Next week, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will hold the final two public hearings on the 2025-27 biennial state budget. Monday, April 28 – Hayward High School Auditorium, 10320 Greenwood Lane, Hayward Tuesday, April 29 – Northcentral Technical College – Center for Health Sciences, 1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau JFC’s public hearings offer an opportunity […]
Joint Finance Committee Continues State Budget Hearings Across Wisconsin
Date Fri, Apr. 18, 2025 - 9:00am By Hamilton
Natural Resources Board Restarts Rulemaking for PFAS Groundwater Standards
Date Fri, Apr. 18, 2025 - 8:57am By Hamilton
On April 9, The Natural Resources Board approved starting a new rulemaking effort to establish groundwater standards for six PFAS compounds, following an earlier attempt initiated in fall 2022 to regulate four PFAS at levels as low as 4 parts per trillion (ppt). The previous proposal stalled because its estimated implementation and compliance costs exceeded […]
Child Care Groups Hold Advocacy Day
Date Fri, Apr. 18, 2025 - 8:46am By Hamilton
Earlier this week, the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), in conjunction with Raising Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Head Start Association, hosted its Advocacy Day in Madison. Over 350 child care educators and administrators, Head Start leaders, parents, and business owners gathered to hear from policymakers about the ongoing discussions for the 2025-27 state budget. Following […]
Audit and Public Hearing on DEI Initiatives at UW System
Date Thu, Apr. 17, 2025 - 3:10pm By Hamilton
Last Friday, the Legislative Audit Bureau delivered an audit to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee which reviewed certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities at the University of Wisconsin system and select state agencies. The audit was requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee last May and found that certain Wisconsin state agencies and the […]
Income Tax Cuts over the Last Decade have Resulted in Significant Tax Relief
Date Thu, Mar. 6, 2025 - 3:58pm By Hamilton
In Late February, Forward Analytics released a report and press release highlighting how income tax cuts from 2012-2023 have resulted in nearly $7 billion in tax relief for Wisconsin Taxpayers. According to the report, the groups that saw the largest cuts in percentage terms were single filers with incomes under $48,000 and married-joint filers with incomes less […]
American Red Cross Holds Legislative Day
Date Thu, Mar. 6, 2025 - 3:57pm By Hamilton
Last week, the American Red Cross hosted its Legislative Day in Madison. Red Cross staff and volunteers spent the morning engaging with speakers from legislative, regulatory, and administrative sectors. Maggie Gau, Chief of Staff to Governor Evers, presented the group with a Proclamation from the Governor’s office declaring March as American Red Cross Month. Participants […]
Wisconsin’s February 18 Primary Preview: State Superintendent Race
Date Fri, Feb. 7, 2025 - 10:47am By Hamilton
On February 18, Wisconsin voters will participate in a primary election for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state’s top education official. Three candidates are running: incumbent Jill Underly, Sauk Prairie School District Superintendent Jeff Wright, and education consultant Brittany Kinser. The top two candidates will advance to the general election on April 1. […]
Senate Health Committee to Hold First Hearing of the Session on Direct Primary Care and Postpartum Medicaid Extension Bills
Date Fri, Feb. 7, 2025 - 10:40am By Hamilton
On Wednesday, February 12, the Senate Committee on Health will hold a public hearing on two familiar pieces of legislation. Senate Bill 4, which aims to clarify the legality of direct primary care agreements by exempting them from insurance regulations, is a reintroduction of a first introduced bill in the 2017-2018 session. Last session, a […]
Wisconsin’s Budget Surplus Grows to $4.3 Billion, Setting the Stage for Budget Debates
Date Fri, Feb. 7, 2025 - 10:39am By Hamilton
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) now projects that Wisconsin will end the 2023-25 biennium with a $4.3 billion surplus, an increase from the $4 billion forecasted in November. The revision is largely driven by an expected $894.3 million increase in tax revenue, primarily from higher sales tax collections. LFB attributes the increase to updated economic […]
Justice Hagedorn Recuses Self from Act 10 Challenge Will Justice Protasiewicz Follow Suit?
Date Fri, Feb. 7, 2025 - 10:38am By Hamilton
Justice Brian Hagedorn recently recused himself from participating in a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court reviewing collective bargaining reforms affecting public union employees. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is considering a motion to bypass an appellate court review of a Dane County judge striking down elements of law. Late last year, Dane County Circuit Court […]