaid, not war.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Major shifts in environmental protections, immigration enforcement, civil rights as Trump administration reshapes government priorities. Rural residents and advocates for LGBTQ youth say they're worried about losing services.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care, and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.

Report Prompts New Calls for WI to 'Raise the Age' for Criminal Responsibility

play audio
Play

Friday, July 9, 2021   

MADISON, Wis. -- In Wisconsin, if a 17-year-old is arrested, they're automatically treated as an adult defendant. There's been a push to "Raise the Age," so these teens can go through the juvenile justice system instead, and supporters say a new report added to that urgency.

The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy center, looked at 11 states that have raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18. It found the change contributed to diverting more than 100,000 young adults into the juvenile system.

Kyle Minden, organizer for the Raise The Age Coalition, said that is where they belong.

"The juvenile justice system has a number of benefits, including individual assessments and screenings for mental health concerns or for history of trauma," Minden explained. "It also has a wider range of programming that can help them address some of those issues."

He pointed out adult incarceration can make 17-year-olds targets for sexual and physical violence. The coalition hopes the findings bring new life to plans to raise Wisconsin's age to 18.

Gov. Tony Evers had the change in his budget proposal, but it did not make the final spending plan amid concerns it was too much a policy issue. Minden noted previous bills have had bipartisan support.

Some previous discussion in Wisconsin centered around shifting more costs to local agencies.

Marcy Mistrett, senior fellow at The Sentencing Project and the report's author, said their report shows it has not been a major problem in other states.

"States that raised the age overall did not need to build new facilities," Mistrett reported. "And even those that initially built extra were able to close them down after a couple years."

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections said only 3% of 17-year-olds in the state are arrested for violent crimes.

Minden asserted it shows the state shouldn't be doling out life-altering punishments over mostly minor indiscretions.

"For all those other kids, they should be able to get the benefits that the juvenile system provides," Minden argued. "While still allowing pathways for judges to move up 17-year-olds as a part of that 3% that might be better served, or be held accountable, in the adult system."

Coalition members, including the ACLU, point to national research, which showed teens are 34 times more likely to re-offend if tried as an adult.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The United States has announced investments of more than $150 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing and charging infrastructure since 2021, contributing to a 40% increase in EV sales in 2022, according to the Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Congress is preparing to vote Wednesday on whether to roll back Ohio's authority to set tougher vehicle emissions standards. New research from …


Environment

play sound

Members of a Texas House committee this week will consider a bill that would limit the number of permits farmers must have to participate at farmers m…

Social Issues

play sound

Anyone who uses a cell phone or laptop shares hundreds of personal data points, and a New Mexico advocacy group wants that information better …


The Government Accountability Office report found the waivers for the emissions standards don't count as a regulatory rule that falls under congressional authority. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Lawmakers in the U.S. House will vote on a bill this week affecting Virginia's ability to create stronger emissions standards for vehicles and trucks…

Social Issues

play sound

Jude Bruno, president-elect of the Florida Parent Teacher Association, is leading a charge against two controversial education bills which would …

Medi-Cal pays for a range of health services in schools, including aides and equipment for disabled students. (Ermolaev Alexandr/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Medicaid is in the crosshairs, as Republicans in Congress are expected to lay out proposals in May to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget…

Social Issues

play sound

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called the arrival of immigrants an invasion and has invoked the Alien Enemies Act to expedite their removal…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Budding flowers, warmer temperatures and longer days are welcome signs to many in Maryland after the long, dark months of winter. Some people might …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021