Gov. Evers Signs into Law $111.1 Billion State Budget Bill

Early in the morning on July 3, the Wisconsin legislature passed a $111.1 billion budget bill for the 2025-27 biennium and Gov. Evers quickly signed it. Overall, the plan is a 12 percent increase in spending. The vote came just days after the state’s fiscal year closed on June 30. With new legislative maps resulting […]

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State Budget Progress Stalls as JFC Cancels Meeting

After a slower start than previous budgets, the Joint Committee on Finance (commonly called the Joint Finance Committee or JFC) abruptly announced on Thursday, June 19, that they are hitting pause. The announcement followed the committee’s postponement of a major vote on the University of Wisconsin System on Tuesday, June 17. The committee had been […]

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APRN Bill Passes Senate and Assembly

In a unanimous vote, Wisconsin lawmakers on Wednesday, June 18, passed legislation that allows Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to practice independently across the state. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Tony Evers, who is expected to sign it after previously vetoing similar measures. The legislation, AB257/SB258, establishes a formal APRN credential under […]

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SCOWIS Sides With AG on Power to Settle Civil Cases

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin unanimously ruled this week that the Wisconsin Legislature cannot prohibit the Department of Justice (DOJ) from settling civil cases without the approval of the Joint Committee on Finance. In the fall of 2018, the legislature passed and former Gov. Walker (R) signed legislation into law requiring the legislature’s budget-writing committee […]

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Governor and Republican Legislature Budget Talks at Impasse

Governor Tony Evers said Wednesday evening that budget talks with Republican leaders had hit a wall, despite his agreement to include their top priority—a tax cut. Evers pointed to GOP resistance on funding priorities like K-12 schools, child care, and the UW System as the reason the deal fell apart. His office noted that meetings […]

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Updated State Revenue Estimates Push Leaders Toward Budget Talks

The much- anticipated updated state revenue numbers for the 2025-27 state budget were released recently by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The latest forecast indicates the state is now expected to have $335 million less available through mid-2027 than previously anticipated in January. According to the LFB, the state’s projected ending balance for the 2023-25 biennium […]

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds “400-Year” Veto

Friday, April 18, the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision upheld Gov. Tony Evers’ 2023 partial veto that extended annual school funding increases until the year 2425 by striking numerals and punctuation in the budget bill. The GOP-controlled legislature had passed a two-year increase in schools aids. Gov. Evers used his partial veto authority to, […]

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2025-27 Capital Budget Sent to JFC with No Recommendation

This Tuesday, the State Building Commission (SBC) convened to review Governor Ever’s 2025-27 Capital Budget. In the end, the commission deadlocked 4-4 on the Governor’s plan and are now sending the $4.1 billion proposal to the Joint Finance Committee with no recommendation. This is the fourth consecutive biennium the SBC has deadlocked on the capital […]

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Key Policy Divides Emerge Early in Wisconsin Budget Debate

Now that the dust has settled and the legislature has begun to dissect the Governor’s 2025-27 state budget, Republican legislators are ready to start over and craft their own budget. Before that, however, the majority leaders plan to introduce their own tax relief proposal using the state’s surplus. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August has said […]

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Gov. Evers 2025-27 Executive Budget Highlights

Gov. Evers gave his fourth biennial budget address on February 18, unveiling his 2025-27 executive budget. He proposes an operating budget of $ $118.9 billion over the next two fiscal years, adding a net 880.94 FTE positions. For comparison, the final 2023-25 state budget spent $97.4 billion with a net reduction of 175.51 FTE (GPR) […]

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