Proposed legislation would penalize the Milwaukee Public Schools if the district cancels plans to place police officers inside school buildings. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)

Republican lawmakers are proposing a law that would financially penalize the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and the city of Milwaukee if they stop complying with a state law that requires police officers in schools. 

The bill, coauthored by Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) and Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), comes after months of noncompliance with state law by the school district. Wisconsin Act 12, which provided a boost in funding to local governments, included requirements that Milwaukee Public Schools place 25 school resource officers — sworn police officers assigned to schools. 

The law took effect in 2023, and officers were supposed to be in MPS schools by Jan. 1, 2024, but the district missed the deadline. On Tuesday, the city and the school district voted to approve an agreement to install the officers in response to a lawsuit. 

Donovan said during an Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety hearing Wednesday that it’s “unconscionable” the district took so long to follow through on the requirement.

“The biggest district, the one in my estimation that could benefit the most, has, along with the city, dragged their feet for 400 days. It’s absurd and the safety of our kids is at jeopardy,” Donovan said.

Citing a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report found MPS averaged 3,700 police calls each year over 11 years, Donovan said the calls were “pulling officers from street patrols to respond.” He added that “SROs trained specifically for school incidents can handle many of these situations quickly, leaving officers to stay in our communities.” 

The school resource officer requirement was controversial when Act 12 was passed.  Officers had not been stationed inside Milwaukee schools since 2016, and the district ended its contract with the Milwaukee Police Department in 2020 in response to student and community opposition to the practice. At Wednesday’s hearing, Wanggaard blamed the district’s contract cancellation on  a “fit of anti-police bias.” 

Many advocates opposed to police officers in schools have pointed to potential negative impacts. 

A Brookings Institution report found  that the presence of school resource officers has led to increases in use of suspension, expulsion, police referral and arrest, especially among Black students and students with disabilities.

The agreement that the Milwaukee Common Council and Milwaukee School Board both voted to approve Tuesday was in response to a lawsuit against the district. 

In October 2023  the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) sued MPS and the city of Milwaukee on behalf of Charlene Abughrin, a parent in the district, arguing the district’s noncompliance presented a “substantial risk to her and her child’s safety.” 

Last month a judge ordered the district and city to comply with the state law and instructed  the district and the city to split the cost for the officers evenly.

According to the agreement, officers in schools will have to be properly vetted and required to  attend state- and city-mandated training, including a 40-hour National Association of School Resource Officers course. The agreement also specifies that officers will not participate in enforcing MPS code of conduct violations and that school conduct violations and student discipline will remain the responsibility of school administrators, not police officers. 

Despite the agreement, the bill’s authors said Wednesday that a law is needed to serve as an enforcement mechanism and address potential future noncompliance. 

“If that agreement is terminated, this legislation provides a similar compliance framework to ensure that both remain in compliance with Act 12,” Donovan said. “To prevent the ongoing and future non-compliance, consequences must be in place.” 

If the agreement is terminated, the bill would implement a timeline requiring a new agreement within 30 days, another 30 days for the city to certify with the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee that officers are trained and available. The district would then have 30 days to certify with the committee that officers are present in schools.

If there is noncompliance, 10% of the city’s shared revenue payment will be withheld by the state and 25% of the school district’s state aid payments would be withheld. 

Under the bill, MPS would be responsible for paying 75% of the cost for the school officers program, while the city would be responsible for the remaining 25%.

Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) asked about the discrepancy between the 50-50 payment implemented by the judge and the one in the bill. 

Wanggaard said that bill assigns a larger share of the cost to the school district because  “it was MPS that made the schools less safe by not having officers in the school, not the city, and based on these factors and other conversations I’ve had, I believe MPS was the major cause of delaying returning officers to the schools.” However, he appeared open to amendments, noting that the bill is still pending. 

MPS is opposed to the bill, in part because of the difference in how it apportions the cost.

The district said in written testimony that school officials have been working on getting a memorandum of understanding with the city for over a year, sought the selection and training of police officers, and worked to negotiate a fair apportionment. The statement noted that the district has no authority to train or hire officers. 

The district statement endorsed a plan proposed by Gov. Tony Evers, which assigns 75% of the costs to the city and 25% to the district. The statement said that because “the school resource officers were part of a legislative deal negotiated without the participation of MPS and that provided hundreds of millions of dollars to the City of Milwaukee, the Governor’s proposal appears as the fairest.” 

The district statement also called for the state to reimplement a law in the 2009 budget that allowed districts to use generated funds to “purchase school safety equipment, fund the compensation costs of security officers, or fund other expenditures consistent with its school safety plan.”

“Whatever the apportionment, there should be no debate that school safety costs be adequately funded,” the district statement said. 

The Wisconsin Police Association and WILL support the bill, according to the state’s lobbying website.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Gov. Tony Evers said Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China would impact everyone. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Gov. Tony Evers criticized congressional Republicans Tuesday, saying that the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be “significant” and felt by everyone, especially Wisconsin’s farmers. 

Trump’s 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and increased tariffs to 20% on goods from China went into effect Tuesday morning. Both China and Canada have announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., and Mexico has threatened them. The sweeping tariffs are expected to increase costs for Americans on everything from fresh fruit to electronics to cars.

“It sucks, it’s bad — no good,” Evers said at a WisPolitics event. 

About half of Wisconsin’s exports go to the three countries. 

“It’s gonna impact our farmers, let’s just think about how that plays out. They’re the chief buyer of our products” Evers said after the event. “Let’s just talk about cheese. We won’t be able to sell that… Now, is that a big deal for Wisconsin? Not everybody eats cheese, right? But it’s a $1.8 billion industry, and it’s going to be just crushed.”

Evers accused congressional Republicans of abdicating their duty in allowing the tariffs to move forward.

“I am just so disappointed in Congress,” Evers said at. “There is no legislative branch. … If Congress thought this through for two minutes, they would understand how bad tariffs are.” 

Evers told reporters that his administration will work to challenge the tariffs in court, but that “at the end of the day, we gotta get Congress to do something. 

“Is there anybody on the Republican side that believes what’s happening in DC is appropriate? I think there are a whole bunch. … They’re just afraid to come out and talk about it,” Evers said. 

The tariffs are being implemented in the midst of Wisconsin’s state budget cycle. 

Evers has proposed increasing the state’s budget by about 20%, including hiking K-12 and higher education spending and cutting taxes. The increases would be funded with revenue from the federal government, state taxes and the state’s $4 billion budget surplus.

Evers said the tariffs and potential federal funding cuts could “of course” affect the budget, and that the threats are making it difficult to plan. His plan would not spend the whole surplus, but would leave the state with over $500 million in the state’s “checking account”, which he had said was because of the unpredictability of the Trump administration. The state also has a rainy day fund of about $1.9 billion.

“We weren’t certain about the economy. We weren’t certain about what’s going to happen in Washington D.C. … I’m questioning whether that $500 million is enough to help us get through this,” Evers said. 

Superintendent race and DPI 

During the event, Evers also again declined to endorse a candidate in the upcoming state Superintendent race. Incumbent Jill Underly, who has Democratic-backing, is running against education consultant Brittany Kinser, a school voucher proponent with Republican-backing.

“I’m not putting myself into that race,” Evers said, noting that he didn’t endorse in the last election for the position four years ago. 

While he wouldn’t endorse, Evers did comment on issues at the center of the race, including state testing standards, school funding and Underly’s handling of the issues while in office. 

Evers said Underly’s budget proposal, which would have invested over $4 billion in public education, was too high. 

“There was no way that we could take care of schools and other issues,” Evers said. “I mean it was ridiculous.” His own proposal includes over $3 billion for Wisconsin K-12 education. Republican lawmakers have criticized both plans, saying they are unrealistic increases. 

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) approved changes to the names and cut scores used for achievement levels on the state’s standardized tests last year — a move that Evers as well as Republican lawmakers have criticized. 

Evers said his “issue” was not necessarily the outcome of the testing changes, but rather with a lack of communication with the public about the changes. The process for the testing changes included input from over 80 educators and other stakeholders, but Evers said the changes should have been vetted publicly before approval. 

“[Underly] didn’t run it by anyone,” Evers said. 

Evers said he was “probably” going to veto a Republican bill that would reverse the recent changes and tie the state’s testing standards to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a nationwide assessment meant to provide representative data about student achievement. The bill is in the Senate, having passed the Assembly last month.

“I have a strong belief that [DPI is] an independent agency and they can make those decisions, so having the Legislature suddenly say ‘well, we’re the experts here and this is what the cut scores should be,’ I think that’s wrong-headed.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Wisconsin Republicans introduced new bills targeting transgender youth last week after President Donald Trump signed several related executive orders. People gather in New Orleans for Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2023. (Photo by Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

Wisconsin Republicans are again turning their focus towards LGBTQ+ youth, especially those who are transgender, introducing bills that would prohibit gender-affirming care for youth, ban students from playing on certain sports teams and mandate that school districts get permission from parents when using different names and pronouns for students. 

The four bills come as President Donald Trump has signed a slate of executive orders targeting transgender people. The bills have received pushback from the Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, the Transgender Parent and Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations. 

Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit), chair of the LGBTQ+ caucus, told the Wisconsin Examiner that the bills are “part of broader national Republican effort” to attack trans people. 

“Republicans are now trying to essentially legislate trans people out of existence by denying medically necessary life-saving care, by preventing people from playing team sports, by trying to make it harder for people to be called by the name and pronouns that they go by when they’re in school,” Spreitzer said. 

Targeting transgender athletes

The first two bills would ban transgender girls in Wisconsin K-12 schools and transgender women attending UW System schools and Wisconsin technical colleges from participating on teams that reflect their gender identity. 

The bills’ introduction followed the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association decision in early February to change its policy, which previously permitted transgender athletes to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity. In response to an executive order signed by Trump, the new policy prohibits an athlete from competing on a team that does not match the biological sex that they were assigned when they were born.

“Working in consultation with legal counsel, our Board updated this policy to ensure clarity is provided to our membership as they work to comply with new federal guidance from the White House,” Stephanie Hauser, executive director of the WIAA, said in a statement. 

The WIAA’s decision was celebrated by Reps. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) and Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), who have led unsuccessful efforts in the Legislature to restrict what teams transgender athletes play on for many years. The lawmakers said in a column that they would reintroduce a bill “to secure women’s and girls’ rights in Wisconsin.”

FAIR Wisconsin Executive Director Abigail Swetz said in a statement that sports should be an inclusive space for youth. 

“When an athlete gets to play sports on a team where they belong, that can make such a huge difference, and that is especially true for our trans athletes when the trans community is under attack from a hostile federal government. Now is the time to show our trans kids love and support, not exclusion,” Swetz said. “Our trans kids and young adults, and all trans Wisconsinites, need to know that there are so many people in this state who love you exactly as you are. The fact that a few members of the Wisconsin legislature want to play political games with your joy is inappropriate.” 

Swetz said in an email to the Wisconsin Examiner that the decisions by lawmakers and by the WIAA are examples of the power that the Trump administration is trying to exert on policies at all levels, “using their platform in a calculated, chaotic, and hateful way.”

“There is so much a federal administration cannot do, but let’s be real here, this administration is trying to govern by executive overreach, and although I do not think they will succeed in changing many federal laws, there is power in their federal agencies and also in their significant use of the very loud microphone at their disposal,” Swetz said.

The anti-trans orders “will undoubtedly create a chilling effect of pre-compliance,” Swetz added. “We cannot allow obedience in advance, although we’re already seeing it; the WIAA ruling is a disappointing example of pre-compliance, and it’s frankly antithetical to the values WIAA espouses.”

Gender-affirming care for minors

Another bill — coauthored by Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee), Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha), Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) — would ban gender- affirming care for people under the age of 18. It would prohibit health care providers from engaging in or making referrals for medical intervention “if done for the purpose of changing the minor’s body to correspond to a sex that is discordant with the minor’s biological sex,” including prescribing puberty-blocking drugs or gender-affirming surgery for minors.

“Our children are not experiments and parents should not be scared or pressured into having their children receive non-medically necessary drugs or irreversible procedures before their brains are fully developed,” the authors wrote in a memo. 

Health care providers under the bill could be investigated and have their licenses revoked by the Board of Nursing, the Medical Examining Board and the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board if there are allegations that they have provided this type of care to a minor.

Following an executive order by Trump to withhold funds from medical institutions that provide gender affirming care and to require federal health programs to exclude coverage of gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for young people by 2026, Children’s Wisconsin hospital paused gender-affirming care for teens. The hospital reinstated the practice.

Spreitzer called the bill the “cruelest” of the proposals. 

“Republicans are touting this idea that kids shouldn’t make permanent medical decisions until they’re 18,” Spreitzer said. “There are plenty of permanent medical decisions that need to be made before the age of 18 because of different conditions, and that’s why doctors exist.”

He added that such decisions “should be made between doctors, parents and the affected young people, based on medical necessity, based on rigorous medical evaluation, and politicians should not be inserting themselves into that.”

Spreitzer said that medications to delay puberty are intended to give young people the chance to grow up and potentially be able to make additional medical decisions once they turn 18. He said that banning them could create significant psychological harm and leave permanent physical effects that may require additional medical interventions in the future that wouldn’t have been necessary if they’ve been able to take puberty blockers. 

The process for gender affirming care is lengthy and is a decision that includes the child, their families and health providers, including mental health providers, and gender affirming care before 18 mostly focuses on pubertal suppression or hormone therapy.

Studies have found that de-transitioning is quite rare, according to the Human Rights Campaign, and one study found that transgender youth who start hormones with their parents’ assistance before age 18 years are less likely to detransition compared with those that start as adults.

Spreitzer noted that those under 18 who have been receiving care would also have to stop receiving it. The bill would include a six-month period before it goes into effect which would be meant for health care providers to discontinue care for minor patients 

“People are going to essentially be told in six months you’re going to have to stop taking medications you’re currently on, and you’re going to have to go through puberty as a sex that you don’t identify with. That is going to create incredible trauma for those young people,” Spreitzer said.

Names and pronouns

The fourth bill introduced last week would require school districts to implement policies stating that parents determine the names and pronouns used by school staff. The proposed policies must require a parent’s written authorization for school employees to use something different. 

The bill includes an exception if a nickname is a shortened version of a student’s legal first or middle name.

Bill authors Dittrich and Sen. Andre Jacque (R-New Franken) said the legislation is in response to parents feeling like schools are excluding them. The bill was modeled after a policy implemented by Arrowhead High School in 2022, even as there was some pushback from students and families.

“Its intent is not to punish children or eliminate their ‘safe spaces,’” the bill authors wrote in a memo. “Instead, the goal is to ensure transparency and prevent school district employees from withholding or, in some cases, encouraging life-changing decisions regarding a child’s sexuality or gender identity without parental involvement.” 

Spreitzer said the bill was poorly drafted. Besides “making it just harder for trans students to be called by the name and pronouns that they use in everyday life, it would really put school districts in a ridiculous position,” he said. 

“People go by all sorts of nicknames in everyday life — maybe it’s a version of their last name, maybe it’s a totally different name. It’s not as simple as just a shortened version of your first or middle name for everybody,” Spretizer said. “This is the Legislature trying to micromanage decisions that are made in everyday life without great controversy, and inserting itself into every school district, and I think it just would have absolutely absurd effects that the authors have not even thought of.” 

Spreitzer said bills targeting transgender youth are not particularly new in Wisconsin. He noted that in 2011 a bill that would have restricted bathroom use for transgender people was introduced, but it never got to then-Gov. Scott Walker’s desk. 

“It’s obviously become more front and center, just seeing how early in the legislative session these are being put out, and how much of coordinated effort there seems to be with bills coming out three different days this week, all attacking trans people,” Spreitzer said. 

Spreitzer said that even in the current national political environment, advocates opposed to such legislation are in a stronger position than in the past. Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed similar legislation in the past and has pledged to continue vetoing such legislation, he noted. The Legislature’s LGBTQ+ caucus has a record number of members this year — 12 lawmakers from across the state including Eau Claire, Appleton, Ashland and Green Bay.

“While we are deeply concerned about what’s coming down from Washington DC, we are in a very strong position to not only stop attacks on the LGBTQ+ community here in Wisconsin, but hopefully in two years, to be in a majority and be able to pass proactive legislation and protect equality,” Spreitzer said.

Swetz told the Wisconsin Examiner that FAIR Wisconsin will continue working with local, state and federal elected officials to strengthen protections for LGTBQ+ people. 

“I think fear is understandable. There is a lot that’s uncertain. I’m scared, too. I also think we have to remember that the LGBTQ+ community has always faced hostility, often from the government, and we are still here,” Swetz wrote. “This is a moment to organize and mobilize and most importantly, to take care of ourselves and our community.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

The rally in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol was a chance for speakers to share their experiences of going to referendum. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Prentice School District, a rural district in the northern part of Wisconsin, will ask voters on April 1 to raise their property taxes and provide the district $3.5 million over the next four years for operational costs. It’s one of the smaller requests among the over 80 ballot measures — totaling $1.6 billion in requests — that will go before voters across the state next month.

Denae Walcisak, a member of a team campaigning to pass the referendum, drove three and a half hours from the Northwoods to attend a Friday rally at the Capitol organized by the Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN). She spoke about her district’s third time trying for a yes and described the lengths community members are going to for students in her district.

Her dad, who is a school board member, put off knee surgery for almost a year, Walcisak said, while he donated his time and money to fill in as a school bus driver in the rural district and to transport students to field trips and games. 

“Teacher organizes fundraisers for the art club to pay for basic supplies… Our band teacher also teaches sixth grade reading. We have a part-time elementary gym teacher who is 82 years young. Our tech ed teacher bought a welding machine for his students with his own money… My son needs speech therapy. The school has tried twice to hire this year, but who wants to take a job at a school whose future is uncertain?” Walcisak said. 

Even with the funding from the referendum, Walcisak said the district will continue to just scrape by. She called for more funding from the state. 

“The lack of funding is affecting our whole community and our way of life. I ask you from the people of Prentice, please don’t let us fade away,” she said. 

The rally marked the end of Public Schools Week, an annual recognition of Wisconsin’s public schools and a time advocates use to call for supporting and investing. Gov. Tony Evers issued a declaration on Monday reminding Wisconsinites that public education is a right and that public schools need support and investment from elected officials. 

The rally in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol was a chance for speakers to share their experiences of going to referendum — the stress of repeatedly asking for them and consequences of failure — and to call for the state to make greater investments in schools. 

WPEN Executive Director Heather DuBois Bourenane said the use of school referendums is an “overwhelming,” “expensive” and “incredibly disequalizing” way of funding schools. A scroll with the names of every school district that has gone to referendum since the last state budget was rolled out and suspended from the third floor of the building, reaching down to the ground floor.

“Not all of these referenda passed… Some of them had to go more than once, and still didn’t pass. Some of them had to go again and again and keep asking for less,” DuBois Bourenane said. “When we fund our schools like this, our gaps get wider and wider.” 

State Superintendent Jill Underly, who is running for a second term in office against school choice advocate Brittany Kinser, said the underfunding of Wisconsin’s schools has reached a “critical point.”

“With the next state biennial budget, we have a chance — a real chance — to finally catch your school districts up and to give them what they need to thrive,” Underly said. 

The pleas from rallygoers come as the budget writing process picks up in the state Capitol. Evers introduced a state budget proposal last month that would invest an additional $3 billion in K-12 education, and Republican lawmakers, who have said Evers’ proposal costs too much and therefore isn’t serious, are preparing to write their own version. 

Jeff Pressley and Joni Anderson, members of the Adams-Friendship School Board, and Tom Wermuth, the district’s school administrator, spoke to the repetitive and divisive nature of the school referendum process.

“We’re on the treadmill for referendum endlessly. We live literally paycheck to paycheck or referendum to referendum,” Pressley said, adding that the state’s funding formula is the problem with school funding.

The state’s complex school funding formula takes into account a combination of state, federal, and local aid. Of the funding, local property taxes and state aid are the two largest sources of revenue for schools, but school districts are restricted in how much they can bring in by state revenue limits. 

Revenue limits were adjusted for inflation until 2010 and since then, lawmakers have only sometimes provided increases. Currently, school districts receive a $325 increase annually in their per pupil revenue limits. 

Referendums are a way for districts to exceed their revenue limits, and schools have begun relying on them increasingly to meet costs. Last year, a record number of school districts went to referendum. 

“The funding formula in the state of Wisconsin worked significantly better from 1993 to 2010. During that time period, school districts were provided inflationary increases to the revenue limit…” Wermuth said. “Right now, we’re operating on a $3 million a year referendum. We’re in the second year of a four-year, non-recurring referendum… even with our referendum, we’re about $1.2 million dollars behind inflation. Like most districts, we can’t get off that treadmill.” 

Pressley said lawmakers have made school boards and districts the “villain” by forcing districts to have to go to voters to meet costs. 

“We have a lot of retired people on fixed incomes. Almost 50% of our funding for our schools comes from local property taxes. So, who’s the bad guy? It’s not the people in this building, it’s the people at the school district because you raised our taxes,” Pressley said. 

Wermuth said he practically isn’t an educational leader anymore. 

“I am a financial expert. I study spreadsheets and cannot get off selling referendums to the public,” Wermuth said. He added that the process is “incredibly divisive” and that “at some point in time, the tolerance is just not going to be. It’s not going to exist, regardless of what we try to do.” 

Freshman Rep. Angelina Cruz (D-Racine) said that the problems facing school districts aren’t “unsolvable.” She said the state’s estimated $4 billion budget surplus could be used to help fund school districts, that the state could tax its wealthier residents to help afford costs and stop funding private school vouchers at the expense of public schools. She said that the recent budget proposal from Gov. Tony Evers was a good starting point as it includes raising the special education reimbursement to 60%, increasing per-pupil revenue and investing in student mental health services, universal free school meals and literacy education. 

Cruz called on people to continue to speak up for better school investments — even as Republican lawmakers are likely to throw out all of Evers’ proposals. 

“There is an appetite to fully fund our schools, and when the proposal comes back to not do that, you need to continue to show up, and use your voices to advocate for our kids,” Cruz said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Rep. Robin Vos and Sen. Julian Bradley testified on a bill to verify the immigration status of people being held for a felony charge. Screenshot via WisEye.

Republican lawmakers argued Wednesday that the state needs to require local law enforcement to report people with felony charges to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if they can’t verify citizenship as a way to support public safety.

Proposed legislation would require local sheriffs to verify the citizenship status of people in custody for a felony offense and notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if citizenship cannot be verified. It would also require sheriffs to comply with detainers and administrative warrants received from the federal Department of Homeland Security for people held in the county jail for a criminal offense. It comes as President Donald Trump and his administration have started to ramp up deportation of migrants in the U.S. without legal authorization and taken other steps to restrict U.S. immigration. 

Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin) and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) emphasized during Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee hearing that their bill, AB 24, would only apply in cases of felony offenses.

“This seems to get dragged into a lot of other immigration policy, but I want to repeat individuals who are here illegally who commit felonies,” Bradley said. 

“Let’s be clear again. This proposal will make it easier to remove dangerous criminals from our communities,” Bradley said. “It’s shocking to think that a handful in law enforcement and our government would rather protect felons than work with our federal partners to stop the flow of crime and drugs into our neighborhoods.”  He added that he hoped to see bipartisan support for the bill. 

The lawmakers said  counties that don’t comply with ICE are putting other counties at risk.

Vos brought up a 2024 arrest by Prairie du Chien police of a Venezuelan immigrant who they said was affiliated with a gang and was charged with assaulting a mother and daughter. Republicans have repeatedly used the case to make political points about immigration.

“Prior to his arrest in Wisconsin, he was arrested in Minneapolis on suspicion of vehicle theft, he was booked into the Hennepin County Jail and soon released. Hennepin County, unfortunately, is listed as a non-cooperative facility,” Vos said. “Prompt ICE notification could have prevented this terrible crime from occurring right here in Wisconsin.”

A 2024 ICE report lists Dane and Milwaukee counties as “noncooperative institutions” in Wisconsin. Seven counties in the state currently have formal agreements with ICE to hold in jail immigrants without legal status. There were eight at one point, but Lafayette County ended its participation in ICE’s 287(g) program.

Under the bill, the county of a sheriff who does not comply would lose 15% of its shared revenue payments from the state in the next year. Compliance would need to be certified each year with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha) questioned why an additional mandate on local law enforcement was necessary and pointed out the potential financial impact the bill could have on local officials. The financial impact to counties was pointed out as a concern in written testimony provided by Badger State Sheriffs’ Association. 

“Law enforcement already has the opportunity to allocate their resources as they need,” McGuire said. “That’s why we elect sheriffs. We want to put them in a position so they can make those determinations for their local community, and instead we’re mandating that they comply with the federal government in this case, and we don’t really know what the local circumstances are.”

County governments are “already struggling with challenges and staffing and their financial circumstances, and then we threaten to harm them financially if they don’t [comply],” he added. “What are we gaining?”

Public safety, Bradley answered,  adding that as long as sheriffs don’t “do what Milwaukee and Dane County are doing” then they “don’t have to worry about the claw back.” 

Vos justified the penalty with a reference to the long delay by Milwaukee Public Schools in placing 25 police officers in schools required by the 2023 state shared revenue law. He said not including a penalty in that legislation was a “mistake.” 

“If you want to enforce it, then there has to be a penalty,” Vos said. 

The bill lists fifteen documents that could be used to verify the status of a person arrested, including a U.S. passport, a birth record issued by a state in the US that bears an official seal or other mark of authentication, a certificate of naturalization and U.S. citizenship or a permanent resident card.

Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) asked how quickly someone would have to produce the necessary records. 

“It’s people who are accused of a crime and not convicted,” Emerson said. “Because not everybody carries every single piece of paperwork and certainly not a notarized copy of a birth certificate around with them.”

Bradley said the bill would leave it up to the discretion of law enforcement but added he would be open to debating changes.

Emerson also asked if any consideration had been given to cases where a felony charge is potentially downgraded to a lesser charge. 

The authors said that the bill doesn’t consider that. 

“The people have already committed a crime by coming into the country illegally,” Vos said — although being in the U.S. without authorization is not a criminal offense in all cases.

 “The second crime that they would be committing would be potentially a violent felony,” Vos said. “All we’re saying is you have to notify ICE and then at that point ICE will give them all the opportunity to prove they are here legally. There is no problem with that, but that’s not really the responsibility of the citizens of Wisconsin.”

Under federal law, entering the U.S. without the approval of an immigration officer is a misdemeanor offense that carries fines and no more than six months in prison. However, in a significant number of cases, such as when someone enters the country legally and overstays a visa, it is just a civil violation.

Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson told lawmakers the bill is necessary to address political and policy barriers between Wisconsin’s 72 counties and to enable federal, state and local enforcement agencies to enhance safety. 

“This change in no way affects hard-working, undocumented people who may come to our jail for driving without a license. It will not even affect undocumented people who commit petty theft, who lie to the police about their identity, abuse their spouse with minor injuries, or drive drunk or impaired up to the third offense. None of those are felonies in Wisconsin,” Hanson said. “One could even argue under some of these circumstances this bill is not far enough, but it is a good start.”

Witnesses testifying against the bill said it could create fear in communities and discourage people from reporting crimes. 

Alondra Garcia, who said she is a visa holder, former DACA recipient and current Milwaukee Public Schools educator, said recent anti-immigrant rhetoric since Trump took office has been “disheartening” and “dehumanizing.”

The bill, she said, “would allow racial profiling to be acceptable in our community.”

“Immigrants, including those with legal status, will fear interaction with law enforcement, making them less likely to report crimes or seek help when needed. It will separate families and destabilize communities,” Garcia said. “Families will live in fear that a routine traffic stop or minor interaction with law enforcement could lead to detention and deportation.” 

Two groups — the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association and Badger State Sheriffs’ Association — are registered in favor of the bill, according to the state’s lobbying website. Several groups are registered against the bill, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Inc, Kids Forward, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Wisconsin Council of Churches, Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin Education Association Council.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

A teacher and students in a classroom. (Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images)

An audit announced this week of changes in recent state testing standards is the latest reaction of Republican lawmakers to changes the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) approved last year in the names and cut scores for achievement levels. It also comes as state Superintendent Jill Underly campaigns for reelection facing a challenger criticizing DPI for “lowering” state standards.

Co-Chairs of Wisconsin Legislative Joint Audit Committee Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) and Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia) announced the audit Tuesday of DPI’s decision to update terms describing achievement levels and revise the cut scores used to measure student achievement. 

Underly and DPI have repeatedly defended the changes as part of the agency’s regular process to ensure standards are kept current. Assembly Republicans passed a bill last week that would reverse the changes, requiring  the state to reinstate standards set in the 2019-20 school year and tie changes to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is a nationwide assessment meant to provide representative data about student achievement. 

Wimberger and Wittke noted in a statement that the recent NAEP results found that 31% of fourth grade students were at or above proficient in reading. Under the new state testing standards, Wisconsin had a proficiency rate of 48% in English/Language Arts and 49% in math. The legislators accused Underly of trying to hide the state’s literacy challenges.

The “unilateral changes to cover up DPI’s failing is absolutely unacceptable, and this audit will help us uncover exactly how and why these reporting standards were changed to stop future manipulation,” the lawmakers said.

According to the Legislative Audit Bureau, the audit could look at several topics related to the changes, including DPI’s written policies and procedures for developing the state’s annual school report card and for updating assessment cut scores. Other topics include, whether the current policies comply with statutory and administrative rule requirements, the way the agency gets input from educators and parents when developing changes, and how the process used for the recent changes versus previous years, State Auditor Joe Chrisman wrote in a memo to Wimberger and Wittke.

Deputy Superintendent Tom McCarthy said in a statement that the audit was for political purposes, noting the upcoming state superintendent election.

“Our approach has been transparent. If the Legislature were genuinely interested in this issue, and had listened to our testimony just a few weeks ago, they would understand that updating cut scores is a standard procedure whenever updates are made to our rigorous state standards,” McCarthy said. 

During a hearing on the bill to reverse the changes, McCarthy and other DPI representatives laid out the process the agency used, including a survey and consulting education experts to discuss potential changes and come up with recommendations. 

In his statement, McCarthy reiterated that the updates were recommended by experts and that  NAEP is a “national benchmarking tool” not a state accountability tool. The test is typically taken by only  a few thousand students in the state to develop a representative pool.

“It does not measure Wisconsin academic standards, which are used by teachers to deliver instruction. Comparing the two is like trying to use a thermometer to measure the length of a two-by-four — it makes no sense,” McCarthy said. “Especially since it seems NAEP is under attack by the White House, including canceling a major NAEP assessment and firing analytic staff.”

The Trump administration recently put NAEP Chief Peggy Carr on administrative leave. The Department of Education also recently canceled the NAEP Long-Term Trend exam, which measures the math and reading skills for 17-year-olds. 

McCarthy said DPI learned about the audit from a press release that “falsely states that the DPI didn’t support literacy reform.”

“Let’s be clear: we supported and still support literacy reform. The legislature, on the other hand, is still holding back nearly all of the $50 million meant to help kids learn to read. Instead of funding the solutions, they’re trying to manufacture controversy,” McCarthy said. “This newly announced ‘audit’ is not a desire to truly learn, but to lay a political hit on a state elected official in the middle of a campaign.”

State testing standards have become a central issue in the April 1 election for state superintendent as Underly’s challenger, Brittany Kinser, who is backed by Republicans, has said she is running on a platform of “restoring high standards.” 

State grants audit

Lawmakers also announced that they plan to launch an audit into the administration of state grants, which they say is meant to help examine whether there is waste, fraud and abuse in the state.

According to the LAB, the audit could look into the policies an agency has for administering grants, whether agencies are compliant with state statute and administrative rules in implementing grants, the amount of grants awarded in recent years and outcomes from those awards.

The audit request comes as lawmakers are starting the process of writing the next two-year state budget. 

Wimberger and Wittke said that given the budget it is “prudent” to look at how much is being spent on grants. 

“In the last budget, the state issued more than $44 billion in grant assistance funding. Evaluating these programs for wasteful, fraudulent, or abusive spending means we can identify and cut the fat of big government, making Wisconsin’s state government more accountable for our hardworking taxpayers,” the lawmakers said. 

A public hearing on the proposed audits is scheduled for Tuesday. 

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) speaks at a WisPolitics event. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) criticized much of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal on Tuesday, saying Republicans wouldn’t get behind the spending increases and taxation proposals. He said Republican lawmakers are starting the process of coming up with their own proposals, including for a broad tax cut plan.

Evers’ 2025-27 state budget proposal dedicates $4 billion to K-12 and higher education, cuts nearly $2 billion in taxes and raises income taxes for the state’s wealthiest residents. Evers said during a Wisconsin Counties Association conference on Tuesday that his proposal was “realistic” and that he hopes the Legislature will agree. 

Vos said the plan was unrealistic, however, because it would increase state spending by about 20% and included plans to raise taxes. He also complained Evers presented his plans without speaking with lawmakers first.

Wisconsin has an estimated budget surplus of about $4 billion. Democrats are seeking greater investments in the state’s public services while Republicans want to limit state spending. 

Vos told the audience at the WisPolitics event people are thinking about the budget surplus the wrong way.

“People believe we have this huge surplus, which is true on one-time money, but we have very little money for the government to be able to expand or increase funding for programs,” Vos said.

Wants broad tax cuts

Vos said the last state budget was “really disappointing” because Republicans met Evers’ goals by increasing spending on education, but Evers vetoed most of Republicans’ tax cut proposals. In the upcoming session, Republicans will seek to focus on using the budget surplus for cutting taxes. 

Evers proposed an array of tax cuts in his budget including eliminating taxes on cash tips, sales taxes on electricity and gas for Wisconsin homes and on over-the-counter medications. Vos compared tax cuts to “chocolate cake,” saying they are all good. However, he said his caucus will likely look at doing broader tax cuts and that he wants cuts that “people can actually feel.”

“My preference is something that is ongoing and meaningful to families,” Vos said. 

Vos said that lawmakers will work to pass a tax cut bill package before the end of the budget process. 

“Hopefully that’ll get signed, but if not, unfortunately, the budget will probably have to wait until we can find consensus on that tax cut,” Vos told reporters after the event.

Evers also proposed a new tax bracket with a marginal rate of 9.8% for the state’s wealthiest residents — those making above $1 million for single filers and married joint filers. The current top tax bracket has a 7.65% rate and applies to single filers making $315,310 and joint filers making $420,420.

Vos said Republicans would not support increasing taxes.

Continued no on Medicaid expansion (even postpartum)

Evers for his fourth budget in a row proposed that Wisconsin join the 40 other states in the country that have taken the federal Medicaid expansion, which ensures coverage for people making up to 138% of the federal poverty line. One difference in this budget cycle, however, is that the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers are seeking to cut Medicaid funding in order to help pay for tax cuts. The new reality, Vos said, appears to validate his ongoing opposition to accepting the federal Medicaid expansion.

“Thank goodness we never expanded Medicaid,” Vos said. 

Vos said he would prefer block grants from the federal government, and that it would be better for Wisconsin to get 90% of the money from the federal government without “strings attached” than to get 100% of the money and have to follow federal guidelines for how to spend it.

Vos was also critical of expanding postpartum Medicaid to cover new mothers for the first year after giving birth, casting doubt on a Republican-backed bill that supports Wisconsin joining the 48 other states that have done this. Currently, Wisconsin only covers up to 60 days after birth for eligible mothers. 

Evers included the extension in his budget proposal and a Republican-authored bill that would extend coverage has 23 Senate cosponsors and 67 Assembly cosponsors.

Despite the widespread bipartisan support for extending postpartum Medicaid, Vos said he was not the only person in his caucus who opposes expanding coverage. He said it doesn’t make sense to expand Medicaid coverage because those with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty line can still keep coverage after the 60 days and those who could lose coverage could seek coverage through Obamacare.

“I am not the only person in the Legislature who is opposed to it. Many Republicans are opposed to expanding welfare, it’s just they are more than happy to let me stand in front of the arrows,” Vos said.

Calls language changes ‘dystopian’

Vos also critiqued changes to the state budget proposed by Evers that would update language to be gender neutral. 

The proposal would change certain words like “father” to “parent” and “husband” to “spouse.” Another section that is about artificial insemination would change “the husband of the mother” to “the spouse of the inseminated person.”

Republicans have locked on the latter phrase to claim that Evers is trying to erase mothers and fathers. 

Evers told reporters Monday that the changes were made to ensure with “legal certainty that moms are able to get the care they need,” noting that same sex couples could have been excluded from coverage under the old language. He accused Republicans of lying about the issue.

“I didn’t know that Republicans were against IVF, but apparently they are because that is what it’s about,” Evers said.

Vos said the change was “dystopian” and said the changes don’t fix any issue and Evers was just coming up with an explanation. He later told reporters that the language made the state a “national embarrassment.” 

Prison reform

Vos also complained about Evers’ process for coming up with a plan to reform the state’s prisons, saying he should have included lawmakers in developing it.

The proposed plan, which would cost over $500 million, would make wide changes to many of the state’s facilities including transitioning Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth correctional facilities into adult facilities, updating Waupun Correctional Institution, the state’s oldest prison, and eventually closing Green Bay Correctional Institution.

Vos said it’s known that lawmakers have had an interest in the issue and questioned why they weren’t consulted in developing the plan.

“He chose not to do that because he has one way of operating, which is his way or the highway. Those of us that have some interest in corrections reform will get together and come up with our own package and present it to the governor and say, ‘Here it is,’” Vos said.

DPI and Supreme Court elections

Vos also weighed in on Wisconsin’s upcoming spring elections. 

State Superintendent Jill Underly, the Democratic-backed candidate, is running for a second term in office against education consultant Brittany Kinser, the Republican-backed candidate. 

Vos said that Kinser is “the best candidate” because she supports school choice and appears willing to work with the Legislature. He added that he isn’t sure whether he has ever met with Underly. He also criticized Underly for changes to the evaluation of Wisconsin’s standardized test scores.

He described the recent February primary as “low profile” and said that with a “different electorate” at polls in April, Kinser likely has a chance to win. 

The higher profile spring election is for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The technically nonpartisan race pits Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate against  Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate.

Vos said he thinks that the race will be about the candidates, but it is “possible” that the race could be a referendum on Trump. He noted that Democrats are seeking to turn out voters who  agree with them and billionaire Elon Musk and Trump are trying to bring out Republicans in the race. A group tied to Musk canceled a social media ad this week that featured a photo of the wrong Susan Crawford.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde said Black History Month is about recognizing the history people should be learning year round. Screenshot via WisEye.

The Wisconsin Assembly unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday recognizing February as Black History Month without significant roadblocks or delays for the first time in many years. 

“I’m so glad that we are finally able to bring this bipartisan effort to the floor of the Assembly without all of the challenges that we’ve had before,” Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee) said.

Black History Month resolutions have faced pushback from Republican lawmakers in previous years. Issues started in 2019 when the resolution included Colin Kapaernick, the Wisconsin-native former NFL player that knelt during the national anthem to protest police violence. In 2021, Republicans rejected a resolution due to the individuals included. A Republican resolution, which was written without the support of  the Legislative Black Caucus, was passed in 2022 without Democratic support. A resolution passed in 2023 declaring February Black History Month — but did not receive a vote until March, and no resolution passed in 2024.

Moore Omokunde said the month is about recognizing the Black history that people should learn year round, not just for one month.

The resolution acknowledges that enslaved Africans were first brought to Virginia over 400 years ago and acknowledges the history of Black History Month, which has its roots in Carter G. Woodson’s “Negro History Week” established in 1926. 

The resolution recognizes 14 Black Americans, including several Wisconsinites. They include Elisterine Clayton, a 100-year-old Milwaukee resident who helped build one of the longest-standing Black residential neighborhood, Halyard Park; Paul Higginbotham, the first African-American judge to serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals; Marcia Anderson, a retired senior officer of the United States Army Reserve from Beloit, Wisconsin, who was the first Black woman to become a major general; Anthony McGahee, a Milwaukee gospel musician and choir director, and Shakita LaGrant-McClain, the executive director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.

An amendment to the resolution removed Samuel Coleman, who is currently serving as the assistant superintendent of instruction for the Oshkosh Area School District, from those being recognized. In 2022, Coleman was part of a controversy related to text messages he sent about white people while employed at another Wisconsin school district. The office of Rep. Kalan Haywood — who authored the amendment — hasn’t responded to a request for more information.

Rep. Sequanna Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said that Black history is American history. 

“It is woven into every fabric of this nation — building and shaping this nation, the economy of this nation and the progress of this nation,” Taylor said. “From the resilience of those who fought against oppression, to the brilliance of those who have shaped our industries, science and art, Black Americans have been at the heart of every chapter of this nation’s story.”

“[Black history] did not start with slavery and it does not end with the cutting of DEI,” Taylor said. 

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts have been targeted by the state and federal lawmakers over the last several years. While the new Trump administration issued a proclamation declaring February Black History Month, he also signed an executive order in January to end DEI efforts. The move led the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs to remove web pages related to DEI. The U.S. Defense Department has also declared “identity months dead.” Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have also been taking actions with the goal of eliminating DEI initiatives throughout the University of Wisconsin System and other state agencies. 

Taylor recognized her colleagues in the Legislative Black Caucus, including Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Darrin Madison (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. Margaret Arney (D-Wauwatosa), for their work. 

“Black history is alive in the work we do today in the fight for equity in the demand for fair policies and the commitment to ensure that future generations inherit a nation that truly lives up to its promise of liberty and justice,” Taylor said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Rep. Benjamin Franklin speaks about his bill to require 70% of funding in schools go towards "classroom" expenses. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Wisconsin Republicans in the state Assembly passed a package of education bills Wednesday to implement new standards for standardized test scores, school funding allocations, responding to curriculum inspection requests and for keeping cell phones out of schools. 

Republicans argued that the state needs to ensure that schools are meeting certain standards, especially as they’ve provided some state funding increases in recent years and as school enrollments have declined. While Wisconsin schools did receive an increase in the last state budget, many schools continue to struggle to meet costs as funding has failed to match the rate of inflation.

“We need to make sure that, as we are increasing funding for education, we are also doing a better job, ensuring that the standards and the expectations that parents and taxpayers have across the state are being met,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said at a press conference. 

Vos called some school districts “disappointing”  and named Milwaukee Public Schools as an example. The district, which was  an ongoing target of Republican lawmakers throughout the debate, has experienced turmoil over the last few years with turnover in staff, a financial crisis after delays in delivering required documents to DPI and reading and math scores that show continued disparities between Black and white students.

“I’m a huge supporter of local control. There are some districts that are so broken and expect us to have to pay for it as taxpayers, either on the front end through funding the school district or on the back end with the bad decisions that are made where people make bad choices,” Vos said. “Having that statewide standards is good for Wisconsin while still maintaining the flexibility to try to get there.”

Democrats said Republicans’ focus was in the wrong place and that the proposed solutions would not help address the real challenges that schools are facing. 

Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) criticized Republicans for rejecting Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal that would invest heavily in Wisconsin K-12 education. 

Evers unveiled his complete state budget proposal Tuesday evening, calling for more than $3 billion in additional funding for K-12 schools, including to support operational costs, special education and mental health supports. 

“The level of investment from the Legislature is just not enough to provide these essential investments in our schools,” Neubauer said. “Here in the Capitol, the Legislature has failed our students … we just have not kept up our end of the bargain.” 

“Instead of bringing legislation to the floor to support our schools, teachers and students, the best the majority party can do is to fast-track a bill that would require cursive instruction,” Neubauer said. That bill — AB 3 — passed 51-46 with Reps. Joy Goeben (R-Hobart), Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers) and David Steffen (R-Howard) joining Democrats to vote against it.  

Test scores

Another bill focused on reversing changes to standards on state tests that were approved by the DPI last year. GOP lawmakers slammed State Superintendent Jill Underly, who is running for reelection against Republican-backed education consultant Brittany Kinser, for approving the changes in the first place.

“Something is wrong in our communication system. It is not a lack of resources. It’s a lack of willpower to do something about the problems that we know are obvious because it is the fact that we have kids who can’t read,” Vos said. He added that only lawmakers should be allowed to “dumb down” the state’s standards.

Vos said there was only one person — referencing Underly — that “needs to pay a price” and “hopefully she will in April.”

Wisconsin students take standardized tests each year including the Forward Exam for third graders through eighth graders and the ACT and PreACT Secure for high school students. 

Underly approved changes to the standards last year that included new terms — “developing,” “approaching,” “meeting” and “advanced” — to describe student achievement. Previously, the terms were “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient” and “advanced.” The changes also included new cut scores — which are the test scores cutoffs needed to qualify to be placed in each performance level. 

Underly and DPI have defended the changes, saying they were necessary to more accurately measure achievement; that educators and other stakeholders worked together to create the new measures with Underly signing off; and that it’s too late to take the state back to 2019-20 standards.

Republican lawmakers said the changes “lowered” state standards and were an attempt to “cook the books.”

AB 1 directs DPI to use score ranges and qualitative terms used on school report cards for the 2019-2020 school year and to tie the Forward exam score ranges and pupil performance categories to those set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

“There’s no legislative oversight on the scoring and assessment of our kids, so this bill will establish that,” bill coauthor Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia) said at a press conference.

“We will be once again allowed to compare ourselves to other states — let us know who’s doing well, are we on pace with them or not,” Wittke said. “Then it provides legislative oversight, so the only time these scores can be adjusted or changed is when we actually legislate.” 

Rep. Angelina M. Cruz (D-Racine), who has worked as an educator for the last 20 years, said during floor debate that a variety of student assessments are used to measure students’ learning with each serving a “unique purpose” and reflecting the “expertise of professional educators.” She said that goes for the state tests as well and said the updates to standards weren’t made in a “vacuum,” noting that this isn’t the first time DPI has made changes and it shouldn’t be the last.

“Education is dynamic,” Cruz said. “The disconnect between the reality of classroom teaching and this body and the understanding of assessments has never been more clear… This bill is not about improving education. This bill is about playing political games.” 

Cruz said lawmakers would be better served fully funding the state’s public schools. 

During floor debate, Wittke said that Democrats were repeating political talking points by talking about increasing  funding for public schools. 

The bill passed 55-44 along party lines with Republicans for and Democrats against it.

Ban cell phones

Lawmakers also passed a bill that would mandate cell phone bans in schools statewide. 

Under AB 2, school boards must require districts to adopt cell phone ban policies in their schools during instructional time. Policies would need to be implemented by July 2026 and would need to include certain exceptions in emergencies, cases involving student’s health care, individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan and for educational purposes.

Kitchens said it was a “modest” proposal and would help schools enforce policies if they already have them and get other school districts on the same page. 

“Part of that is putting them away when it’s time to do work,” Kitchens said, adding that the bill would provide a “unified” approach for the state. During the 40 minutes of debate on the bill, some lawmakers in the Assembly chamber could be seen with their phones out.

Of the 320 school districts that participated in DPI’s 2024-25 State Digital Learning survey approximately 90% of districts reported already having some sort of restrictive cell phone policy in place.

Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwautosa) said she thinks the original intent of the bill was genuine in trying to address challenges posed by phones in classrooms. However, she noted that it wouldn’t apply to the state’s private and charter schools that participate in voucher programs. Vining said the bill was modeled after legislation in Indiana, but Wisconsin Republicans intentionally carved out the voucher schools.

“It’s not fair when the concerns of voucher lobbyists are considered valid by Republicans in the Legislature that while the same concerns are ignored when they come from public schools,” Vining said.

Kitchens said the issue shouldn’t be partisan and noted that Louisiana, a red state, and New York, a blue state, both have strict statewide cell phone ban policies.

The bill passed 53-45 with Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) joining Democrats against. 

Materials inspections within 14 days

AB 5, which would require school districts to comply with requests within 14 days, passed 54-43, also on a party-line vote, with Republicans for and Democrats against. 

Parents can already submit open records requests to school districts to receive school materials. The bill adds  that entities should respond “as soon as practicable and without delay.” 

Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) said during the press conference that the bill seeks to help  parents get information about materials more quickly. She noted that there are no time requirements included in state statute for responding to open records requests. 

“I’m old enough to remember a time in our Wisconsin schools where our schools were begging parents to become engaged and then there came a huge fracture when COVID-19 hit,” Dittrich said. Some parents, she said, aren’t having their requests fulfilled before their child is out of the class. “[The bill] works at bridging this gap between schools and families so they can work together for the benefit of our students.” 

This is the third time lawmakers have introduced a bill to implement a time frame for complying. In the 2021-23 session, the bill passed the Legislature and Evers vetoed it. Last session, the bill passed the Assembly and never received a vote in the Senate

Other laws in Wisconsin include one that requires a list of textbooks be filed with the school board clerk every year on an annual basis. Another state statute requires school boards to provide the complete human growth and development curriculum and all instructional materials for inspection to parents who request it.

Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) said the bill is unnecessary given the current state laws. 

“It’s trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” Hong said. 

Requiring 70% of money to go to “classroom” expenses

AB 6 would require school boards in Wisconsin to spend a minimum of 70% of operating money on direct classroom expenditures and limit annual compensation increases for school administrators to the average percent increase provided to teachers in the school district. 

An amendment to the bill would clarify that “direct classroom expenditures” would not include costs for administration, food services, transportation, instructional support including media centers, teacher training and student support such as nurses and school counselors. Those costs would need to fall under the other 30% of spending. 

Rep. Benjamin Franklin (R-De Pere) said the state has “a system that fails to put the money in the classroom where the education is happening” and said the bill would implement “guardrails” for school districts to ensure money is going to classrooms and teachers. 

Rep. Joan Fitzgerald (D-Fort Atkinson) said she was voting against the bill — and others on the calendar — because they appeared to be written without “meaningful input” from teachers, administrators, superintendents, parents, students or community members. 

“I’m here to let you know that if you want support in the educational community for any education bill, you should do your homework,” Fitzgerald said, “including having conversations with the public and reaching across the aisle.” 

Fitzgerald said Franklin’s bill would take away local control from school districts and school boards and criticized the bill for including “vague” wording and “undefined terms,” saying the bills are unserious. 

“What about all the additional staff needed to meet the special needs of my students — people like speech pathologists, nurses, counselors? People I could not have done my job without,” Fitzgerald said. “That definition does include athletic programs…. Does it include bus transportation to get to games because I’ve heard that actual bus transportation is not included as a direct class transmission? Although I’ll admit I’m incredibly confused about that one, since I would not have had kids in my classroom in my rural district without bus transportation.” 

Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) called the proposal an “arbitrary, one size fits all budget crackdown that limits our ability to meet moral and constitutional obligations.” 

The bill passed 53-44 with only Republican support.

The Assembly also passed AB 4, which would require civics instruction in K-12 schools, in a 52-46 vote. Sortwell and Goeben voted against the bill with Democrats.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Correction: This story has been update to correct the vote on AB 2 and a quote.

Gov. Tony Evers delivers his 2025 state budget address. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Gov. Tony Evers unveiled a sweeping 2025-27 state budget proposal Tuesday evening that would come at the cost of $55.5 billion in state funds across the biennium — an increase of about 18%. The proposal lays out many priorities including investments in education and initiatives to protect the environment, tax relief for middle class Wisconsinites, tax hikes for the wealthy Wisconsinites and expansion of Medicaid access.

Evers’ address was his fourth budget address since taking office in 2019 and comes at the beginning of a state budget cycle when Wisconsin is expected to end the 2023-25 biennium with $4.3 billion in its general fund. The state had a record-high balance of $1.9 billion in its rainy day fund at the end of fiscal year 2023-24. 

Altogether, with federal and other revenue, the state would have an operating budget of $119 billion over the next two years under Evers’ proposal and a total increase of about 20%. In addition to the funding, Evers’ budget would add about 880 state positions with federal funds for a total of about 75,613 state employees by July 2026. It would also add 1,302 positions, a total 36,766 positions, using state funds.

During his approximately 40-minute address to the state Senate and Assembly, Evers laid out major parts of the proposal to the standing applause of Democratic lawmakers and the seated stares of Republican lawmakers.

“The budget I’m proposing balances our priorities of investing in our kids and needs that have long been neglected while providing real and sustainable tax relief and saving where we can,” Evers said during his address. He declared that the budget would be the most “pro-kid” budget in state history. 

Towards the end of his speech, Evers called on lawmakers to focus on “doing what’s best for our kids, delivering real solutions for real problems Wisconsinites face every day and doing the right thing.”

Republican lawmakers, however, said that most of Evers’ budget proposal would be “dead-on-arrival” and criticized him for trying to increase spending and grow the size of government. 

Environment and water quality 

Evers proposed more than $300 million towards eliminating lead from service lines, bubblers, schools, homes and child care centers. He also called for the state to invest $145 million towards combating PFAS contamination statewide and providing emergency resources, including bottled water for communities affected by water contamination. 

The state allocated $125 million towards the effort in the last budget, but lawmakers and Evers never agreed on a bill that would allow the money to be used, so it remains unused. 

“Addressing PFAS and other contaminants grows harder and more expensive with each day of delay,” Evers said. “Republicans and Democrats have to work together to finally get something done on this issue.” 

Evers also proposed dedicating $100 million annually towards reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program for an additional 10 years — a total $1 billion investment aimed at supporting projects that improve the state’s water quality, protect key habitats and support investments in state and local parks and other public lands. 

Adds $4 billion for K-12 and higher education

Building on his declaration in January of 2025 as ‘The Year of the Kid,’ Evers announced a vast education budget proposal that would invest $856 million for the University of Wisconsin System, nearly $60 million for the technical colleges and $3.15 billion in K-12 education across the state. 

“Every Wisconsin kid should have access to a high-quality public education from early childhood to our K-12 schools to our higher education institutions,” Evers said. “I’m urging the Legislature to do what’s best for our kids by approving significant investments in public education at every level in Wisconsin.” 

Evers acknowledged recent actions from the Trump administration and federal lawmakers affecting higher education. Most recently, the administration told universities to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or risk losing funding. Universities, including UW-Madison, have also been grappling with the potential impacts of cuts to research funding. 

“Politicians in Washington don’t know a darn thing about what’s going on at campuses across Wisconsin,” Evers said. “They don’t understand that our UW System has been part of Wisconsin since we first became a state — it’s enshrined in our state constitution. They don’t know how important our UW System has been to our state’s success or how important it is for our future.” 

Evers’ UW System proposal would be one of the largest investments in the system in state history. He said the reinvestment in the UW System is necessary due to impacts of attacks and disinvestment over the last many years and the ongoing challenges that the state’s 13 campuses are facing. 

“UW is facing campus closures and program cuts, students are facing tuition increases, and faculty and staff are facing layoffs, and with new federal efforts to cut higher education funding, things for UW could get a whole lot worse,” Evers said. “It’s up to us — each of us, together — to invest in our UW System, to defend it and to protect its promise for future generations.” 

Some of the funding would include $128 million for financial aid; $308 million to support expanding access to schools through dual enrollment, direct admissions and transfer pathways; $56 million to support recruiting and retaining educators and staff; $22 million to support mental health services; $104 million to invest in innovative technologies and $166 million to increase wages. 

Evers is also proposing $60 million for the technical colleges in accordance with the system’s request that would include $45 million in general aid. 

He called on lawmakers and elected officials to help increase funding for public education, saying that many of them benefited from it when they were younger.

“Don’t tell our kids they don’t deserve to have the same opportunity you did,” Evers said.

Evers’ largest education investment proposal would be to the state’s K-12 schools, and he argued that the investments are necessary to help address student outcomes.

“I know some legislators have tried using student outcomes to argue against investing in our kids and our schools. Folks, you’ve got it backwards,” Evers said. “The outcomes we’re seeing are exactly why we must do more to do what’s best for our kids.”

The budget proposal includes $212 million towards raising per-pupil funding by $108 across the biennium, with additional support for economically disadvantaged students. He also wants to link the state’s per pupil revenue limits for school districts to inflation starting in fiscal year 2025-26. His budget projects that the change would raise limits by $334 per pupil in 2025-26 and $345 per pupil in 2026-27. 

Evers called on lawmakers to approve his $147 million plan to provide free school meals to students, his nearly $300 million plan to invest in mental health support in schools and to ensure clean drinking water in schools.

“If the state isn’t committed to meeting our kids’ basic needs, then we can’t have serious conversations about improving outcomes,” Evers said. “It’s that simple.” 

Evers also called for investing $80 million to support new literacy initiatives in the state, including literacy coaches and tutoring, that are meant to help improve reading scores statewide.

The proposed funding would include the $50 million to support a new literacy law enacted in the 2023-25 budget cycle, but after disagreements over implementation and a veto by Evers, most of the money remains stuck and unused. If it isn’t released by the end of the fiscal year in June, it will lapse back into the state’s general purpose revenue.

Evers also proposed dedicating $1.1 billion towards raising the state’s special education reimbursement to 60%. The current rate is about 30% for public schools. 

The governor said the current system for funding schools isn’t working and called attention to the trend of districts asking taxpayers to raise their property taxes through referendum measures so schools can cover operational and building costs. 

“This system isn’t sustainable — it creates winners and losers, haves and have-nots, but referendums are not inevitable,” Evers said. “Wisconsinites wouldn’t have to raise their own property taxes to keep school lights on and doors open if this Legislature invested in K-12 education from the get-go.” 

Evers’ budget proposal also calls for making changes to Wisconsin’s voucher programs including the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. 

He wants to freeze the number of slots available to students, a proposal that comes as the caps on enrollment are slated to come off in 2026. He also wants to require participating schools to license educators by July 2028 and to require schools to allow students participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Programs to opt out of religious activities at written request. Evers also proposes putting the cost of Wisconsin’s voucher programs on people’s property tax bills. 

Evers also wants to support the child care industry by investing $440 million in state funds to subsidize providers with the Child Care Counts program. 

$2 billion in tax relief, raising taxes for wealthiest

Evers called for nearly $2 billion in tax relief and for raising taxes on the wealthiest Wisconsinites.

Part of the relief would be targeted at trying to limit further property tax increases. Property tax burdens across the state have grown in recent years in part because schools and local governments have turned to referendums as a way of securing funding.

“My budget would create a new incentive for local governments to freeze their local property taxes. If local governments agree not to raise local property taxes, they’ll get a direct payment from the state,” Evers said. “This will ensure local partners can still afford to pay for basic and unique local needs alike without property taxes going up.” 

Under his proposal, about $1 billion would be directed towards aid for local governments that pause property taxes and direct property tax credits to taxpayers over the biennium. 

His proposal would also increase the school levy tax credit by $375 million across the biennium. 

Evers is also proposing eliminating taxes on tips — similar to a recent proposal from Republican lawmakers — and eliminating sales tax on electricity and gas for Wisconsin homes and on over-the-counter medications.

“Working to prevent property tax increases is a key part of my plan to lower costs for working families, but we can do more to reduce everyday, out-of-pocket costs for folks across our state,” Evers said. 

One major proposal that went unmentioned in Evers’ speech would create a new, higher income tax bracket for high-income residents. The administration’s budget brief said the measure would “ensure millionaires and billionaires in Wisconsin pay their fair share. 

Evers’ proposal calls for a new individual tax income tax bracket with a marginal rate of 9.8 % on taxable income above $1 million for single filers and married joint filers, and above $500,000 for married taxpayers who file separately. The current top tax bracket has a 7.65% rate and applies to single filers making $315,310 and joint filers making $420,420. 

The proposal would bring Wisconsin an additional $719 million in the first year of the biennium and $578 million in the second. 

Expand access to health care

Evers called for his fourth budget in a row to expand Medicaid to cover people up to 138% of the federal poverty level — a proposal that would expand eligibility to approximately 95,800 low-income individuals and allow the state to save $1.9 billion in state money and receive an additional $2.5 billion in federal funds over the biennium.

“Health care should not be a privilege afforded only to the healthy and the wealthy,” Evers said. 

Wisconsin is one of 10 states to not expand Medicaid, according to KFF. 

The budget also includes a proposal to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers to a year after the birth of a child. Wisconsin is one of two states that haven’t accepted the federal expansion. 

“Nothing against Arkansas, but come on, folks. I’ve proposed this in every budget I’ve introduced as governor. There’s also a bipartisan bill to get it done that almost 90 legislators support,” Evers said. “One legislator should not be able to single-handedly obstruct a bill that’s supported by a supermajority of the Legislature.” 

The comments got some of the loudest cheers from Democrats during the whole night. 

Evers was alluding to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who held the policy up last session after the proposal passed the Senate and has said this session that he doesn’t support expanding “welfare” in response to questions about the policy. A bill that would accomplish this, with 23 Senate cosponsors and 67 Assembly cosponsors, recently received a hearing in the state Senate. 

Evers also is proposing making Wisconsin the first state to start auditing insurance companies over denying health care claims. The state would provide a corrective action plan for insurers found to have too high denial rates. The plan would also create a “Public Intervenor Office” that would focus on helping Wisconsinites who have claims denied. 

The governor said the measure would increase accountability and transparency for health insurance companies.

“If an insurance company is going to deny your health care claim, they should have a darn good reason for it. It’s frustrating when your claim gets denied and it doesn’t seem like anyone can give you a good reason why,” Evers said. 

Preparing for Trump administration, potential tariffs

Evers’ budget would leave the state with about $646.3 million at the end of June 2026. Evers said this would be to ensure the state remains in a good financial position into the future and because of the unpredictability of the Trump administration. 

“We must continue our work to be reasonable and pragmatic. The needless chaos caused by the federal government in recent weeks has already made preparing a state budget that much more difficult,” Evers said. “We prepared for the worst: popular programs that kids, families, schools, veterans, seniors and communities rely upon every day being drastically cut; resources and investments that Wisconsin is counting on and budgeted for, suddenly stalled or gutted; trade wars with Wisconsin’s largest export partners hurting our ag industries and our economy; costs for working families skyrocketing to the point they can’t make ends meet.” 

Evers said that with the unpredictability, it wouldn’t have “been wise or responsible” to spend everything. 

Evers also took aim at the Trump administration and the potential impact a trade war and tariffs could have on agriculture one of Wisconsin’s ’s largest industries.

The state, according to the USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, has 58,521 farms with 13.7 million acres producing $16.7 billion in agricultural products.

Trump threatened to place 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada in January, then paused implementing them for a month. While it was unclear which items would be included, fresh produce could be one category of goods. 

“Wisconsin is on its way to becoming a top 10 state for ag exports — we can’t afford to lose our momentum because of tariff wars in Washington,” Evers said. 

To help blunt impacts should the tariffs return, Evers proposed creating an agriculture economist position in the state government to help farmers navigate market disruptions and volatility caused by tariffs. He also wants to increase investments in the Wisconsin Initiative for Ag Exports and invest $50 million in the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, which was created in the last budget to enhance roads, bridges and culverts in rural communities.

Lawmakers’ reaction

With Evers’ budget proposal introduced, the Republican-led Legislature’s 16-member Joint Finance Committee will go to work writing the state budget. The committee will hold some public hearings in the coming weeks.

GOP leaders were quick to throw cold water on Evers’ plan. “We are not going to let Wisconsin become Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” Vos said after the address. 

JFC Co-Chair Sen. Howard Marklein said all the policy changes that Evers included would be stripped out and the next budget will be built from the current state budget, “the base.”

“We’re going back to base like we have for the last several budgets. We’re going to build a budget that’s fair, that’s sustainable into the future and doesn’t impact our businesses and our families adversely,” Marklein said. 

Marklein also emphasized that the budget surplus is “largely one-time money” and said it should be used to support one-time spending, not ongoing programs. 

JFC Co-chair Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said that Evers budget was “bloated” and included “reckless spending.” 

“Just finding ways to grow the government, making up all sorts of new agencies or sub-agencies or offices again tonight,” Born said. “We know we have to toss it to the side.”

Born said that instead, Republicans will focus on finding ways to shrink the size of government and find ways to support families and businesses “without the heavy hand of government.” 

Republicans reiterated their intention to cut taxes, which they’ve repeatedly called a major priority. 

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said at a GOP press conference that the budget surplus only exists because Evers rejected the majority of their tax cut proposals last session. He called Evers’ tax relief proposals “gimmicky.” 

“What we’re going to do is provide broad-based tax cuts to all taxpayers in Wisconsin, and that’s what we’re going to do before we send a budget to him,” LeMahieu said. 

Vos and LeMahieu both said that President Donald Trump winning Wisconsin in November is a sign that voters don’t want increased government spending. 

“Wisconsin voted for Donald Trump and his agenda to cut spending and find inefficiency in government,” Vos said. “Giving a 20% increase to the bureaucracy is the exact opposite of what people voted for.” 

Vos said that Republicans would unveil specific tax cut proposals in the coming weeks. 

In contrast to Republicans’ scorn, Democratic lawmakers called on their colleagues to get on board with Evers’ budget.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said in a statement that the budget proposal would help “lower everyday costs for working people and improve the lives of residents across our state” and said it would do what is best for kids. 

The budget, Hesselbein said, showed Evers’ “commonsense and comprehensive leadership on issues that matter to working people and families.”

“I hope my Republican colleagues put partisanship aside and do what is best for our state,” Hesselbein said. 

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) called the proposal “ambitious” and said it would “move our state forward, deliver good things for the people of Wisconsin and set our state up for long-term success.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Update: This story has been updated to add additional information about the state budget proposal’s personnel details.

An empty high school classroom. (Dan Forer | Getty Images)

Democratic-backed incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly and Republican-backed education consultant Brittany Kinser will advance to the April 1 primary in the race for state superintendent. 

With more than 95% of precincts reporting at midnight, Underly won 38% of the vote and Kinser won 34.5% of the vote. Sauk Prairie Schools Superintendent Jeff Wright came in third with 27.5% of the vote, eliminating him from the primary. 

Wright thanked his supporters in a statement, saying he was proud of the campaign that he ran. 

“I got into this race because I believe that Wisconsin should always be at the forefront of innovation and excellence in public education,” Wright said. “Our districts deserve better from the Department of Public Instruction because Wisconsin’s kids and communities deserve the absolute best from our schools.”

The state superintendent is responsible for overseeing Wisconsin’s 421 public school districts and leads the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) — an agency whose responsibilities include administering state and federal funds, licensing teachers, developing educational curriculum and state assessments and advocating for public education.

The position is nonpartisan, but the Democratic and Republican parties have both waded into the race providing support, including financial backing to their preferred candidates.

Underly is running for her second term in office, saying that she wants to continue to advocate for the state’s public schools and most recently proposed that the state provide an additional $4 billion in funding for school. She has the backing of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, the state’s second-largest teachers union. 

In a fundraising appeal after the ballots were counted, Underly touted her support of bipartisan literacy legislation, new math and science standards and expanded career and technical education. “Today, our graduation rate is the highest in state history and our schools are ranked 6th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report — up from 14th in 2020,” she said.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said in a statement that the party is ready to “wage a strong door-to-door campaign” to help reelect her to a second term. He said Underly’s record “stands in stark contrast to lobbyist Brittany Kinser, who has never even held a teaching license in Wisconsin.”

According to the most recent campaign finance filings, the Wisconsin GOP has contributed $200,000 to Kinser’s campaign. She has also received contributions from Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, the billionaire owners of the Uline shipping supply company, and Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks. Her campaign is being managed by Republican former state Rep. Amy Loudenbeck.

“Kinser’s campaign is funded by Republican megadonors and stage-managed by a former Republican legislator because they love that Kinser has promised to drain funds from our public schools and give them to private for-profit schools. Kinser even advocated to remove teacher licensing requirements,” Wikler said. “Our kids don’t need a right-wing puppet to lead our schools.” 

Kinser has dubbed herself the only “pro-school choice” candidate in the race and has said she would support increased funding to the state’s school voucher programs. Kinser has said that she wants to improve reading and math education in schools. While supporting increases in special education and rural transportation funding, Kinser has said more transparency and accountability is needed when it comes to funding rather than large increases. 

Kinser previously served as principal and executive director of Rocketship schools in Milwaukee and worked for the City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee-based advocacy group that lobbies for school choice.

Kinser said in a statement Tuesday evening that she was “inspired and humbled” by the support for her campaign, and she plan to travel the state in the lead up to the general election and “share my plan to bring a clean slate, a fresh start, and a fundamentally new approach to DPI.”

Wright’s campaign was recommended for the position by the political action committee of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state’s largest teachers union. While he never received the union’s full endorsement, the primary created a split among public education advocates. Neither Wright nor Underly acknowledged each other’s campaigns in their respective statements.

Kinser, meanwhile, sought to call Wright supporters into her campaign. 

“Jeff Wright ran a strong race and we agree on several important issues like restoring the high standards Jill Underly lowered for our children. I am committed to restoring those standards and ensuring every child has the opportunity to go to college, get a meaningful job, or master a trade,” Kinser said. “I welcome Jeff, his supporters, and all Wisconsinites — regardless of their political beliefs — who agree that our kids deserve so much better to join our campaign.”

Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming called Kinser the “common-sense” candidate in a statement and said Tuesday’s results were a “stand against the far-left policies of Jill Underly. They are fed up with liberal ideas being prioritized over their children.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

“Her life and work has impacted countless Wisconsinites, so much so that all Wisconsin students should know about and recognize her,” Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde said. Screenshot via WisEye.

The Legislative Black Caucus proposed Tuesday that Wisconsin make Vel Phillips’ birthday — Feb. 18 — a special day of observance in Wisconsin schools. 

Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee), a bill coauthor, recognized Phillips’ lengthy list of ‘firsts’ at a press conference Tuesday morning, saying that “far too few” Wisconsinites know about her legacy. 

Phillips was Wisconsin’s first Black statewide elected official, serving as secretary of state from 1979 to 1983. She also served as Wisconsin’s first Black judge and the first woman judge in Milwaukee County and was the first Black woman to graduate from University of Wisconsin Law School.

Phillips was the first African American and the first woman to be elected as a Milwaukee Common Council alder. She was an activist who advocated fair and affordable housing in Milwaukee, including introducing the Phillips Housing Ordinance in 1962, which would have outlawed racial discrimination among landlords and real estate agents in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Common Council finally adopted an open housing ordinance in April 1968 after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the U.S. Congress passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968. 

Phillips passed away on April 17, 2018. Her 101st birthday was Tuesday. 

“Her life and work has impacted countless Wisconsinites, so much so that all Wisconsin students should know about and recognize her,” Moore Omokunde said.

Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) said at a press conference that Phillips “wasn’t just a leader. She was a force of nature. She refused to accept the limits placed on her as an African American woman and as a woman in general, and she made sure that no one coming after her had to suffer those barriers,” Johnson said. “Milwaukee is the city that it is today in part due to Vel Phillips.

“She wasn’t just making history. She was paving the way for the rest of us — for Black women in Wisconsin who still face barriers, for girls who need to see what’s possible and for every person who has ever been told to wait their turn,” Johnson said. “That’s what this bill is about — ensuring Vel Phillips’ story is told for generations to come. Making Feb. 18 a special observance day isn’t just about remembering Vel Phillips. It’s about teaching our kids what she stood for, making sure her name, her fight, her legacy lives on.” 

There are 21 special observance days in Wisconsin’s school calendar, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Susan B. Anthony’s birthday, Environmental Awareness Day, Bullying Awareness Day, September 11 Observance Day, Veterans Day and Robert La Follette Sr. Day.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) states on its website that observance days can “teach the elements of tradition that preserve U.S. society and foster an awareness of our cultural heritage” and “can be part of a rich social studies curriculum that gives these individuals and events proper emphasis, both in the context of Wisconsin and U.S. history and in relation to their effect on or improvement of our political, economic and social institutions.” 

Mikki Maddox, a teacher at Necedah Area High School, is part of the reason the caucus brought the legislation forward. She said she started doing announcements for the school and marking the observance days in her calendar. 

“I noticed that there are quite a few gaps,” Maddox said, adding that she contacted DPI and wrote to Senate and Assembly members about observance days. 

“I knew this was a person that needed to be recognized all over the state for her courage and for her willingness to stand up,” Maddox said. 

Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski honored her predecessor at the press conference, recalling that she learned about Phillips in school only after taking her own initiative to look for women important to Wisconsin history and coming across her in a textbook.

“As Wisconsin’s secretary of state I stand on Vel’s shoulders. … She is a trailblazer and Wisconsin is better because of Vel’s leadership,” Godlewski said. “Too many students [are] just like the one that I was sitting in the classroom flipping through my history books and not seeing that full picture of who actually shaped our state.” 

The bill, Godlewski said, would ensure “every student learns about her, not just as an afterthought, but as a fundamental part of our state history.” 

The bill, which is currently being circulated for co-sponsorship, will need bipartisan support to pass in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Moore Omokunde said he doesn’t think recent hostility towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts from Republicans will hinder it, adding that many observances of Phillips already exist throughout Wisconsin. An outdoor statue of Phillips was installed outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in September 2024 — an action that received bipartisan approval in 2021. Phillips also had a Madison high school renamed for her in 2021 and a road in Milwaukee is named after her.

“We already have the statue. Vel Phillips has a street in Milwaukee… it’s really a no-brainer,” Moore Omokunde said. 

The bill is a continuation of lawmakers’ work to recognize and celebrate Black Wisconsinites during Black History Month. Early this month, lawmakers re-introduced a resolution to proclaim February as Black History Month.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

The polling place at Village on Park on Madison's South side in 2023. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

Wisconsin polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. so voters can weigh in on the three-way primary race for the nonpartisan state superintendent. It’s the only statewide election on ballots in February. 

The state superintendent is responsible for overseeing Wisconsin’s 421 public school districts and leads the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) — an agency whose responsibilities include administering state and federal funds, licensing teachers, developing educational curriculum and state assessments and advocating for public education.

Incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly is running for her second term in office and faces two challengers — Sauk Prairie Schools Superintendent Jeff Wright and education consultant Brittany Kinser. 

Underly, a Democrat, has said she wants to continue her work advocating for Wisconsin public schools, including calling for increased funding from the state, limiting school vouchers and supporting schools through the impacts of the new Trump administration. In her reelection campaign, she has defended herself against critiques on changes to the way the state measures standardized tests and her attempts to work with the Republican-led Legislature. She has the backing of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and AFT-Wisconsin.

Kinser, a school choice proponent, has said she wants to improve reading and math education, “restore high standards” and supports increased state spending for Wisconsin’s school voucher programs. She previously served as principal and executive director of Rocketship schools in Milwaukee, worked for the City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee-based advocacy group that lobbies for school choice, and has worked as a special education teacher. She has raised the most money of any candidate with financial help from Republican megadonors.

Wright, a Democrat, has said that he wants to improve communication between DPI, the Legislature and the public, supports increasing funding for public schools and wants greater transparency and accountability for voucher schools. He is endorsed by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and was recommended for the position by the political action committee of Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state’s largest teacher’s union, although the full union hasn’t made an official endorsement.

The top two vote getters will advance to the general election for the position on April 1.

Wisconsin voters may also see local primary elections for mayor, city and town council, county supervisor, school board members or school referendum requests on their ballot. Five school districts across the state — Tomahawk School District Kenosha School District, Northland Pines School District, Waterford Union High School District and Mauston School District — will vote on whether to approve a total of $176 million in funding requests.

Voters can check their voter registration status here, see what will be on their ballot here and find their polling location here. 

There will be no primary on Tuesday in the race for an open state Supreme Court seat, since there are only two candidates in the race —  Susan Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Court judge and former prosecutor for the state Department of Justice, and Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and former Republican attorney general.

Wisconsin residents can register to vote at their polling places on Election Day. To do so, they need to show a proof of residence document, which must contain the voter’s name and current residential address such as a bank statement, recent electric bill, or a current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID card. 

Voters need to present an acceptable photo ID to vote. Acceptable IDs include a Wisconsin driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military or veteran’s ID, tribal ID, a certificate of naturalization or a student ID with a photo.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Gov. Tony Evers at a press conference about his DOC budget proposal on Friday. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wants to dedicate over $325 million of the state budget to updating aging correctional facilities. The plan he laid out Friday would end with the closure of Green Bay Correctional Institution in 2029 and involves spending more than $40 million for policies meant to help stabilize the prison population.

Serious problems have plagued the state’s correctional facilities for many years, exacerbated by aging facilities that lack adequate space for the number of incarcerated people. 

While the state’s correctional facilities have the capacity to house 17,638 people, there are 23,074 people being held in facilities across the state. The total population is expected to grow to 24,000 people by the end of the biennium. 

Evers said Wisconsin needs to do the work to move its correctional operations into the 21st century and help ease some of the challenges. 

“Wisconsin spends more on corrections than most states, including all of our Midwest neighbors,” Evers said. “That’s because, unlike red and blue states across the country, Wisconsin has refused to move our approach to corrections into the 21st century. The bottom line is that this trajectory is not sustainable.” 

“We can address long-term staffing challenges, expand workforce training, implement evidence-based practices that reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars all while — most importantly — improving public safety,” Evers said. 

Evers said he was planning to speak with Republican lawmakers about the plan in the near future and called for their support.

On Tuesday evening, Evers will deliver his full budget address. After he submits his budget proposal to the Legislature, lawmakers will write their own version that will go to Evers for final approval. 

‘Stabilize’ population

The first part of Evers’ correctional plan focuses on “stabilizing” the state’s growing prison population through policy changes meant to help limit recidivism. 

“About 90% of the people incarcerated will be released back into our communities, so we must reduce the likelihood that people will commit another crime when they’re out in our communities,” Evers said. “Our work to prevent people from reoffending must start long before they ever leave our correctional institutions.” 

He proposes expanding access to workforce training and substance use treatment for people who have 48 months or less left in their sentences for nonviolent offenses. Evers said the programs will help support people to reenter the workforce once they are out of prison and to help people who are working to overcome drug and alcohol use disorders.

The changes to the Earned Release Program would help support about 2,500 people.

To support the policy changes, Evers also wants to dedicate $3.7 million in the budget to pay  progression for social workers and treatment specialists.

In addition, Evers’ budget proposal will include $8.9 million for expanding the Alternatives to Revocation Program, $1 million for community supervision regional coaches to help the high number of people with substance use recovery needs, $3.1 million to expand the number of community corrections supportive housing beds for people with hardships, $10.7 million for cost of living increases for the division of community corrections and reentry unit, $1.9 million for 13 new DOC positions and $9.6 million for pay progression and parity for probation and parole agents and correctional field supervisors.

Modernizing correctional facilities

The largest allocation in the plan would got to  the “domino” plan to update the state’s correctional facilities — a plan that ends in the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution by 2029.

“In order for my plan to work, several crucial steps must happen, and they must happen together,” Evers said.

“There cannot be delays or obstructions like we’ve seen with Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake,” he added. 

2017 Act 185 signed by Gov. Scott Walker, set a deadline to close the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth correctional facilities  in January 2021.  Evers later extended that to July 2021, but that deadline also passed and plans to close the facilities have continued to get pushed back. 

 Evers plan would convert the youth facilities into a 500-bed medium security facility for adult males.

Under the plan, a Type I facility would be completed in Dane County at the cost of $168 million to house 32 male and 8 female youths. 

The plan also calls for using $245.3 million to update Waupun Correctional Institution, the state’s oldest prison, built in 1851. Cell halls would be demolished and some areas of the prison would be remodeled to create vocational programming.

A new “vocational village” at Waupun would be modeled on efforts undertaken in Louisiana and Missouri. Under the plan, it would be prepared to open by 2031. 

The plan would also have Stanley Correctional Institution converted into a maximum security facility with the ability to “flex” as a medium security facility. 

Green Bay Correctional Facility would close by 2029 at a cost of $6.3 million. 

According to the Evers administration, the plan opts to close the Green Bay facility over the Waupun facility because there is local support for closing the Green Bay facility and because it will  cost less to update the Waupun facility. 

The plan also includes expanding Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center located in Outagamie County by 200 beds. Employees at the Green Bay facility would have the option of transferring to the Sanger Powers facility. 

In addition, John Burke Correctional Center would be converted from an adult male to an adult female facility with 300 beds.

“We need Republican lawmakers to get onboard with this plan,” Evers said. “There is not an alternative to my plan that is safer, faster and cheaper… My plan is the most cost effective for taxpayers. It’s the most efficient for alleviating the challenges facing our correctional institutions.” 

DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said during the press conference Evers’ plan is exciting because it is “a comprehensive and cohesive plan to address long standing issues within our correctional system while investing taxpayer dollars wisely.” 

“The effort comes down to safety in our institutions and our communities,” Hoy said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Gov. Tony Evers ordered the two audits into Milwaukee Public Schools in 2024. Evers meets children at a Dane County child care center in 2023. (Erik Gunn | Wisconsin Examiner)

An audit released Thursday found that Milwaukee Public Schools faces challenges due to declining enrollment, competitive school-choice dynamics, a teacher shortage and staff turnover as well as a “culture of fear” and resistance to change. The district needs to make systemic changes, the audit found, in order to adequately support its students, especially those who are the most vulnerable.

The operational audit was ordered by Gov. Tony Evers after news broke that the district has been excessively late in submitting required financial documents to the Department of Public Instruction. The crisis led to the resignation of Keith Posley as MPS superintendent and the state Department of Public Instruction withholding $16.6 million from the district.

The independent audit, conducted by MGT of America Consulting LLC, is the first of two ordered by Evers,  who formerly served as state superintendent and as a public school teacher. The second, ongoing audit is meant to examine the effectiveness of teaching and instruction in classrooms. 

“This audit is a critical next step for getting MPS back on track and, ultimately, improving outcomes for our kids,” Evers said in a statement. “I urge and expect the district to take these recommendations seriously and move forward quickly with implementing this audit’s findings.”

Evers allocated $5.5 million from federal American Rescue Plan funds for the audits and said there is a remaining $3 million that will go towards ensuring the district can start implementing the recommendations. 

Evers said that he will also propose allocating an additional $5 million in his 2025-27 budget to provide ongoing support to address audit results and implement audit recommendations, though he would need the Republican-led Legislature to allocate the money. The money would only be awarded to the district if the state thinks MPS has made substantial and sufficient progress implementing the audit recommendations. 

“MPS must make systemic changes to ensure that students — particularly the most vulnerable — are at the center of every decision,” auditors wrote. “Ultimately, this work is in service of students, whose future success hinges on a district capable of delivering equitable, high-quality education.”

The audit acknowledged that “proficiency rates sit at just 9% in math and 12% in reading, far below state and national averages, signaling a systemic failure to prioritize student outcomes.” 

The audit identified internal and external factors that have contributed to the challenges the district has faced. 

Internal factors included leadership instability, including a series of superintendents with short tenures and revolving leaders, a “culture of fear and reluctance to change,” high turnover and recruitment challenges, ineffective reporting protocols that have hindered accountability and financial mismanagement, lack of honesty, transparency and ineffective public communications that have contributed to a lack of public trust. 

External factors included stalled population growth and enrollment declines, “competitive school-choice dynamics,” national teacher and staff shortages, MPS students who face significant economic challenges and outdated facilities that have made it difficult to maintain healthy, safe and adequately equipped learning environments.

“These challenges, coupled with outdated facilities and a history of financial mismanagement, have eroded public trust and disproportionately affected the District’s most vulnerable students,” auditors wrote.

The audit laid out goals that the district should prioritize that include creating a “coherent central system,” “fostering meaningful communication and collaboration across departments within the District” and operating and funding strategically by investing in strategies and systems that prepare the District for financial sustainability, operational efficiency and long-term success. 

Some of the specific recommendations include hiring a chief communications officer and chief operations officer, restructuring the central office to clarify roles, investing in the Office of Human Resources, redesigning employee reporting processes, investing in training for the Department of Research, Assessment and Data, continuing to use support offered by DPI and improving collaboration between the MPS Board of Directors and district leadership.

MPS said in a press release that the audit “validates the progress we are making while also serving as a guide for continued improvements.”

“It highlights the strength of our existing systems and the dedication behind key initiatives, reinforcing the steps we have taken to move our students forward. At the same time, it identifies areas for growth, reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement,” MPS stated. “While acknowledging the need for focused support, the report makes clear that we have an opportunity to build on this momentum, strengthening our schools and communities while creating a more unified path forward.”

DPI Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement that the audit “offers a clear and practical blueprint for getting the district back on course, ensuring it better serves students and families.” 

Underly said she was optimistic that the district would turn the recommendations into “meaningful change” with the leadership of Brenda Cassellius, who was selected this week by the Board to be the new MPS superintendent and previously served as superintendent of Boston Public Schools and commissioner of education in Minnesota.

“This report also underscores the importance of the DPI’s ongoing efforts to support MPS in financial reporting, including the development of a Corrective Action Plan. These efforts are both realistic and essential for helping the district regain compliance and thrive,” Underly said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Sauk Prairie Superintendent Jeff Wright, who is running for state superintendent, with a student. Photo courtesy of campaign.

Sauk Prairie Superintendent Jeff Wright says he would work to improve communication between the Department of Public Instruction, the Legislature and the public if he’s elected to be Wisconsin’s state schools superintendent.

Wright, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent state Superintendent Jill Underly. Education consultant Brittany Kinser, a school choice advocate who has the backing of Republican donors, is also running in the Feb. 18 primary for the nonpartisan office. The top two vote getters will advance to the general election April 1. 

The state superintendent is responsible for overseeing Wisconsin’s 421 public school districts and leads the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which has an array of responsibilities including administering state and federal funds, licensing educators, developing educational curriculum and state assessments and advocating for public education.

Wright said in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner ahead of the primary that throughout his campaign, which launched in October, he has met with Republicans and Democrats at the county level, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), small town business groups, faith leaders and teacher groups. 

“That’s been part of the fun is just how many different types of groups have welcomed me in to share my story and my own hopes for public schools,” Wright said.

Wright comes to the race with significant experience in Wisconsin public education.

Wright has served as the superintendent of Sauk Prairie School District since 2019 and was named Administrator of the Year in 2024 by the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance. During his time in the district, Wright has worked to help improve mental health supports in schools, reduce energy consumption by putting solar panels on the high school and helped open a child-care center that is owned by the village but will be run by the district. He also previously served as a principal in Chicago.

Sauk Prairie is one of the most purple counties in Wisconsin, Wright noted. 

“[In this district], we cannot get anything done if we don’t create room at the table for people with different political beliefs, business leaders, faith leaders, parents, educators, and that’s how I’ve led as a superintendent,” Wright said, adding that that’s how he would lead as head of the DPI as well. 

Wright has never held public office, though he previously ran unsuccessful campaigns for the state Assembly in 2016 and in 2018.

Wright laid out three issues he wants to tackle as part of his “strategic plan” for the agency: improving the relationship between DPI and the state Legislature, addressing the Wisconsin educator shortage and improving the achievement gaps facing the state.

Bringing people together, he says, is critical to making improvements to education in the state. 

Improving communication with educators, Legislature and agency staff

When Wright entered the race, he said there was a “disconnect” between DPI and schools and the agency could do better by including different groups in conversations about its decisions. 

Wright said having staff work virtually during the first couple years of Underly’s term, which started in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, created “some of the loss in trust and relationship with people, with school leaders.” He said he thinks there is a place for remote work, but that it was overused at DPI. 

In his own experience as a superintendent, Wright said there were multiple times his team was scheduled to meet with Underly or her leadership team. 

“We all gathered at a location, and then, not long before the meeting started, the leader of the meeting was told that the meeting would now be taking place virtually,” Wright said. 

Wright said that a “promise” he makes for the office “is being present in Wisconsin schools and being directly connected to the work of education.” 

In addition, Wright has said that he thinks he can repair damaged relationships between DPI and state lawmakers. 

The agency has regularly come into contention with the Republican-led Legislature on a variety of issues and Underly has been outspoken about her disagreements with Republican lawmakers, including when they have withheld money from schools. 

Wright said he would hope to improve the relationship by ensuring everyone is welcome to the table and there is open communication.

“We may not want the exact same way to get there, but if we’re not in this room with each other talking about how we could accomplish shared goals, it makes it easier to be really political and to say outlandish things about the other side and to demonize them when there probably is some point of agreement if we just forced ourselves to be in the same room, and that’s how we’ve led in Sauk Prairie,” Wright said. “All the projects that I just listed, my school board voted for unanimously, but I know that they have different yard signs in front of their homes when it comes to the national election.” 

Wright said he knew when he entered the race that work needed to be done to help the relationship between the agency, school districts and the Legislature. However, he said he also has come to another realization: “I underestimated how much work would also have to be done to heal the relationship between the department’s leadership and the teammates who are doing the work of the department,” Wright said. 

His campaign brought attention to a spending pause at the agency in early January. 

The agency has paused new hiring and travel outside of Wisconsin through June 30. The agency said that a $2.3 million reduction in state funding for the DPI’s administrative costs is a key contributor to the agency’s fiscal strain. DPI said it made the decision to focus on directing resources to supporting schools and students “even if it means sacrificing some of the agency’s own needs,” according to CBS58. The agency sent a memo to staff about the pause in January. 

Wright claims the freezing pause is the result of overspending in the first half of the fiscal year and the agency has been trying to correct the budget by the end of the fiscal year. 

He said the recent financial strains at the agency and criticisms from over changes to the way the state measures scores on standardized tests are examples of Underly failing to be an effective leader. 

“The lack of communication about the budget problems to people that are on the team has been of great concern. I think that a lot of legislators did not realize the level of financial issues either,” Wright said.

“I’ve talked with people, who are supposed to be working like shoulder to shoulder with educators and schools, that now have to do that work virtually… or they’re now doing two jobs or three jobs because of retirements or resignations, and the positions were not being able to be filled,” Wright said. 

Test scores and the educator shortage 

Wright also said the recent changes to the way DPI measures the state’s standardized reading and math test scores weren’t transparent or well communicated. Underly, for her part, has defended the changes, saying they were necessary because standards changed several years ago and state tests had to be updated. She also said the new cut scores better align with state standards. 

“It caught way too many schools, the governor, the Legislature by surprise, and I think that that shows that broken trust,” Wright said. “That lack of communication is what people are really challenging in this.”

In reaction, Wright said his district made a spreadsheet to help measure scores from earlier years to the most recent year under the new changes. One of the biggest complaints about the changes was how it made it more difficult to track changes in student performance over multiple years. 

Lawmakers introduced a bill to reverse the changes and Wright said he supports the goal of the bill, but doesn’t agree it is something that should be legislated. 

“The fact that it’s being legislated is a result of a lack of trust and a broken relationship between the Department of Public Instruction and the Legislature,” Wright said. If the process for the changes were more transparent and open and there were a better relationship with lawmakers, Wright said he doesn’t “think we’d be in the same spot.”

To address the teacher shortage, Wright said the state needs to ensure that teachers have a voice in the workplace and feel respected in their jobs. Recent DPI data found that four out of every 10 first-year teachers either leave the state or the profession altogether after just six years. 

Wright said he wants to ensure the state education department is collaborating with colleges of education, educator associations and leadership teams to try to find best practices in other states or within the state’s districts that can be used across Wisconsin.

Wright’s supporters

One Wright supporter is Dan Bush, a Madison resident and former employee of DPI. He worked for DPI for several years, including during the first seven months of Underly’s term, as director of the school finance team. He said it was a “really professionally and personally satisfying opportunity to be able to get,” but when Underly took office, “things started going downhill very quickly.” 

“I really needed some urgency and some movement on helping me fill some vacancies because just personally, between COVID and doing double, triple duty, I was pretty exhausted at that point, but I just wasn’t getting your support in getting that filled,” Bush said.

In addition, Bush said there was “a lot of dysfunction and confusion with the new leadership team and coming in, not really communicating with managers what the direction was, what the issues were.”

Bush said he started looking for a new job within three months, and since leaving he has watched turnover in the department from the outside.

“Since I left, so much experience has just been gone. … Staffing was always kind of tight on that team, but losing so much expertise and so much experience in so short of time has really put the folks there in a tight place,” Bush said. He said he kept up with the Milwaukee Public Schools financial scandal, where the district was late in returning required documents to the state, and thinks that if “there had been folks who were more experienced, more knowledgeable,” he thinks the issue could have been addressed sooner. 

Bush said he has been hoping someone “good” would challenge Underly. Though he added that it’s “tough because for politics, you know, how much do voters really care about the internal administrative workings of a public agency?” He said, however, that those issues do have a “real impact for people.” 

“The way we fund schools in Wisconsin, most school funding is kind of zero sum. For some districts to get more money, other districts have to get less, and it does impact people,” Bush said. 

Bush said after speaking with people he knows in Sauk Prairie and surrounding communities and meeting with Wright on several occasions, he came to the opinion that he is the right person for the job.

“I think he’s someone who’s going to be a more effective advocate for kids in schools, you know, that’s the bottom line… I have a seventh grader here in Madison, and I care about what she learns, what happens to her, and so in that sense, I’m personally invested. But I also have this whole — the personal side of this area that I spent 10 years working in, that I still feel very close to, just has not been going well, and that part does bother me,” Bush said. 

Wright has the endorsement of Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA). 

AWSA Executive Director Jim Lynch said the organization interviewed all three candidates in its endorsement process. Lynch said he’s known Wright during he tenure at Sauk Prairie schools, and has worked closely with him. 

When it comes to DPI right now, he said “there’s room for improvement in terms of how you bring people to the table, when you bring people to the table and how that translates into sound management and really strong leadership,” Lynch said. However, he added that the endorsement is “mostly about we see a game changing candidate, and we think it’s incumbent upon us to say we think this is a special person.”

Lynch said the organization found Wright to be “a highly effective leader, highly competent, skilled, very personable” and “modest.”

Wright was recommended for the position by the political action committee of Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state’s largest teacher’s union. However, the full union hasn’t acted on a full endorsement.

Funding public education

Wright said he is supportive of increasing funding for Wisconsin public schools and said the number of districts turning to referendums as a way to fund operational and building costs is evidence that the current system for funding public education is “inadequate and broken.” 

“We have a system of haves and have nots across the state where districts that are in communities that have the capacity of passing a referendum and potentially have more income capacity to afford it, can pass referenda to expand programming and enhance their schools. While other districts are unable to pass referendum and are in a constant state of budget cuts and potentially considering dissolving the district completely,” Wright said. 

The special education reimbursement is the first funding issue that he wants the state to change. The reimbursement for public schools was raised from 30% to 33% in the last state budget. 

“In the early ’90s, the state paid for over 60% of special education costs. We have a moral imperative to provide these services to kids who need them,” Wright said. “The state should be helping us pay for them right now.”

Wright said he would also advocate for raising the spending limits for districts.

“If we raised the floor … we could bring 90% of districts in the state within 10% of each other on that revenue limit, which I think is fundamentally more fair and not forcing some districts to live under low spending conditions from the 90s, while others have continued to outspend neighboring districts,” Wright said. 

Limit state vouchers 

Meanwhile, Wright said that he is not in favor of the voucher programs in Wisconsin growing any larger and wants greater transparency and accountability for the current programs. 

First, Wright said that there should be a line on property tax bills so that people can see on those bills how much is going towards the choice programs. He also said that there should be more accountability. 

“Any time that you take public money to educate a student,” Wright said, “there should be similar rules of accountability of how you spend that money and how you serve those children.” 

He also said he would be open to discussing changing the income limits for students’ participation in the voucher programs. Currently, for a family of four the income limit for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Racine Parental Choice Program is $93,600 and the limit for the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program is $68,640. 

Wright said the cut offs are too high. 

“We either should be doing more of a graduated system so that if your family makes more, you qualify for less government assistance, or lower that cap, which also may help families who qualify for a voucher… A graduated system would be more fair,” he said, adding that it “would make it so that families that do have income levels that are beyond the average in their community are not receiving a full voucher from the state.”

Federal level issues

The DPI also helps districts navigate the impact of federal decisions. President Donald Trump recently signed executive orders that attempt to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in government, the private sector and schools and ban transgender girls from participating in girls sports. 

Wright said the issue is “personal” for him.

“I have been on the phone with parents in my school district who have been in tears because of being sincerely scared for their own kids,” Wright said. “While they are grateful for the love and support that their kids have felt in my school district and in my schools, when they see their own children, or children that are like theirs, being demonized in the national rhetoric, it really hurts.”

Wright said statewide leaders need to focus on ensuring that school districts are supported and students can be in school and feel like they belong. 

“It’s really hard to learn math when you’re scared or when you’re really, really anxious, so making sure that schools have the resources to support students when they’re going through times of trouble, and just doing all we can to be working with families and educators,” Wright said.

The administration is also considering eliminating the Department of Education. Wright said that there are important programs that the department oversees including Title I funding for districts that serve students that have the highest levels of free and reduced lunch eligibility and college financial aid. 

“We need to make sure that these programs continue, and that people understand exactly what the U.S. Department of Education does, and that the programming that we see from the federal government affects our littlest learners at Head Start, but also our adult learners that are accessing grants or loans for college or university education,” Wright said. 

The primary election is Tuesday, Feb. 18, and the general election is on Tuesday, April 1.

The Examiner spoke with all three candidates ahead of the election. Read about incumbent candidate Jill Underly here. Read about Brittany Kinser’s campaign here.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Sen. Jesse James is the coauthor on the postpartum Medicaid expansion bill. Screenshot via WisEye.

Members of the Wisconsin Senate Health Committee expressed support on Wednesday for a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers to a year after the birth of a child.

Typically, people in Wisconsin are only eligible for Medicaid coverage if they make up to 100% of the federal poverty level, but pregnant women can receive Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin if they have an annual income of up to 306% of the federal poverty level. While a newborn whose mother is a Medicaid recipient receives a year of coverage, mothers risk losing their coverage after 60 days if they don’t otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

The bill — SB 23 — seeks to change this by extending Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers from 60 days to a full year after childbirth. 

“This bill does not change that income threshold so no new women would qualify for Medicaid,”  bill coauthor Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) said at the hearing. “It would just allow for those women, who are already being covered, to be covered for longer to help address potential health issues that arise during the postpartum period.”

“My goal as a legislator… is to make sure we keep moving Wisconsin forward and fight for the future of our youth. We, as a state, are unfortunately behind on this issue,” James said. “We have a chance to do better for our moms, our kiddos and our families as a whole.”

The federal government gave states the permanent option to extend coverage to a year postpartum in 2022 in the American Rescue Plan Act.

Gov. Tony Evers has been proposing covering mothers for a year in each of his budget proposals since 2019, but the Republican-led Legislature has rejected it each time. A Republican bill passed the Senate last session with only one opposing vote and also gained the support of a majority of Assembly lawmakers, but it never came to a vote. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) has been a staunch opponent of the policy, saying that he doesn’t support expanding “welfare,” and has so far blocked its passage. 

There are currently 23 Senate cosponsors and 67 Assembly cosponsors on the bill. 

DHS Legislative Director Arielle Exner told lawmakers that from 2020 to 2022, there were 63 pregnancy-related deaths in the state of Wisconsin with one-third of pregnancy-related deaths occurring after that 60-day postpartum period; 76% of those who died had Medicaid at the time of their delivery. In 2023, Medicaid covered 35% of births in Wisconsin and 41% of births nationwide.

“Wisconsin moms are losing health care coverage when they need it the most,” Exner said. 

Exner said the agency projects that an additional 5,020 women would have coverage per month under the bill, and that according to a fiscal estimate by the Department of Health Services, the policy would cost $18.5 million in all funds with $7.3 million in general purpose revenue.

If Wisconsin accepted full Medicaid expansion, which would expand Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, the cost for the postpartum coverage would be reduced to $15.1 million in all funds with $5.2 million in general purpose revenue — a total lower cost to Wisconsin.

DHS chief medical officer Jasmine Zapata, who is also co-chair of the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team and a newborn nursery hospitalist, called attention to the fact that the numbers and statistics are representative of people’s lives. She noted that the team reviews medical records, police records, hospital records, family interviews and more when looking at the deaths. 

“The way they were found deceased in their homes after a suicide or overdose… striking stories and heartbreaking stories… their children were there when they were found, brain matter splattered on the floor after a gunshot wound to the head, these are serious situations that are happening,” Zapata said. “For every statistic that we see, we have to remember that there are real lives and real stories behind them.” 

Zapata said that providing access to health care is one of the biggest recommendations that the review committee has. 

Arkansas is the only other state besides Wisconsin that has  not implemented the extension, a fact that was brought up repeatedly during the hearing. That state has also recently been working on maternal health legislation, though a recent bill still excludes the 12-month Medicaid coverage.

“Are they going to beat us and we [will] become the last in the union that does not have this coverage?” bill coauthor Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston) asked. “It is my sincere hope that Wisconsin does not become the last… If we can’t get something like this done, then I don’t know what I’m doing in the Legislature.” 

“Can you believe it?” Snyder commented after a question. “Arkansas.” 

Jackie Powell, an OB-GYN who is completing her training in maternal fetal medicine, represented the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at the hearing. She said she often cares for the highest risk patients, who may have chronic medical conditions. 

“During pregnancy, we have the opportunity to gain control of these conditions, but for these people who lose their insurance and lose their health care postpartum, we are essentially erasing all progress that we have made throughout their pregnancy,” Powell said.

Powell said that through her work she sometimes diagnoses a major medical condition, including heart failure, cancer and kidney failure, during pregnancy that “alters someone’s life course.”  

“Many of these patients need life-saving surgery and intervention postpartum to save their lives. Oftentimes, we need to deliver patients very preterm so that they can receive this care that they need,” Powell said. 

“Imagine being told that you need to have major surgery for a life-threatening medical condition within the first few weeks after delivering your baby, and possibly preterm baby, and then losing your insurance. Imagine the complications that you could still experience without the appropriate follow-up care when in the last year, you underwent all of this. Imagine walking into the neonatal intensive care unit to see your baby that you delivered prematurely in a hospital where you can no longer be treated,” Powell said. “This is a failure of our medical system.” 

Former Rep. Donna Rozar, who was the lead author on the bill last session and is a nurse, also testified on the bill.

“I could not get, even, a public hearing in the state Assembly, which made me really mad, and so I’m hoping that this year, some things will be different,” Rozar told lawmakers. 

Rozar said that she has heard objections to the bill that people could seek coverage through the Affordable Care Act rather than Medicaid once the coverage is lost after 60 days. 

“If you have a two-month-old, the last thing you want to do is change insurance programs. At 60 [days], you’re caring for a two-month-old and shouldn’t have to worry about health care coverage,” Rozar said.

There are 37 groups — including American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Inc, Medical College of Wisconsin, American Heart Association, Pro-Life Wisconsin — registered in support of the bill, according to the Wisconsin Lobbying website. No one is registered in opposition. 

“I think we’re all on board with this bill,” Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) commented to the room at one point.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) speaks about the cell phone ban bill. Screenshot via WisEye.

Republican lawmakers made the case Tuesday for a state law that would require school districts to implement a policy banning cell phones and other devices from classrooms as a way to improve students’ focus and performance. 

The bill — AB 2 — would require school districts to adopt a policy that “generally prohibits pupils from using wireless communication devices during instructional time.” The policies would need to include certain exceptions in emergencies, cases involving   student’s health care, individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan and for educational purposes. Under the bill, the policies would need to be adopted by July 2026.

Wireless communication devices are defined as a “portable wireless device that is capable of providing voice, messaging or other data communication between two or more parties” and explicitly includes cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers and gaming devices. 

Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) and Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) said the policy would be beneficial to students and though many schools already have some, the statewide policy is needed to put enforcement power behind school districts.

“Phones can be a distraction for all of us, but it’s even worse for students,” Kitchens said during a Tuesday hearing in the Assembly Science, Technology, and AI committee. “The interruptions and the pressures of social media are detrimental to children’s mental health as well as to their education.”

According to DPI’s 2024-25 State Digital Learning survey approximately 90% of districts already have some sort of restrictive cell phone policy in place. About 320 out of the 421 public districts in Wisconsin participated in the survey. 

“The problem is enforcement without a strong unified approach to the problem. Most teachers eventually throw up their hands… By applying the power of state law behind these restrictions, we’re giving support to our schools,” Kitchens said. “This is not something we are doing to the school districts, [it’s] something we’re doing with them.”

Kitchens said that the law will not “usurp” local control as each district will be able to determine its own policy. He said an amendment to the bill was drafted to clarify that schools can also ban devices throughout the entire day, including lunch. 

“We deliberately drafted the bill to be as open as possible,” Kitchens said. 

Kitchens noted that much resistance to the policies comes from concerns parents have about being able to reach their children during the day. 

“If they’re only banned during class time, they can still reach them between classes. Schools will write their own policy on how they can be reached in case of emergency,” Kitchens said.

According to the Education Commission of the States, several states across the country, including Ohio, California, Florida, have similar statewide policies.

“The results of cell phone bans in schools have been universally positive in the U.S and across the world,” Kitchens said. “In Orlando, schools report that students are more engaged with less bullying and early reports show a dramatic improvement in test scores.” 

Democrats on the committee were skeptical about the need for a state law addressing the issue, given that many school districts already have policies in place restricting cell phone use for students. 

Rep. Ben DeSmidt (D-Kenosha) said the bill could create confusion and complication for school districts that already have policies in place. 

“If we’re just going to muddy the waters with this, and the problem is already being dealt with by school boards… Why don’t we trust those local electeds? Why are we challenging their authority?” DeSmidt asked the bill authors. 

Kitchens said that the intention isn’t to create confusion, but to provide enforcement mechanisms and provide cover to school districts when dealing with parents.

DPI Assistant State Superintendent Josh Robinson and Policy Initiatives Advisor Sara Knueve testified at the hearing and made some recommendations for how to make it more effective. 

Robinson said the bill gets to the “heart of” the idea of engagement. He said technology “is here to stay” and educators are responsible for ensuring students have the “digital learning skills necessary to compete and thrive in society.” On the other hand, he said DPI understands that there is a need to “mitigate the negative impact” devices can have on students’ mental health and learning.

Knueve noted that cell phone policies in schools vary greatly. 

“In general, middle and high schools tend to have some form of restriction, while elementary schools usually enforce a ‘no phones during the day’ policy. To manage devices, some schools use strategies like “phone hotels” or caddies for storage,” Knueve said. 

Robinson called the goal of limiting technology disruptions during classroom time “wise,” but had a few recommendations for how to change the proposed legislation. Instead of starting with an outright ban of all devices, the agency suggested setting a statewide policy goal of restricting non-district-issued electronic devices and leaving the local implementation of the policy up to each district. 

One of the specific suggestions was to require each school board to develop and adopt a policy that limits or prohibits pupils’ use of electronic communication devices during instructional time and also articulates specific times that the district cannot prohibit use of devices.

DPI also recommends that the bill update or repeal a current state statute, so there is no conflict. Wisconsin Statute 118.258 already states that each school board may, but isn’t required to, adopt policies prohibiting students from using electronic communication devices on premises owned, rented or under the control of a public school.

Finally, DPI said the bill should be changed to make a clear distinction between non-district-issued wireless communication devices and district-issued wireless communication devices.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

An empty high school classroom. (Dan Forer | Getty Images)

State superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser outraised her opponents — incumbent state Superintendent Jill Underly and Sauk Prairie Superintendent Jeff Wright — almost three times over with major contributions coming from conservatives and school choice proponents, according to recent campaign finance filings.

The primary for the state superintendent election is Feb. 18., and the top two vote getters will advance to the general election on April 1. 

Kinser brought in a total of $301,316 during the pre-election period. 

Republican mega-donors Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, the billionaire owners of the Uline shipping supply company, Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks and Bill Berrien, a potential GOP gubernatorial candidate and CEO of New Berlin-based Pindel Global Precision each contributed $20,000 to the campaign. 

J.C. Huizenga, a Michigan businessman who founded National Heritage Academies, a for-profit education management organization that operates more than 100 charter schools in nine states, including Wisconsin, also contributed $20,000. 

There were 11 donors total who gave the maximum contribution of $20,000.

Kinser also received $10,000 from Agustin Ramirez, founder of St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a private K4-12 school that participates in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. 

The campaign received $5,000 each from Fred Young Jr., a conservative donor who once successfully sued to get rid of limits on how much people can donate in total to multiple candidates running for office, and Scott Mayer, a Republican businessman who considered running for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

Peter Bernegger, one of Wisconsin’s most prominent election conspiracy theorists, gave about $1,042 to the campaign.

The Milwaukee Republican Party contributed $2,500, Cory Nettles, former Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce under Gov. Jim Doyle gave $2,500 and former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen gave $1,000.

Kinser reported spending $163,545, leaving her with $152,770.

According to Kinser’s late contribution report, her campaign has received $207,000 since Feb. 3. This includes $200,000 from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. 

Meanwhile, Underly reported raising $81,773 in the pre-primary period. 

The majority of that came from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which endorsed Underly in November. The party contributed a total of $50,000. The Washburn County Democratic Party also contributed $400 to the campaign. 

The AFT-Wisconsin Committee on Political Education, which has also endorsed Underly, contributed $5,000 in the pre-primary period. 

Underly has spent $37,974, and according to the report, has $79,124 left.

According to her late contributions report, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has since contributed another $50,000 to the campaign. 

Wright reported raising $38,269 during the pre-primary period and has spent about $16,233. He has $101,918 left according to the report. 

His largest contribution during the period came from Dan Gavinsky, a general manager of Lake Delton business Original Wisconsin Ducks and Dells Boat Tours. He gave $2,000 to the campaign.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

State Superintendent Jill Underly with Madison La Follette High School Principal Mathew Thompson and Madison Public School District Superintendent Joe Gothard in the hallway at La Follette | Photo by Ruth Conniff

Incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly says that Wisconsin has made some “incredible progress” in the last four years when it comes to education, but there is still more work to be done that she wants to see through in a second term leading the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Underly faces two challengers — education consultant Brittany Kinser, a self-described moderate and school choice proponent, and Sauk Prairie Schools Superintendent Jeff Wright, a Democrat — in the race for the nonpartisan office. The primary for the state superintendent election is Feb. 18., and the top two vote getters will advance to the general election.

“This position is about being the No. 1 advocate for public education, and I feel like I’m doing that,” Underly said in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner. 

Underly, a Democrat, ran for her first term in 2021 and defeated her opponent with nearly 58% of the vote. She said entering office during the COVID-19 pandemic was “unprecedented” and presented a bit of a “learning curve,” but she said she feels like DPI has “gotten our arms around what are the most important issues that the state of Wisconsin citizens want us to work on.” 

Underly said some of her work has included calls for increased investment in education throughout the budget process, and pointed to securing investments and starting certain initiatives for career and technical education, school mental health, teacher recruitment and retention efforts. She also said that she has worked hard to help elect people in the Legislature who will be “pro-public school advocates” and will help pass initiatives in the future. 

Underly said 2025 is “equally unprecedented” compared to last year and her experience makes her the right person to lead DPI.

“You need somebody in this role who can [offer] stability, who has the relationships, who can be consistent in this time of chaos and we need someone who’s going to stand up for public schools — for all kids, for teachers and families — and someone who has already proven that she can do it,” Underly said. 

Underly said her work on literacy is one of her proudest accomplishments in her first term. 

The agency was instrumental in negotiating 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, which sought to move the state towards a “science of reading” based approach and banned “three-cueing” — a way of teaching reading that relies on context, structure and letters to identify words. 

“I think what it proved is that we really do want the same thing. When we put politics aside, we can get some really good stuff done on behalf of kids,” Underly said. “The flip side of that is politics still is involved. I mean, we’re still waiting on that $50 million so that we can reimburse school districts for curriculum and hire some reading coaches, but I’m really proud of that.” 

Lawmakers had dedicated the money to supporting literacy changes in the last budget, but it is being withheld by Republican lawmakers. 

While Underly is proud of her accomplishments, Underly’s opponents in the race have been critical of her leadership. 

Recent changes to the way DPI measures the state’s standardized reading and math test scores is at the center of criticisms from her challengers, who said the changes “lowered standards” and that the decision to make the change wasn’t transparent or well communicated. The changes included new terms to describe student achievement and new cut scores, which are the minimum scores needed to qualify for certain achievement labels.

Underly said it’s “absolutely false” that DPI lowered standards and that “it wouldn’t be an issue” if the election weren’t happening.

Her opponent Kinser has said the changes were the reason she is running, and that she supports restoring “high standards.”

“The critics are wrong, and I think, by Brittany saying that this is the reason she entered the race, it just gives me this feeling that she just doesn’t understand what this job is about,” Underly said. 

“We didn’t lower standards. We raised standards in math and science. We added standards in career and tech ed. We added a literacy score for all kids. We were very transparent. This is something that DPI has done periodically since testing began in state law,” Underly added. “We had to change the scoring system to match the test, and you do that any time you change a test.”

Underly said she also thinks that the focus on testing is a distraction from other consequential challenges that school districts are facing. If student achievement is a major priority for the state, Underly said, it should look towards investing in mental health, literacy and math, teachers, school meals and early childhood education, including full-day 4-year-old kindergarten. 

“Where you see low test scores is in communities that have high poverty. You don’t see low test scores in the schools that have the best facilities or the most veteran teachers or strong and robust school nutrition and mental health programs,” Underly said. “It’s just a way to misdirect or to take the eye off of what really matters, and also then disguise the fact that our Legislature has underfunded schools and undermined public schools, specifically, for the past 15 years.” 

Increased investment in public education

A little before polls close in Wisconsin next Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his budget address at the State Capitol and unveil his complete state budget proposal. As a part of the process, state agencies submitted requests to Evers late last year. Underly and DPI submitted one that would dedicate an additional $4 billion — about the same amount as the current budget surplus — towards K-12 education.

The sweeping proposal includes increasing funding for mental health supports, special education costs, literacy and math education, teachers and staff pay, free school breakfast and lunch and early childhood education, including full-day 4-year-old kindergarten. Underly said she proposed it because “it’s what our schools need.” 

“They need, probably, more than that, but that’s what they need right now,” Underly said.

Underly noted school districts haven’t been receiving inflationary increases in funding from the state Legislature over the last 15 years. She also noted that last year a record number of school districts went to referendum to ask taxpayers to raise their property taxes to help cover operational and building costs. 

There was a “fiscal cliff because the COVID dollars were temporary, one-time, and they couldn’t make ends meet and we had record high inflation,” Underly said. “[Schools] still have to pay staff. They still have to put gas in their buses, and they have to pay utilities and all these other things to keep their operations going, but they haven’t been able to get any increase really that’s been sustainable from our state Legislature.”

Underly said investing could help address an array of issues.

For example, Underly said teacher retention could be helped with more resources and by reestablishing the “respect and rapport that teachers deserve.” Recent DPI data found that four out of every 10 first-year teachers either leave the state or the profession altogether after just six years. She said the agency has been doing some work to help, including securing a federal grant aimed at supporting special education teachers, but that more investment would be beneficial. 

Underly said enough people are being prepared for the job and by getting “more revenue in our schools, they have a feeling we can get more staff, either to lower class sizes, which will help with working conditions, and they can also pay their staff more.” 

Instead of adequately addressing the financial challenges, Underly said Republicans have been blaming schools “so that people will not send their kids to public school, and they can take that money and they can put it in private vouchers.”

Limit school vouchers 

Wisconsin’s school voucher programs, which use state money to subsidize families’ tuition at private schools, have been growing since the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program was created in 1990. The caps on Wisconsin’s school voucher program, which limits the number of students who can participate, are slated to be lifted in the 2026-27 school year and could have a big effect on the future of education in Wisconsin.

Underly said the state needs to ensure the program doesn’t expand any further. She noted that the programs aren’t held to the same accountability, testing, reporting or licensing requirements as the state’s public schools. 

“If you have somebody in the seat who is indifferent to vouchers, or is going to be supportive of vouchers, it’s really — that’s the end of public education in Wisconsin, and that’s what the federal government wants. They want to privatize public schools,” Underly said. “They want to take the money that they no longer have to spend in the Department of Ed and just give it to parents so that they could put it in a voucher.”

Endorsed by Democratic Party and AFT-Wisconsin

Underly’s approach to advocating for public schools is part of what has won her the endorsement of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, a union of professionals working in the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System, public schools and state agencies.

Jon Shelton, AFT-Wisconsin vice president for higher education and a UW-Green Bay professor, said that Underly’s incumbent status and accomplishments in office set her apart in the endorsement process. The organization, which has a constitutional process for endorsements, interviewed Underly and Wright. 

“[Underly] has always shown a commitment to ensuring that the voices of educators have a seat at the table and in the decision-making processes, both with the Department of Public Instruction, but also modeling that for local school districts,” Shelton said. 

In addition to overseeing the state’s 421 public school districts, the state superintendent also has a seat on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Shelton said Underly’s outspokenness for educators was an asset in her position there as well. He pointed out that she was the only regent to vote against a plan to fire 35 tenured faculty members at UW-Milwaukee and to give a speech about the negative consequences of the decision.

Shelton also called Underly’s budget proposal “visionary.” He said that K-12 education and higher education, while separate systems in Wisconsin, are connected since younger students eventually become college students and the higher education system is responsible for preparing their future education, which is why it’s important to see both supported by the state.

Shelton said the proposal is important because there is a budget surplus in Wisconsin and educators shouldn’t allow “our expectations to be lowered.” He noted that under new legislative maps, 14 Democrats flipped seats in the state Legislature and the impact could continue in the future.

“In 2026, Democrats could have control of either one or both houses of the Legislature. This idea that we have to basically just adhere to the low expectations of Republican priorities, it’s not the reality anymore,” Shelton said. “So it’s really important that we have people who are in a position like Dr. Underly, who have that platform to be able to vocally and forcefully advocate for these priorities, so that they’re on the agenda in 2026.”

Shelton said having an advocate willing to engage in certain battles is more important than having a candidate that prioritizes working across the aisle due to the actions being taken at the federal level right now.

“Our nation, our state, is under threat from authoritarian Republicans. Right now, the Trump administration is intentionally trying to sow chaos and intentionally trying to set working people against each other. This is why you have this, this executive order, which is meant to prevent even teaching about things like race and racism. This is not like the West Wing… where you have Republicans and Democrats having good faith differences of opinion. This is a party at the national level that is connected to [Assembly Speaker] Robin Vos and the Republicans at the state level, who, frankly, don’t want certain parts of our education system to exist,” Shelton said. 

“We’ve tried to find common ground with Republicans, and they just keep cutting our budgets and keep coming at us for more, and frankly, our administrators continue to accommodate this,” Shelton continued. “We’re not going to let our students and the people of the state have the public higher education system, that’s been so good for such a long time, just taken from us, and so we’re going to be the ones on the front lines of fighting it, just like we’re going to be the ones on the front line of fighting authoritarianism from the national level.”

The Wisconsin Democratic Party endorsed Underly for a second term at the end of November. Party Chair Ben Wikler called her a “steadfast advocate” for students, parents and schools in a statement and said she is a “proven leader” who is “championing our kids in the Department of Public Instruction.”

The political environment and working with the Legislature

During her term in office, Underly and the agency have regularly come into contention with the Republican-led Legislature on a variety of issues. Just last week, representatives from the agency testified against several Republican bills, including one to reverse test score changes and limit how schools can spend their money. 

Despite the disagreements, Underly said that she’s been able to work with lawmakers during her term. She said the literacy law is one example.

However, Wright cited the communication challenges that the agency has had with lawmakers, school districts and others. He said he would try to minimize partisanship, so that more conversations can be had between the agency and lawmakers. 

Underly said communication with lawmakers is an issue that the agency has been working on, and brushed back some of Wright’s critique. 

“It’s entirely comical that the male candidate in this race thinks that he’s going to have better luck with the Legislature…,” Underly said. “It’s really insulting that this, you know, this male candidate, thinks he can come in and undermine my leadership and call me a bad communicator.”

Underly said that when she speaks with lawmakers individually and when people on her team speak with them it’s clear that they agree on a lot, but that politics and polarization can get in the way. She noted that most lawmakers want healthy kids, high quality public schools and communities in rural and urban areas. 

Underly said in a second term she would continue to work on improving the relationships and is hopeful that new faces in the Legislatures will help. 

“We need people in the Legislature who will fight for public schools, too. That’s really what it comes down to,” Underly said. “I think we have to understand that it doesn’t matter who’s in the seat, if you’re a public school advocate, it’s always gonna be a struggle.” 

In discussing the politicization of education, Underly called attention to the recent actions being taken by the federal government at the instruction of President Donald Trump. She said the actions are “chaotic” and “cruel.”

“The things that they’re axing and cutting and slashing are programs that are meant to help kids,” Underly said. She pointed to Head Start programs and the freeze on payments that have been affecting child care centers across the country, including in Wisconsin. “We look at the programs that they’re cutting like these that are helping the most vulnerable kids so that they can be successful, healthy adults.” 

The administration is also considering eliminating the Department of Education, and Underly warned that people need to be prepared. 

“If he says that’s what he’s going to do, we have to believe them… I don’t think people realize all the different things the Department of Education administers,” Underly said. She noted many programs work to ensure certain people have equal access to education, including kids and families in poverty, students with disabilities, English language learners, Native American students, kids in rural areas and girls.

“There’s so many protections in place… I think of the funding that our schools get, our state gets money from the Department of Ed. I don’t know if the state Legislature would be willing to fill those gaps,” Underly said. “There’s a lot to be concerned about.” 

Trump has also signed executive orders that attempt to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in government, the private sector and schools. He has also eliminated a policy that stopped Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from going to “sensitive areas” — a decision that opens schools up to immigration raids.

Underly said her “North Star” is focused on “creating safe, welcoming environments where every child feels valued and respected, where every child feels they belong so they can thrive.” She said DPI trusts schools and educators to work closely with families and communities to support all students, though the agency is also providing guidance. 

“I’m going to always stand up for kids, especially your most vulnerable kids, and just remind people to stay focused on what matters,” Underly said. “We’re going to follow the law, and we gave them the guidance that will help them.”

The primary election is Tuesday, Feb. 18, and the general election is on Tuesday, April 1.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE