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More claims than you thought were rated True? More claims than you thought were rated True?

More claims than you thought were rated True?

By D.L. Davis December 29, 2017

We have already rounded up our Pants on Fire ratings from 2017.

So, it’s only fair that we take a look back at the claims on the other end of the spectrum. Here’s a look at what garnered a True rating in 2017.

Jan. 13: Gov. Scott Walker, Republican:  Wisconsin property taxes, as a percentage of personal income, "are the lowest that they've been since the end of World War II."

The governor’s office pointed to a July 2015 memo from the nonprofit Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance. The memo stated that Wisconsin’s property tax burden was at 3.6% of personal income, the lowest since 1946 (when it was also 3.6%).

Jan. 17: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin: The federal government is prohibited "from negotiating lower prescription drug prices for our senior citizens."

Baldwin's reference was to Medicare Part D, a voluntary insurance program for prescription drugs for people on Medicare. Views differ on whether seniors ultimately would benefit if the federal government could negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prescription drug prices for Part D. But current federal law does prohibit that.

March 23: U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin: The GOP’s Obamacare replacement would reduce subsidies that help lower-income people buy health insurance, but also "expand the entitlement" by giving subsidies to higher-income people "that Obamacare never helped."

Johnson’s claim alluded to what are known as refundable tax credits, which help people who buy their own health insurance. The Republican plan at the time did offer subsidies, known as refundable tax credits, that are smaller for lower-income people than they are under Obamacare. And it did offer the credits to people with higher incomes than under Obamacare.

April 2: Erin Forrest, executive director of Emerge Wisconsin, which helps Democratic women run for office: "75 percent of the town boards in Wisconsin have no women on them at all."  

Forrest cited a report that is produced every five years by the Wisconsin Women’s Council, a state body whose members are appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. The data was collected by the Research Center for Women and Girls at Alverno College in Milwaukee.

Town boards are the least likely among Wisconsin local governing bodies to have gender diversity, the study found. Women account for only 9% of town supervisors (the same as in 2010, but up from 7% in 2005).

April 17: The Sheriff David Clarke for U.S. Senate draft committee: Says Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. has said Black Lives Matter "is a terrorist movement, a hate group and calls it, Black LIES Matter."

Clarke called Black Lives Matter a "hate group" in a July 2016 opinion column he wrote for FoxNews.com and said "Black Lives Matter are purveyors of hate. It is a hateful, violent ideology" on Fox News’ "Hannity" show, July 17, 2016.

April 26: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse: "To build a wall now would be locking them in this country. We're experiencing a net outflow of illegal, undocumented workers from America back to Mexico."  

The estimated number of Mexicans in the United States illegally rose steadily for many years, from 2.9 million in 1995 to a peak of 6.9 million in 2007. But the number began dropping in 2008 and has fallen more since, reaching 5.8 million in 2014, the latest year for which the Pew Research Center analyzed data.

May 15: U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis.: "Planned Parenthood is the biggest abortion provider in the country."

There’s no complete, centralized database that tallies abortions, much less one that breaks that number down by providers. And, to be sure, Planned Parenthood does more than abortions -- services include screening for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, sex education and general health care.

But there is strong indirect evidence backing Grothman’s claim.The agency’s national network of clinics stands apart from other providers as the undisputed leader when it comes to providing abortion services.

June 23: U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison: "Seven years later, (Scott Walker) has not hit his first campaign promise of creating 250,000 jobs."

A Pocan spokesman said the congressman’s claim was based on a March 12 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story, which stated the governor’s promise "remains elusive." And, even today, the governor is still chasing the number.

July 2:  Gov. Scott Walker: Tax cuts approved and those proposed in his state budget "will exceed $8 billion by the time the budget is done."   

The governor made a similar claim in 2015, which we also rated True. His continued claims about the size of tax cuts remain on the money. The state was on track to have generated more than $8 billion in tax cuts by the end of fiscal year 2019, we noted at the time.

Sept. 21: GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Kevin Nicholson: "Ronald Reagan was a verified Democrat until his mid-50s."

The 40th president’s past an entertainer, labor union leader and politician is known to historians as well as many Americans of the baby boomer generation. His transition from Democrat to Republican is also well documented.

Oct. 4: Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele: 90% of Americans "support universal background checks" for gun purchases.

This claim came in a tweet in the hours after the Las Vegas shooting. Universal is the term for background checks to be done on every gun sale. We found support for that policy at 94% in the latest national poll. Support ranged between 84% and 89% in the four other most recent polls. Experts say support at or near 90% has been consistent for years.

Oct. 27: Pocan: "What Republicans call the "death tax" is the estate tax "on the ultra wealthy" which, in 2016, was paid by only "two out of every 1,000 people."

Republicans who had introduced their plan to eliminate the estate tax do use the "death tax" term. In 2016, the tax, generally 40%, applied only to estates worth $5.45 million or more. After deductions, the tax was paid by only about two out of every 1,000 people who died.

Nov. 24: Wisconsin Department of Transportation: "Wisconsin's driver licenses and identification (ID) cards are currently the most secure in the nation."

The state's new polycarbonate cards, featuring black and white laser-engraved photos, ultraviolet ink and intricate artwork along with its eNotify security feature makes the Badger State's cards security "the most advanced among those issued in the United States," according to an expert on identity security.

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