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 […]
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
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 […]
Wisconsin Democrats Propose “Lowering Costs, Improving Lives” Bill Package
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 10:44am By Hamilton
On January 16, Wisconsin Democrats announced their “Lowering Costs, Improving Lives” legislative package, aimed at addressing affordability issues for families across the state. The package focuses on lowering prescription drug prices, expanding access to affordable insulin, providing free school meals, and offering property tax relief for low-income residents. The centerpiece of the package is a […]
Wisconsin Policy Forum: Wisconsin’s State & Local Tax Burden Drop to Another Record Low in 2024
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 10:20am By Hamilton
According to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, state and local taxes as a share of income fell again in 2024 hitting a low of 9.62% of personal income. That’s down from 9.92% in 2023, which was also a record low after state and local taxes accounted for 9.9% of personal income in 2022. Overall, […]
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos: Republican Response to Governor Tony Ever’ State of the State Address
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 10:17am By Hamilton
Though Speaker Vos (R-Rochester) expressed his hope that Governor Evers’ wants to find common ground with Legislative Republicans to solve Wisconsin’s most pressing issues, Republican response to Gov. Evers’ proposals was pointed. Speaker Vos said, “What we heard tonight was Gov. Evers’ longest State of the State address and it was chock full of liberal […]
Legislative Oversight of Rulemaking Challenged
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 9:09am By Hamilton
January 16, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held oral arguments on a case contesting the Joint Committee for Review Administrative Rules’ power over the administrative rule promulgation process. Under Wisconsin law, JCRAR has the power to halt rules from taking effect by indefinitely objecting to a rule. If JCRAR indefinitely objects to a rule, the […]
Evers Declares 2025 the “Year of the Kid” in State of the State Address
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 9:04am By Hamilton
On January 22, in his seventh State of the State address on Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers declared 2025 the “Year of the Kid,” outlining a series of proposals aimed at addressing the needs of children and families in Wisconsin. The speech was a preview of the Governor’s 2025-27 state budget, which will be introduced on […]
GOP Radio Address Calls for “Freedom in Fuel Choice.”
Date Fri, Jan. 10, 2025 - 9:16am By Hamilton
January 3, 2025, in the Wisconsin GOP’s radio address, Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) said he is planning to re-introduce legislation to preserve consumer choice in fuels. Last session, Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed bills authored by Sen. Tomczyk to (1) prohibit state agencies and local units of government from restricting motor vehicle sales based on […]
Wisconsin GOP Quickly Advances Resolution for Voter ID Constitutional Amendment
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2025 - 2:24pm By Hamilton
In the first week of the 2025-26 legislative session, Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are advancing a proposal (Senate Joint Resolution 2) to enshrine the state’s voter ID law into the constitution. The measure is moving quickly for it to be placed on the ballot for voters in April. On Tuesday January 7, the Senate […]
Evers Announces Voter Referendum Proposal
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2025 - 2:21pm By Hamilton
Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced this week plans to include a proposal in his 2025-27 budget to establish a binding referendum process in Wisconsin, allowing voters to propose and repeal state laws. This effort is like an initiative from 2022, which did not advance due to Republica opposition. Evers argues that such a process would […]