💻 Data centers under 18-month pause by county

🚨 Big Challenges Ahead For Independent Police Monitor

Madison’s interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique Glass has been in the news a lot lately, both for her office’s report on the arrest of Madison School Board member Maia Pearson and broader questions in city government about the future of her office.

Glass comes on the City Cast Madison podcast today for a wide-ranging conversation about the recent headlines, her background, and what Madison needs to do to move police oversight out of its current organizational “muck.”

Here’s a timeline of how we got here.

Police Civilian Oversight Board begins: The idea of a police oversight board and a new city agency to investigate the Madison Police Department was first recommended by consultants in 2017 in the wake of Officer Matt Kenny’s shooting of Tony Robinson in 2015. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in June 2020 gave the idea new momentum, and the Madison City Council approved the idea in August 2020. [Isthmus]

A ‘rocky start’: But the board got off to a slow start, and it wasn’t until late 2022 that it finally hired Robin Copley to become the first Independent Police Monitor. Copley resigned in October 2025 for medical reasons. [ 🎧City Cast Madison, Isthmus]

Aeiramique Glass hired: In November 2025, the board hired Glass, who brought with her 15 years of experience in criminal justice and public safety reform, most recently as the chief of police accountability for the city of Baltimore. Glass was hired on an interim basis, and the city said she would serve for six to nine months while helping the board find a permanent replacement for Copley. Her time in Madison has been extended and she will now serve in the role for 13 months. [WKOW]

Annual report finds disparities: In March, Glass released her office’s annual report, which alleged major disparities in police enforcement, with Black people arrested 3-12 times as much as white people in every district. One of the office’s top recommendations was to require officers to be outfitted with body-worn cameras. [WMTV]

Big changes in store? City Council is debating changes to the police monitor’s office that supporters say would increase transparency, but detractors (including Glass) say would decrease the office’s independence. The changes include requiring the office to submit quarterly reports and limit the use of outside counsel. The oversight board is scheduled to discuss proposed changes at its June 17 meeting, and then they will be taken up again by the council in August. [News 3]

Maia Pearson arrest: In December, Madison School Board member and Civilian Oversight Board Chair Maia Pearson was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest along with Urban Triage CEO Brandi Grayson. While the police department’s internal report said the police followed policy in the arrest, Glass’ report concluded that the officers did not follow policies in several instances, and in other cases their actions — while technically following policy — were “unacceptable.”

• Madison Police Chief John Patterson is reopening the investigation after Glass’ report included details not in the official police report, including the use of profanity by an officer. [Madison365]

🏳️‍⚧️ County Urges UW Health To Bring Back Transgender Child Care: The Dane County Board unanimously passed a resolution urging UW Health to offer transgender care for young patients. UW Health suspended such care under threats of losing funding from U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• But an Oregon judge in April ruled that Kennedy exceeded his authority, and hospitals in other states have resumed transgender child care. [Cap Times]

🎆 Here Comes the Boom Back to Downtown Madison: Fireworks are returning to the skies over downtown Madison this summer for the first time since 2019. “Bucky-n-Booms,” a joint event between the Edgewater Hotel and the UW Memorial Union, will include a fireworks show over Lake Mendota on July 4. [WMTV]

💻 County Board Approves 18-Month Data Center Pause: Dane County will not issue any new permits to build hyperscale data centers on county land until at least the end of 2027. The county board approved the pause last week, saying it will give county officials time to develop new zoning rules. [WKOW]

🎓 Another Tuition Hike For UW Students: The UW Board of Regents approved a tuition hike for in-state students of 2%, or $210 per undergraduate next year. Undergrads from outside Wisconsin will see an increase of 4%, or $1,700 per student. [Cap Times]

🌾 New River Food Pantry Opens Its Doors: River Food Pantry opened its new 33,000-square-foot facility on Madison’s north side last week. The nonprofit served more than 21,000 people last year, and the expanded space – triple the size of its previous home – includes more freezer space and a full commercial kitchen. [News 3]

💩 Madison Man Rescued From Being Trapped in Deep Mud: And you think you’re having a bad day. [ 🔒WSJ]