Key Issues as 2023-24 Session Nears Conclusion: Budget Surplus, Redistricting, Abortion

As we approach the end of the 2023-24 legislative session in Wisconsin, several key political and policy issues are dominating conversations among the Republican-led Wisconsin Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers (D). Budget Surplus, Taxes, Child Care, and Workforce Gov. Evers and Republican legislative leaders are still at odds over what to do with the remainder […]

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Senate Floor Session: October 17 (Special Session Bill, Executive Appointments, Other Legislation)

The Wisconsin Senate met once in October for a floor day to vote on bills, resolutions, and executive appointments. See this article for coverage of the Assembly’s October floor days. Also see the regular and special session floor calendars for the day. Special Session Bill and Budget Veto Override Perhaps most notably, the Senate voted […]

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Fall 2023 Floor Period: Taxes, Child Care, and Redistricting Emerge as Key Issues

Between the Republican-led Wisconsin Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers (D), both sides were dissatisfied with aspects of the 2023-25 state budget and are seeking legislation to address those issues. After a quiet summer following passage of the budget, legislators resumed regular committee and floor activities in early September. The Assembly and Senate are each expected […]

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Assembly and Senate Floor Sessions: September 12 and 14

After a quiet summer following passage of the 2023-25 state budget, the Wisconsin Legislature resumed regular committee and floor activities in early September. The Assembly and Senate are each expected to hold several floor days in October and November and again over the first few months of 2024 before adjourning the 2023-24 session. See this […]

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UPDATED: Fiscal Bureau Provides Updated Budget Numbers for 2023-25

Following the enactment of the 2023-25 state budget (Act 19), the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has released several memos on the budget, including the effects of partial vetoes issued by Gov. Evers. General Fund Projections Through 2027 According to this memo, the state is projected to have a balance of just over $4 billion at […]

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2023-25 State Budget: Signed Into Law With 51 Partial Vetoes

On July 5, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced his signing of 2023 Act 19, the Wisconsin state budget for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, which began July 1. The two-year budget, assembled by the Republican-led Joint Committee on Finance, appropriates $97.4 billion. For comparison, the 2021-23 budget allocated $87.5 billion. The final version of the budget […]

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Joint Finance Committee Takes Final Votes on 2023-25 Budget

On June 22, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (Joint Finance Committee or JFC) held its final session on the 2023-25 state budget. After passing a series of motions to complete the budget, the committee voted to incorporate all its changes to date and to recommend the budget bill for passage by the Legislature. […]

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State Budget: Gov. Evers Signs Shared Revenue, Education Funding Bills

As part of the 2023-25 state budget process, the Legislature has been advancing several bills to implement new programs and policy changes. The Republican-led Legislature has pursued policy language in separate legislation to avoid giving Gov. Tony Evers (D) the opportunity to exercise his powerful partial veto authority, which only applies to appropriations bills such […]

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Joint Finance Committee Budget Votes: June 8, 13, 15

The Joint Committee on Finance (Joint Finance Committee or JFC) of the Wisconsin Legislature has nearly completed its work on the 2023-25 state budget. This article reviews notable provisions adopted by JFC during its three most recent meetings, affecting nine major state agencies. JFC is expected to hold its final budget session later today, June […]

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Senate and Assembly Floor Sessions: June 14

Both the Senate and Assembly met June 14. Notably, the Senate passed three bills related to the 2023-25 state budget, and the Assembly subsequently took up and passed those bills in addition to its scheduled calendar. Those budget-related bills were as follows: AB 245: Changes the shared revenue formula to provide increased aid to counties […]

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