Fiscal Bureau Issues Budget Analysis; Finance Committee Schedules Agency and Public Hearings

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has released its plain-language summary (tables, agency-by-agency) of Gov. Tony Evers’ (D) executive budget proposal for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium. The document explains, in plain narrative terms along with simple financial tables, how state agencies, programs, and policies currently work and how the budget would affect them. Legislators rely on this […]

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Capital Budget 2023-25 and “Vision 2030” Highlights

Gov. Tony Evers (D) released his 2023-25 capital budget recommendations on February 28. The capital budget includes plans for purchasing, constructing, maintaining, and disposing of state-owned buildings and other facilities, including University of Wisconsin System properties. Gov. Evers proposes spending $3.8 billion on capital projects over the next two fiscal years, financed by $1.9 billion […]

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Gov. Evers 2023-25 Executive Budget Highlights

Gov. Evers gave his third biennial budget address on February 15, unveiling his 2023-25 executive budget. He proposes an operating budget of $103.8 billion over the next two fiscal years, adding a net 816.55 FTE positions. For comparison, the 2021-23 state budget spent $87.5 billion with a net reduction of 174.19 FTE positions. The complete […]

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In Fifth State of the State, Gov. Evers Announces Budget Proposals

Gov. Tony Evers (D) delivered his fifth annual State of the State address on the evening of January 24 before a joint session of the Wisconsin Legislature. The address was delivered in the Assembly Chambers of the Wisconsin Capitol Building. The governor’s office has released the full text of his prepared remarks as well as […]

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State Budget Issues: Taxes, Medicaid, PFAS

With another legislative session comes another biennial state budget bill, and Wisconsin is expected to have a surplus of $7.1 billion when the current fiscal biennium ends June 30. The 2023-25 state budget will occupy much of the Legislature’s attention for the next few months. In last night’s State of the State address, Gov. Tony […]

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Gov. Evers Begins Second Term as GOP Legislature Considers Broad Tax Reform

Tony Evers Sworn in for Second Term as Governor Inauguration Day in Wisconsin took place on January 3. Democratic incumbents Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul began their second terms in office, while Sara Rodriguez was sworn in as the state’s new lieutenant governor. Gov. Evers spent the majority of his second inaugural […]

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2023-24 Legislative Session: Joint Finance Committee Members

The 16-member Joint Committee on Finance (or Joint Finance Committee, JFC) is among the most important committees of the Wisconsin Legislature. It is responsible for writing the biennial state budget and has the authority to approve requests for funding, agency position authority, and state lawsuit settlements. The committee has an equal number of members from […]

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State Agencies Submit 2023-25 Budget Requests

On September 15, Wisconsin state government agencies submitted requests for the next state budget to Gov. Tony Evers (D) and the Department of Administration (DOA). The state budgets on a two-year (biennial) basis, with fiscal years beginning July 1 and ending June 30. The 2023-2025 state budget will cover a two-year period from July 1, […]

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Gov. Evers Delivers Fourth State of the State; Calls Special Session on Surplus Spending

Gov. Tony Evers (D) delivered his fourth annual State of the State address on the evening of February 15 before a joint session of the Wisconsin Legislature. The address was delivered in the Assembly Chambers of the Wisconsin Capitol Building. It was the final address of Gov. Evers’ first term as governor; he is seeking […]

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Governor and Legislative Leaders Differ Over State Surplus Plans

Wisconsin’s latest budget projections brought good news, with the state now projected to end the 2021-23 fiscal biennium with a $3.8 billion surplus. As we reported in January, Wisconsin ended its most recent fiscal year with a balance of $1.18 billion, its largest positive balance ever as calculated using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The […]

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