Gov. Walker has announced several plans for entitlement reforms in his upcoming budget, including requiring worker training for food stamp eligibility, increasing required work searches for unemployment insurance eligibility, and reducing the number of individuals dependent on government-run health care. The Governor’s Medicaid proposal will: reduce the number of uninsured individuals in the state by […]
Medicaid Expansion a Hot Topic
Date Mon, Feb. 11, 2013 - 12:43pm By Hamilton
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provides incentives for states to expand their Medicaid programs. Gov. Walker has said he will decide whether Wisconsin will expand its program by the time he delivers his budget address on February 20. In states like Wisconsin, that had a relatively expansive Medicaid Program prior to PPACA, […]
Walker’s $132 Million Workforce Development Agenda
Date Sun, Feb. 10, 2013 - 4:52pm By Hamilton
Over the weekend, Gov. Walker announced the details of his workforce development agenda. In total, the plan invests $132 million in programs aimed at equipping workers with the skills they need to find jobs in the modern workforce. “Our goal is to help our state and our workers become among the most prosperous and innovative […]
Walker Budget to Expand Mental Health Funding
Date Thu, Feb. 7, 2013 - 8:27pm By Hamilton
Giving a glimpse of what will be in his 2013-2015 Biennial State Budget, Gov. Walker announced a near $30 million investment in state taxpayer funds for mental health programs to enhance and expand services provided by state and local governments to individuals living with mental illness. “Earlier this year, I met with mental health professionals, […]
Gov. Walker Announces Investment in Tourism and Economic Development
Date Thu, Feb. 7, 2013 - 5:18pm By Hamilton
As the date of Gov. Walker’s budget address draws nearer, the governor has been releasing some details about proposals that will be contained in it. At the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, he announced some economic development initiatives aimed at improving the business climate and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation as well […]
Walker Discusses Budget Priorities
Date Mon, Feb. 4, 2013 - 11:29am By Hamilton
Gov. Walker has indicated that his top priorities for the 2013-15 Biennial State Budget are creating jobs, developing the workforce, transforming education, reforming government, and investing in infrastructure. In the time leading up to the Biennial Budget Address on February 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers, Walker is releasing a series of […]
Sec. Gottlieb Talks Transportation with Wheeler Report
Date Tue, Jan. 29, 2013 - 6:08pm By Hamilton
The Wheeler Report recently sat down with Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb to discuss service, safety, and better roads. What are the biggest accomplishments of your agency in the past few years?We were able to open up over 30 new DMV centers, so now we have DMVs open at least 20 hours a week […]
Gov. Walker Announces 2013-15 Biennial Budget Address
Date Wed, Jan. 23, 2013 - 8:33pm By Hamilton
Gov. Scott Walker will deliver the 2013-15 Biennial Budget Address on February 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers.
Nate Silver Tackles the Budget
Date Thu, Jan. 17, 2013 - 4:30pm By Hamilton
Nate Silver, the New York Times’ statistics whiz, who shot to stardom (well, stardom for a statistician) for his elections forecasting, has taken a crack at answering the question “What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending?” Silver’s analysis of government spending at the federal, state and local level on entitlement programs, defense, interest on the […]
Observations on the 2013-15 Biennial State Budget
Date Fri, Nov. 16, 2012 - 12:57pm By Hamilton
From a fiscal perspective, Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature will have a better starting point for the upcoming biennial budget than policymakers have experienced in over a decade. Credit for an improved fiscal position is due, in large part, to actions taken by Gov. Walker and the Legislature last session. Other external factors, such […]