Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds “400-Year” Veto

Friday, April 18, the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision upheld Gov. Tony Evers’ 2023 partial veto that extended annual school funding increases until the year 2425 by striking numerals and punctuation in the budget bill. The GOP-controlled legislature had passed a two-year increase in schools aids. Gov. Evers used his partial veto authority to, […]

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JFC Hearings Scheduled for April, but Budget Delays Possible

In a typical state budget cycle, April marks the end of the Joint Finance Committee’s (JFC) traveling public hearings, followed by agency heads testifying on their respective budgets. By the end of the month, the committee usually begins taking up portions of the state budget to meet the June 30 deadline. But these are not […]

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Wisconsin’s Key Races: Supreme Court and DPI Elections

Control of State Supreme Court Up for Grabs For those hoping to tune out politics for a bit after the ad barrage that happened during the Fall of 2024, sorry, you are out of luck. Wisconsin’s race for the State Supreme Court has become a proxy war for Republicans and Democrats on a national scale. […]

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Marquette University Poll Released

April 1st Spring Elections According to the poll, voters are still mostly unfamiliar with candidates running for both the Wisconsin Supreme Court and State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Among registered voters, 38 percent don’t have an opinion of former Attorney General and current Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel and 58 percent don’t have […]

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Justice Hagedorn Recuses Self from Act 10 Challenge Will Justice Protasiewicz Follow Suit?

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 […]

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Breaking: Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules Elections Administrator Can Remain in Role

The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled today, February 7, that Meagan Wolfe can continue serving as the state’s top elections official indefinitely, rejecting efforts to remove her from the position. The court determined that under state law, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) is only required to appoint a new administrator if a vacancy occurs, and […]

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Legislative Oversight of Rulemaking Challenged

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 […]

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Wisconsin Prepares for Pivotal 2025 Elections: Supreme Court and State Superintendent Races

Wisconsin voters are gearing up for two high-profile races in 2025 that will have a lasting impact on the state’s judicial and educational systems. The primary election is scheduled for February 18, with the general election to follow on April 1. Both races are drawing significant attention, setting the stage for critical decisions about the […]

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SCOWIS Finishes 2023-24 Term with High-Profile Cases, Record Low Number of Decisions Overall

The Wisconsin Supreme Court appears to have concluded its 2023-24 regular term. The court typically finishes an annual term by releasing a series of decisions in June and July. According to one Wisconsin historian, the court issued the fewest decisions during this one-year term since at least 1900. Undoubtedly the most high-profile decision issued by […]

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Sojenhomer LLC v. Village of Egg Harbor (Eminent Domain)

In Sojenhomer LLC v. Village of Egg Harbor (2024 WI 25), the court held that municipalities can use condemnation authority to acquire land to build a sidewalk within a road right-of-way, despite recently enacted statutory prohibitions on the use of condemnation to establish or extend a pedestrian way. Facts The Village of Egg Harbor developed […]

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