Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a Republican-backed bill into law Wednesday that clarifies when a newly passed state constitutional amendment will make it harder for defendants to get out of jail on bail.

The constitutional amendment was passed into law in the statewide election a day earlier, when a pair of ballot questions on bail gained support from two-thirds of voters. The amendment allows judges to consider past convictions for violent crimes when setting bail for someone accused of a violent crime. It also lets judges set the conditions of release to protect the public from serious harm.

The bill Evers signed Wednesday defines serious harm and violent crime for use with the amendment. Under the broad definition of serious harm, judges will be able to set stricter release conditions for any defendant they believe could physically or emotionally hurt someone or inflict damages of more than $2,500 while on release.

The bill also designates more than 100 offenses as violent crimes, meaning someone convicted of anything from homicide to watching a cockfight could face higher cash bail amounts if they are accused of another violent crime.

‘Yesterday, the people of Wisconsin approved a companion constitutional amendment to change our state’s bail policies, and while I’m signing this bill today consistent with the will of the people, I also want to be clear that these changes alone will not solve the challenges facing our justice system,’ Evers said.

The governor called on the Republican-controlled Legislature to enact other criminal justice overhauls and use the state’s record budget surplus to invest in public safety.

The director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development resigned Wednesday, a day after a news report revealed a business he owns received pandemic relief grants from the agency he headed.

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced Anthony Goins’ resignation in a news release that gave no reason for the move. But Goins was the focus of a story Tuesday by the Nebraska Examiner that said his agency gave two $12,000 small business grants to the Lincoln cigar bar in which Goins has majority ownership.

The department confirmed Wednesday that the grants, which came from federal CARES Act funds, were given to Capital Cigar Lounge in 2020. But they were issued through a computer system that doled out checks to applicants who met the criteria, answered questions correctly and had lost money due to the pandemic, the agency said.

The application for Capital Cigar were under the name of one of Goins’ business partners, agency spokeswoman Kate Ellington said.

A message left for Goins at Capital Cigar Lounge was not returned Wednesday. But in a statement to the Lincoln Journal Star, he called the news reports ‘false attacks’ and said he decided to resign so as not to distracted from the agency’s work.

Goins was first appointed director in 2019 by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts and reappointed by Pillen.

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in New York City on Tuesday to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 136 years in prison, though the actual sentence will likely be far less than that if he is convicted on any or all counts.

Falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor charge in New York but rises to the level of a felony with a maximum four-year sentence when a defendant’s ‘intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.’

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was asked by reporters at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon why the second concealed crime was not specified in the indictment.

‘Let me say as an initial matter that the indictment doesn’t specify it because the law does not so require. In my remarks, I mentioned a couple of laws which I will highlight again now,’ Bragg said. ‘The first is New York state election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means. I further indicated a number of unlawful means, including additional false statements, including statements that were planned to be made to tax authorities. I also noted the federal election law cap on contribution limits.’

Bragg accused Trump and his associates of employing a ‘catch and kill’ scheme to bury potentially damaging information ahead of the 2016 election.

‘TRUMP then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws,’ Bragg alleged. ‘In total, 34 false entries were made in New York business records to conceal the initial covert $130,000 payment.’

The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by Manhattan prosecutors into hush-money payments that the former president allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both women have alleged that they had affairs with Trump, which he denies.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York decided in 2019 not to charge Trump with any crimes related to the payments. An investigation by the Federal Election Commission was also closed without any charges.

Trump, the leading Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, has called the investigation ‘Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.’

Aside from Bragg’s investigation, Trump is also being investigated by a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in that state; and federal investigations led by a special counsel are probing Trump’s handling of classified documents and his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat nationwide.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Bill Mears and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is planning to sign an executive order Wednesday creating a Governor’s Council on Latino Empowerment.

The 40-member panel will be made up of Latino leaders from across the state and will be charged with advising Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll on strategies to expand economic opportunities for Massachusetts’ Latino communities and to improve their overall wellbeing.

The panel will hold its first meeting Wednesday.

Healey said the state’s Latino community helps strengthen Massachusetts.

‘Together, we can break down systemic barriers and expand access to opportunity by prioritizing education, job training, entrepreneurship and affordability,’ the Democrat said in a written statement.

Josiane Martinez — former executive director of the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, and founder and CEO of the Archipelago Strategies Group, a marketing agency — will serve as chair of the new council.

‘The Latinx community, one of the youngest and fastest growing communities of color in this state, will continue fueling the state’s robust growth,’ Martinez said in a statement. ‘Massachusetts needs the Latino community to continue to thrive and by investing in the Latinx community we are investing in the growth of our state.’

In February, Healey signed an executive order creating a 33-member Governor’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment — tasked with advising the administration on ways to help support empowerment efforts in the state’s Black community.

Donald Trump’s outspoken defense lawyer Joe Tacopina has taken center stage in the wake of the former president’s Manhattan indictment over alleged hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The brash Brooklynite, with a roster of high profile clients from rapper Meek Mill to former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, has become the face of Trump’s legal fight against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 

The defense team also includes Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, whose surprise addition was announced Monday.

On the eve of Trump’s unprecedented arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court – the first time a former U.S. president will face criminal charges –-Tacopina spoke to Fox News Digital about the case and his career.

What does Tacopina say about Trump’s indictment? 

After Trump flew in to New York City from Palm Beach, Tacopina was one of the first people to meet with him.

‘[He’s] still in disbelief,’ Tacopina said of the 2024 Republican presidential candidate’s reaction to the charges. ‘But he’s in a fighting mood, he’s ready to go, he’s a tough guy.’

Tacopina contended that the case against Trump has bolstered the former president politically and financially.

 ‘This guy gets indicted, his poll numbers, go skyrocketing,’ he said. ‘He gets $7 million in three days in campaign donations, so people are standing behind the proposition that he’s being targeted by political opponents.’

Hillary Clinton, he argued, actually committed a campaign finance law violation. Clinton had to pay a fine after her campaign hired a firm to gather opposition research on Trump and classified the expense as legal services.

‘Now we’re at the point where we’re weaponizing prosecutors’ offices for political purposes,’ he said. ‘I’m horrified by that, horrified, because today, it’s Donald Trump but tomorrow it could be a Democrat.’

Tacopina was first hired in January to defend Trump in a civil suit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Newman dressing room in the 1990s. The case goes to trial April 25, and he’s the lead attorney.

Who has Tacopina represented? 

Tacopina, a father of five who hails from Brooklyn, started his career as a prosecutor in his home borough’s district attorney’s office before switching sides and eventually becoming a partner in Tacopina, Seigel and DeOreo.

Tacopina, who owns his own soccer team in Italy, has had a long string of celebrity clients.

He represented Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder in a dispute with an employee, rapper A$AP ROCKY in a felony firearm charge and Alex Rodriguez in a steroid-suspension appeal.

He won an acquittal for ‘A Bronx Tale’ actor Lillo Brancato Jr., who was charged alongside an accomplice with breaking into a home and fatally shooting an off-duty cop who tried to stop them.

After then-state senator Hiram Monserrate slashed his girlfriend in the face with a broken drinking glass, Tacopina got him acquitted on the top charge.

The attorney has represented a string of NYPD cops accused of misconduct. These include Ken Moreno, who was charged with raping a drunk woman after helping her out of a taxi and one of the officers charged in raping Abner Louima with a broomstick.

Both were cleared of the top counts.

Tacopina also helped negotiate a plea deal for former NYPD police commissioner Bernie Kerik in state court for failing to report a $250,000 loan, but later became a witness against him in a federal tax fraud case.

Tacopina to his critics: ‘They’re cowards’

‘They’re cowards and they’re jealous,’ Tacopina said of the anonymous critics who have attacked him in the press, especially after he took on the Trump case. ‘If you look at my track record of success and wins you can’t compare it to anyone else’s. That’s the one thing I do. Win cases.’

First lady Jill Biden’s office on Tuesday attempted to lower the temperature after she received backlash on social media, including accusations of racism, for floating the idea of inviting the University of Iowa women’s basketball team to the White House, despite them losing to Louisiana State University (LSU) in the national championship game over the weekend.

‘I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,’ Biden said Monday. ‘But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.’

The first lady’s idea backfired immediately as thousands of quote tweets rolled in over the course of just hours.

Bishop Talbert Swan wrote, ‘Jill Biden is a white woman,’ and suggested the first lady’s race was why she invited the Iowa women’s team.

‘Of course she wants the president to invite the team of predominantly white women that lost when the winning team of Black woman come to the White House,’ Swan wrote. ‘She wants to give white women the same privilege that Black women earned.’

‘This is America,’ he added.

‘Jill Biden inviting Iowa to the WH has Angel Reese and Black people everywhere HEATED,’ journalist Touré tweeted. ‘The WH has a crisis on its hands…’

Another user slammed ‘people defending Jill Biden saying ‘it was such a good game and it brought awareness.’’

‘AWARENESS OF WHAT,’ the user wrote. ‘B—-ES BEEN PLAYING BASKETBALL FOR YEARS. Jesus Christ.’

Keith Boykin, who worked for former President Bill Clinton and frequently appeared on CNN, tweeted, ‘No Ma’am!’ and added, ‘When Black women win a national championship, they should not be forced to share the stage with the losing team.’

NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe slammed the first lady on ‘Skip and Shannon: Undisputed’ while discussing the championship and said an invitation to the White House ‘isn’t a participation award,’ adding, ‘Winners get a trophy. That’s what life is about.’

‘Come on, Dr. Biden. You know better than this,’ Sharpe said. ‘Did you forget who helped put your husband in the White House? You gonna find out a very serious, hard lesson in ’24. [Joe] will be like a Kentucky or Duke freshman. You’ll be one-and-done.’

Other users, including progressive sitting members of Congress, also slammed the first lady for her White House invitation to Iowa.

‘Very respectfully Madame First Lady, that’s not how it works,’ ‘Squad’ Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., wrote on Tuesday. ‘LSU won. LSU comes to the White House.’

‘Iowa understands this and would most definitely respectfully decline the invitation,’ Bowman continued.

The first lady’s remarks also drew a response from Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., who gave props to LSU coach Kim Mulkey and the team and invited them to the Capitol.

‘In #LA05, we’re proud of Tangipahoa Parish’s own, Coach [Mulkey], and all that [LSU’s women’s team] accomplished,’ Letlow tweeted. ‘Coach — if the [White House] insists on making you share the championship visit, we would be honored to celebrate your team at the Capitol!’

‘DEI for the win!’ Washington Free Beacon journalist Chuck Ross tweeted on Monday.

Fox News Digital reached out to the first lady’s office but received no response.

Biden’s spokesperson, Vanessa Valdivia, attempted to walk back the first lady’s comments, tweeting that she ‘loved watching the NCAA women’s basketball championship game alongside young student athletes and admires how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX.’

‘Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes,’ Valdivia wrote. ‘She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.’

Under Mulkey, LSU beat Iowa on Sunday, 102-85, to take the NCAA women’s basketball national championship home to Baton Rouge for the first time in school history.

The participation trophy-esque remarks drew strong rebukes from people from all walks.

LSU star Angel Reese led the charge, quote-tweeting the ESPN write-up with three laughing emojis and two words: ‘A JOKE.’

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed reporting.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill Tuesday to expand an address confidentiality program aimed at protecting domestic violence victims from their abusers.

It builds on a program shielding victims’ home addresses from voter rolls. The new law expands the program to mask their addresses on other publicly available government records.

The new law also removes the requirement that survivors have an emergency protective order to hide their addresses on public records. Instead, it will allow victims who sign a sworn statement to have their addresses shielded from the broader list of records.

The bill’s supporters include Kentucky’s Republican secretary of state, Michael Adams, who said the program will ‘help ensure survivors of domestic violence get the protection they deserve.’

It was among several bills signed by the Democratic governor to bolster public safety by supporting law enforcement and better protecting crime victims and children at school.

Another bill signed by Beshear gives law enforcement agencies the ability to create their own wellness programs to support the mental health and wellbeing of sworn and civilian personnel. All sessions and information discussed within wellness programs remain confidential under counselor-client privilege.

The governor said that officers ‘are interacting with Kentuckians on their worst day, so it’s essential that we ensure they are mentally healthy and have addressed any trauma they’ve experienced.’

The bill’s lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Kevin Bratcher, said: ‘With wellness concerns increasing within police departments, we must ensure programs are in place for them when they need help.’

The governor also signed a bill allocating $13 million to improve Jenny Wiley State Resort Park and Lake Barkley State Resort Park. The bill designates $5.5 million to Jenny Wiley park and $7.5 million to Lake Barkley park to deal with structural, exterior, mechanical and interior deficiencies.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., applauded what she called ‘social consequences’ for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Tuesday, after the GOP congresswoman led a New York City rally protesting the indictment of former President Donald Trump. 

Trump was indicted by a grand jury Thursday over alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 campaign cycle. The former president arrived in New York Monday ahead of his court appearance, prompting political protests to break out in the streets outside the courthouse.

With a megaphone in hand, Greene led a rally outside the New York City courthouse to protest the indictment and support Trump before his arraignment Tuesday, but progressive representative AOC blasted her efforts as ‘shameless bigotry.’

‘Welcome to NYC! Where there are still social consequences for shameless bigotry,’ AOC wrote in a Twitter post fired at Greene, upon reports that the Republican congresswoman was being heckled at by anti-Trump protestors during the rally.

The comment came after reports that people were shouting and blowing whistles over Greene in an effort to prevent her from being heard during the protest.

‘We are here to peacefully protest against the persecution of an innocent man. Not just any innocent man, this is the former President of the United States of America,’ Greene told the crowd.

Greene also hit back at Mayor Eric Adams, after he urged her to be on her ‘best behavior’ ahead of Tuesday’s protest.

‘Also, to the Mayor Adams, as you can see, I am here peacefully protesting. He called me out by name,’ Greene said.

Trump appeared in court Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Maine lawmakers are preparing to take up several proposals in the coming weeks to expand abortion access, including one by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to allow women in Maine to get abortions later in pregnancy if deemed necessary by a medical provider.

Current state law bans abortions after a fetus becomes viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks. The governor’s bill would allow later abortions with a doctor’s approval.

Other bills would prevent municipalities from restricting abortions; strengthen protections for those who treat out-of-staters traveling to Maine for an abortion; and address affordability of abortions through private insurance.

Several hundred anti-abortion activists traveled to the State House Tuesday to make their views known. The event’s organizer, Maine Right to Life, said that it’s important for people to raise their voices in Augusta because that’s where abortion laws are determined now that U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. Abortions already have been banned in 13 states.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England tweeted that Mainers showed they support abortion access by electing ‘pro-reproductive rights champions to protect our reproductive rights.’

There are several Republican-backed proposals that would reduce abortion access but those face long odds with Democrats controlling both chambers.

Ronald Sarasin, a three-term Republican congressman from Connecticut in the 1970s who later went on to lead the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, has died. He was 88.

Sarasin died at his home in McLean, Virginia, on March 27, according to an obituary prepared by his family that did not disclose a cause of death.

Sarasin, who was born in Fall River, Massachusetts and grew up in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, was first elected to the U.S. House in 1972 and was re-elected in 1974 and 1976, representing the 5th District in western Connecticut.

In 1978, he won the Republican nomination for governor but lost the election to Democrat Ella Grasso.

Sarasin previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1969 to 1973. After serving in the Navy in the 1950s, he went on to graduate from the University of Connecticut and its law school.

After leaving politics, Sarasin was the chief lobbyist for the National Restaurant Association and later president and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

From 2000 to 2018, he was president and CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, which is chartered by Congress to educate the public about the Capitol, its history and its people.

In a Facebook post mourning his death, the historical society credited Sarasin for establishing educational programs including a traveling exhibit on the role enslaved people had in building the Capitol.

‘Ron met every challenge with tremendous strength to help us grow in our work and service to reach new audiences,’ the post said. ‘We are grateful for his life, his friendship, and the legacy Ron left us all.’

Sarasin is survived by his wife, Leslie, and two sons. A funeral service will be held May 20 at Gonzaga College High School’s St. Aloysius Church in Washington.