Wildfires last January destroyed communities around Los Angeles. Homeowners say recovery has been slowed by fights with insurers to get their claims paid.
(Image credit: Josh Edelson)
A federal judge ruled Monday that work on a major offshore wind farm can resume, handing the industry at least a temporary victory as President Trump seeks to shut it down.
(Image credit: Steve Helber)
A 422,000-square-foot Art Deco building overlooking Lake Monona in Madison was the home of state employees for nearly 100 years. It most recently served as the offices of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Today large “For Sale” signs bookend the historic structure, which sits vacant just a few blocks from the Capitol. A brochure for the property describes redevelopment opportunities such as a boutique hotel or mixed-use space. It also notes its proximity to a potential future commuter rail station in another state-owned building occupied by the Department of Administration.
The sale of the building, announced in December, is merely one piece of a multiyear initiative of Gov. Tony Evers’ administration known as Vision 2030. The plan seeks to make state government smaller and save taxpayers money through “rightsizing” underused office space and supporting hybrid work to grow the number of state workers across the state, according to the Department of Administration.
Since its launch in 2021, state agencies have sold millions of dollars worth of buildings and consolidated more than 589,000 square feet of office space, nearly 10% of the state’s total building footprint, according to DOA reports. The funds from building sales are used to cover outstanding state debts and then transferred to the state’s general fund.
“I see this really as a win-win both for state workers and for taxpayers,” DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld said in an interview with Wisconsin Watch. “One of the things that we’re looking at is modernization and how can we be more efficient and be good fiscal stewards for the state.”
Vision 2030 fits with a long-standing desire by Wisconsin’s leaders of both parties to reduce the physical footprint of state agencies and create a presence outside of Madison. Former Gov. Scott Walker also sought to move state divisions and to seek efficiencies for taxpayers by reducing private leases. Walker’s administration oversaw the construction of a new state office building that opened in Madison in 2018 and is home to eight state agencies today.
These ideas on building a smaller, modernized state government are likely to continue when Evers leaves office next year. Former Evers Cabinet member Joel Brennan, who led DOA when it launched Vision 2030 in 2021, is one of at least eight Democrats running for governor this year.
Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, a Republican candidate for governor running against U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, announced in December a “Shrink Madison” plan to require state employees to return to in-person work, sell state office buildings in Madison and eventually move key agencies to different regions across the state. His plan specifically mentions continuing Evers’ Vision 2030 efforts.
But he also goes further to move agencies out of liberal Dane County and into more conservative parts of the state — a potential source of political patronage. Schoemann proposes moving the Department of Veterans Affairs to La Crosse, the Department of Natural Resources to Wausau, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to Stevens Point, the Department of Financial Institutions to Green Bay, the Department of Tourism to Rhinelander and the departments of Children and Families and Workforce Development to the Kenosha/Racine area.
Those moves would take years, but Schoemann in an interview said he sees it as a way to improve the relationships between state government and its citizens.
“I think this is about people, first, affordability and accountability and changing the culture of state government, which to me, ultimately, is just entirely too focused on itself … and getting it back focused on the people,” Schoemann said.
The Evers administration’s plan grew out of the pandemic when conditions required remote work, deferred maintenance costs for state buildings kept rising, and there was a growing need for workers to fill state jobs — all colliding at the same time.
“All these things were swirling at one time, and we launched a study in 2021 trying to get our arms around that,” Blumenfeld said.
Hybrid work opportunities meant state agencies took up less space and could hire workers outside of Madison and Milwaukee, which Blumenfeld refers to as the “Hire Anywhere in Wisconsin” initiative. Remote work also meant the state could get rid of underused office space through consolidation or sales, she said. In Milwaukee, the state sold a former Department of Natural Resources headquarters in 2022 and purchased 2.69 acres for a new office building. But as of last year it planned to work with a private developer to create a multitenant public-private space instead.
Expected moves in Madison this year include the sale of the former human services building along Lake Monona where offers are due in March. Other expected moves in 2026 include the spring listing of two adjacent general executive offices in downtown Madison, the brutalist GEF 2 and GEF 3 buildings, at a combined total of 391,000 square feet, Blumenfeld said.
Blumenfeld said DOA has seen limited opposition to building sales and agency moves to reduce office space, but the Republican-led Legislature has pushed back on remote work following the pandemic. Lawmakers have argued that in-person work ensures more accountability for state employees. Evers in October vetoed a Republican bill that would have required state employees to “perform assigned work duties in physical office space for at least 80 percent” of their work time every month.
“The important progress my administration has made on our Vision 2030 goals means that it would not be possible to return to largely in-office-only work arrangements without leasing more space,” Evers wrote in his veto message. “Or having to re-open buildings that are slated for closure and sale — both of which will cost taxpayers more money.”
Blumenfeld said she can’t predict what the next governor will do when it comes to government efficiency, but changes in the state’s workforce needs and updates to work spaces are unlikely to slow down.
“Our hope is that we’ve laid a really solid foundation for utilizing space efficiently, effectively, for hiring the best talent, for bringing in people from all over the state and bringing family-sustaining jobs to all 72 counties,” Blumenfeld said.
Wisconsin voters will choose the next governor later this year, with primary contests in August and the general election in November.
Other than Schoemann’s plan, gubernatorial campaigns that responded to questions from Wisconsin Watch shared different perspectives on how they would address state government’s size and efficiency.
Tiffany, the Northwoods congressman and Schoemann’s primary opponent, said he supported then-Gov. Walker’s move of the DNR’s forestry division to Rhinelander when he served in the Legislature, but his goal is focused on rooting out “waste, fraud and duplication” in state government.
“I’ve supported changes like that when they make sense, but my focus is making government smaller, more accountable, and more efficient, not just rearranging the furniture,” Tiffany said.
Among Democratic candidates, plans for state government include making sure state agencies are effectively helping Wisconsinites and that citizens can access resources.
“Mandela Barnes’ priority as Governor is to deliver for Wisconsin families and lower costs — which includes ensuring state agencies are serving communities effectively, are spending taxpayer dollars efficiently, and that Wisconsinites in every corner of the state can access the services they rely on,” Cole Wozniak, a spokesperson for the Barnes campaign, said in a statement.
Brennan, who helped develop Vision 2030, in a statement said state government should continue to work for and be led by Wisconsinites.
“Any conversation about the future footprint of state government should start with access, effectiveness, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” Brennan said.
Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said the state should invest in modernizing its technology so agencies can deliver better services to citizens across the state. Republicans in the Legislature have pursued a “fiscally irresponsible starvation of government for decades,” she said.
“There’s a huge opportunity to make state government work better and deliver better outcomes for people at lower cost to taxpayers,” Roys said. “But it does take that upfront investment and political capital, frankly, to say it’s actually worth spending a little money to save bigger in the long run.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
Wisconsin’s state building footprint is shrinking. Candidates for governor have different ideas about what’s next is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
The Northwoods Policy Network aims to ensure the region has a stronger voice in statewide decisions.
The post Effort launches to elevate Northwoods priorities in Wisconsin policy decisions appeared first on WPR.
On Jan. 4, the Carthage Institute of Paleontology shuttered, ending a long-standing agreement between the college and Kenosha Public Museums.
The post ‘The fossils won’t be going to Kenosha anymore’: Unique fossil hunting program at liberal arts college ends appeared first on WPR.
As he begins his final year in elected office, Gov. Tony Evers is calling on the Republican-held state Legislature to release money for property tax relief, even as GOP leaders have sought to blame him for rising taxes.
The post Looking toward final year in office, Evers discusses affordability, immigration appeared first on WPR.
In south central Wisconsin, a group of neighbors got together to celebrate a goose's soaring recovery.
The post Madison’s ‘SASY’ neighborhood bands together to rescue a ‘very sassy goose’ appeared first on WPR.
Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health have stopped providing gender-affirming care treatments to minors, citing recent federal policy changes.
The post Children’s Wisconsin, UW Health stop providing gender-affirming treatments for minors appeared first on WPR.
Milwaukee County plans to use nearly $25 million in federal funding for more than 60 street safety projects throughout the community.
The post Milwaukee County awarded nearly $25 million in federal funding for street safety projects appeared first on WPR.
Chippewa Valley Technical College doesn’t have an athletic department. But last semester, for the first time, it had a winning competitive cheer team.
The post Meet the only competitive cheer team from a Wisconsin technical college — Chippewa Valley appeared first on WPR.
Challenging a $313 trespassing ticket, a local man hopes Wisconsin courts will rethink who can walk along Lake Michigan’s public shoreline.
The post Wisconsin man hopes his $313 ticket will reshape Lake Michigan shoreline access appeared first on WPR.
Feigin's tenure included the financing and construction of Fiserv Forum and the team’s 2021 championship. Now, he’ll be replaced by an executive from the team’s ownership group.
The post Bucks’ Feigin committed to community, downtown development, business editor recalls appeared first on WPR.
A former Littleton Public Schools bus aide has pleaded guilty to multiple charges stemming from the abuse of at-risk students, including a nonverbal child with autism, after disturbing video evidence came to light, reported Fox 31.
Kiarra Jones reportedly accepted a plea agreement Jan. 5 that includes 10 counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk individual and two counts of child abuse. One additional charge was dismissed as part of the agreement. The case followed the release of a video in 2024 showing Jones punching and stomping on a nonverbal student while the child was riding a school bus to the Joshua School, which serves students on the autism spectrum.
Following the video’s release, additional families came forward with allegations the aide was abusing their children. The law firm representing three of those families said the abuse occurred over several months. Attorneys reported numerous warning signs, including behavioral changes and physical injuries such as unexplained bruises, scratches, a lost tooth, a broken toe, a black eye, and deep bruising on students’ bodies and feet.
“Each one of us have kids that get scared every time they see a school bus driving by,” said Kevin Yarbrough, the father of one of the students. “My son still walks with a limp from what she did to my kid, so this is going to be a lifelong process. There were obvious systemic failures, and we want more people to be held accountable.”
Attorneys for the families have alleged that Littleton Public Schools failed to protect the students, stating that district officials reviewed bus video footage in 2024 and concluded there was no cause for concern. Parents said they requested an investigation for months before action was taken.
“This should not have gone on as long as it did,” Yarbrough said. “We are going to make sure people are held accountable.”
Jones did not comment as she left the courtroom.
Jones had previously pleaded not guilty in August 2024 to 11 counts but reportedly accepted the plea agreement ahead of her scheduled trial, which was set to begin Monday. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18. According to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, each felony count carries a maximum sentence of 1.5 years in prison.
Related: Texas Student Arrested Following Alleged Sexual Assault on School Bus
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Related: Virginia School Bus Aide Arrested for Alleged Assault
Related: Alabama School Bus Driver Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Student with Special Needs
The post Former Colorado School Bus Aide Pleads Guilty to Abusing At-Risk Students appeared first on School Transportation News.
It’s a new calendar year but school transportation leaders face the same challenges. As Albert Einstein famously said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
This month’s articles highlight key areas where leaders can make impactful changes to improve safety, efficiency and equity for all students, especially those riders with
disabilities.
While all important, Linda Bluth’s column on addressing sexual assault on school transportation vehicles especially strikes a chord. The topic must be the most horrifying for student transporters to discuss, aside from a fatality. We know from research that students with disabilities are at a significantly higher risk of being targeted for sexual assault than their non-disabled peers. Bluth shares that one constant over her storied career has been the number of sexual assault cases she has been asked to serve as an expert witness on.
She underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to protect students by calling for an industry task force to address this sensitive yet essential topic, to confront it head-on and ensure the safety and well-being of students.
Ask yourself, what policies does your transportation department and school district have in place regarding sexual assaults occurring on or around school buses or other school transportation vehicles. Bluth writes it is vital to create clear, school board-approved policies that define and address sexual assault as well as bullying and harassment on school transportation vehicles. Training all transportation personnel and students on these policies is vital.
Supervision must also be enhanced. A growing trend is more attendants on routes to assist school bus drivers with behavior management. High-back seats, Bluth says, create a barrier to seeing what students are doing. I hear that concern often from readers, an unintended consequence of NHTSA’s 2009 update to FMVSS 222 that increased the minimum seatback height to 24 inches.
Providing adequate adult supervision on all vehicles used for school transportation is paramount to the safety of all students.
Technology is supplementing these efforts with state-of-the art video camera systems. Increasingly, AI-enhanced software is showing the promise of even predicting or identifying the risk of potential assaults, but these solutions are in their infancy. Never mind the expense. First and foremost, student transporters must have policies for regularly reviewing footage. Most camera systems come with alerts to notify supervisors
of incidents. But there remains no consistent solution better than, if you “see something, say something.”
Train your school bus drivers, monitors and other staff to trust their intuitions. If something feels “off” during a route, it probably is. Foster a culture where transportation personnel and students feel safe reporting inappropriate behavior without fear of retaliation.
There is plenty to think about when reading this month’s issue, which also looks at the importance of modern routing software, AI-powered tools and data-driven solutions to address driver shortages and training, route optimization, and Medicaid reimbursement challenges. Alternative vehicles also continue to gain ground in transporting students to and from school.
With them comes the need to train their drivers on proper child safety restraint and wheelchair securement. At the half-way point of the school year, consider how your operations are poised to tackle all these issues. As school transportation leaders, the responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of students is paramount. By addressing critical safety issues, embracing technology, and fostering collaboration, we can drive meaningful change in the industry.
Let’s turn these insights into action, ensuring that every student’s journey is safe, efficient and supportive of their educational success.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the January 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
Related: (Recorded Webinar) Building Resiliency: Hot Trends in Student Transportation For 2026
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The post Driving Change in 2026 appeared first on School Transportation News.
Uncertainty with transportation funding, policies and federal changes can make the future seem foreboding for the student transportation industry. Security consultant Bret Brooks plans to outline ways to manage stress without being overwhelmed by today’s challenges.
The opening general session “How to Care Less Without Being Careless: Modern Stress Management,” is scheduled for Friday, March 27 at STN EXPO East. Brooks will explain the “Law of Reversed Effort” that reveals the impact of lowering anxiety to increase openness, creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Through a combination of real-life examples and interactive exercises, attendees will learn how to evaluate their triggers and stressors, and manage stress by realigning priorities. Brooks plans to show attendees how to see through the noise and identify “What’s Important Now,” through contemporary methods such as the Care-O-Meter, the 30,000-foot perspective and the recommendations of Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
This dynamic session will not only provide educational instruction but equip attendees with the steps to remove avoidable stress and focus their energies in a targeted and efficient way. Attendees will not only be able to reflect on their personal and professional challenges but discover the secrets to reducing stress and living a healthy, balanced life.
Brooks’ military and law enforcement background — he is a major in the U.S. Army and a retired member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol — provides a unique take on stress management as someone with decades of experience in high-stress situations. He is the chief operating officer for Gray Ram Tactical, LLC, a Missouri-based international training and consulting firm specializing in transportation safety and security issues, as well as an author of books and articles.
STN EXPO East will be held March 26- 31, 2026 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa. The Early Bird Savings Deadline is Feb. 13, register today at stnexpo.com/east.
Related: STN EXPO East Agenda Addresses Industry Challenges, Outlines Innovative Solutions
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Related: STN EXPO East Opens Online Registration for March 2026
The post STN EXPO East to Feature Timely Discussion on Managing Stress appeared first on School Transportation News.
The School Superintendents Association, AASA, announced its four finalists for the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year Award. The winner will be named at the annual National Conference on Education in February.
AASA along with award co-sponsors Corebridge Financial and Sourcewell will recognize on of the finalists “for their outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing public education in their communities,” a press release noted.
The following finalists were nominated by their state associations and honored with the title of State Superintendent of the Year. They were measured against criteria such as leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.
Demetrus Liggins, superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools in Kentucky joins Roosevelt Nivens, superintendent of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, Heather Perry, superintendent of Schools at Maine’s Gorham School Department, and Sonja Santelises, the chief executive officer at Baltimore City Schools in Maryland.
Related: Superintendent Defends School Bus Driver Accused of Erratic Driving, Potential Impairment
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“These extraordinary leaders embody the transformative power of public education,” stated David R. Schuler, AASA’s executive director. “Their visionary leadership uplifts students and demonstrates our continued commitment to providing every child with the opportunities, experiences, and education that prepares them for college, career, and real life in the real world. We are honored to celebrate their incredible success and accomplishments.
The winner will be announced on stage during the National Conference on Education, Feb. 12-14 in Nashville, Tennessee. A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year to a student who attends the high school from which the superintendent graduated or a school within the district.
The full list of 50 state superintendents of the year is online.
The post AASA Announces 2026 National Superintendent of Year Finalists appeared first on School Transportation News.
Gov. Tony Evers said he is focusing on what can be accomplished in the final year of his term rather than what he and his wife may do once he retires from office. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)
Gov. Tony Evers, who is entering his final year in office, is calling on lawmakers to help him accomplish some of his priorities in 2026 including providing property tax relief and taking action to blunt the effect of cost-shifting from the federal government to states by the Trump administration.
Evers decided to not run for a third term last year, leading to the first open race for governor since 2010. During a press briefing Monday, he told reporters “nope” when asked if he had thoughts on who in the crowded Democratic primary field could best build on his work.
While he wouldn’t comment on the field, Evers said that working on affordability in Wisconsin would be one of his top priorities — and likely one of the top issues in the 2026 campaign cycle.
Evers said he is focusing on what can be accomplished in the final year of his term rather than what he and his wife may do once he retires from office.
“We’ve worked hard for seven years and… we have a year left and it’s not all about me. All of the things that need to be addressed, many of them can be. I feel very strongly that legacy is just doing the right thing for the people of Wisconsin,” Evers said, adding he wants to leave Wisconsin in “a better place.”
The Wisconsin Legislature has work days scheduled through March, though Evers said work may need to go into April to get the state’s business accomplished. He said lawmakers could run for office and work at the same time.
“I think it will help no matter who is running for reelection, both the Republicans and Democrats, actually spending some time not getting out of town as early as possible and let’s do some things for the people of Wisconsin,” Evers said. “It’s bad politics to say we’re done in February, we’re done in March and we’ll see you at the polls.”
Evers said 2026 is starting after a year of “historic and bipartisan wins” for Wisconsinites. He highlighted actions taken in the state budget including providing state funding directly to child care centers, increasing school funding and investing in the University of Wisconsin system, and said he wants to build on that work in the rest of his term. “Our budget was a win for Wisconsin kids, families and our state’s future, but there’s no denying the final budget looked different from what I proposed,” he said.
Evers noted that the state ended the fiscal year with nearly $4 billion in reserves and $2 billion in a rainy day fund. He said projections from the Department of Revenue that will be released soon show that the state could also bring in as much as $1 billion more than this year.
Evers said one of his top priorities is taking action to soften the impact of property tax increases. He called on lawmakers, again, to pass a slate of policies he has proposed that could result in $1.3 billion in tax relief.
Wisconsin taxpayers’ December bills included the highest increase since 2018 — the result, in part, of Evers’ controversial 400-year line-item veto, which extended a two-year increase in the amount of money districts can raise from local property taxpayers for centuries into the future, as well as lawmakers’ decision to not provide additional state aid to schools, pushing many districts to use their additional taxing authority and others to go to referendum, asking local residents to pay more.
“Look, I get it: Republicans love to blame my 400-year veto for property taxes going up,” Evers said. “The problem with that is Wiscosinites were going to referendum before increasing the number of years — long before. The question would be why? Because of a decade of Republicans consistently failing to meaningfully invest in our kids and K-12 schools. That has consequences including forcing Wisconsinites to raise their own property taxes.”
Evers said that he wasn’t saying relief needs to be accomplished in one particular way, but that the state will be in a “world of hurt” if nothing is done about property taxes.
Proposals on the issue that he has suggested include a state program to encourage local governments to freeze property taxes, increasing state aid to public schools to help reduce tax levies and increasing the school levy tax credit.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) has also named lowering property taxes as one of his top priorities for the year, though he and other Republicans have focused on the school revenue limit increases that are in place due to the partial veto Evers issued on the 2023 state budget. Evers brushed off the criticism, saying school districts were seeking property tax increases through referendum way before his veto.
“Before that 400-year veto, we were going to referendum all the time, so they can use that as an excuse if they want but let’s just get this done,” Evers said.
Evers also called on lawmakers to provide additional funding for special education. He and lawmakers put funding in the budget they calculated would bring the state’s share of special ed costs to 42% of districts’ expenses in the first year of the budget and 45% in the second year, but the Department of Public Instruction has issued revised numbers showing that the funding allocated in the budget likely won’t be enough to meet those rates.
“This has to be fixed before the Legislature goes home this year. I’m calling on the Legislature to invest the necessary funding to ensure the agreed upon percentages… are met — or better yet, make the appropriation sum sufficient,” Evers said. Sum-sufficient appropriations are not fixed amounts of money but cover costs for programs even if they fluctuate.
Evers also said lawmakers should take action to exclude certain items including diapers, toothpaste and over-the-counter medications from the state’s sales tax.
Evers said he is also open to looking at Republican proposals to eliminate taxes on overtime and tips but wants to consider more “universal” forms of tax relief. Republican lawmakers have been working to advance proposals that would align state tax policies with the new federal policies that were adopted last year.
In his letter to lawmakers, Evers told them they may need to take action to blunt the effects of Trump administration policies.
“With more chaos being created every day in Washington, new challenges continue to emerge and evolve that deserve our immediate focus and attention,” Evers wrote to lawmakers. “This includes responding to President Donald Trump’s and Republicans in Congress’ ongoing efforts to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in federal program costs to Wisconsin taxpayers and our state’s future budgets.”
A recent change to federal law means that the state could be at risk of losing more than $200 million annually in federal funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program if the benefit payment error rate climbs above a certain level.
Evers told reporters that he is in conversations with lawmakers about a potential investment to ensure that the error rate for the state’s Foodshare program remains low. The state Department of Health Services has said that $69 million would help implement quality-control measures and cover the cuts the federal government has made to administrative costs.
The Trump administration has also recently frozen funds to five Democratic-run states, including Minnesota, due to child care fraud while also increasing reporting requirements for states receiving child care funds to cover services for low-income kids.
Evers said Wisconsin, not one of the five, is in a good position to ensure accountability in the system as the state already made significant changes after a fraud scandal like Minnesota’s was uncovered in Wisconsin more than 15 years ago.
A 2009 Pulitzer prize-winning investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel uncovered significant fraud within the state’s WisconsinShares program that led to criminal indictments and prompted the state to implement protections.
“We’re making sure we’re doing everything and we are in a good place,” Evers said. “There’s lots of auditing going on… so I think we’re in a great place.”
Evers told reporters that it is a “huge mistake” by President Donald Trump to exclude Minnesota from the investigation into the death of Renee Good at the hands of an ICE agent last week.
“Should the people of Minnesota or Minneapolis be a part of that investigation? Hell yes,” Evers said. “When the federal government comes in and talks about things in terms of you’re going to do this or that… you want to be part of the conversation and there’s none of that going on.”
Evers said in response to a question about whether ICE was welcome in Wisconsin, “We can handle ourselves, frankly. I don’t see the need for the federal government to be coming into our state and making decisions that we can make at the state level.”
However, Evers stopped short of endorsing a proposal from Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez that would bar ICE from certain areas.
Rodriguez, who is running in the Democratic primary for governor, proposed on Monday that the state ban ICE from courthouses, hospitals and health clinics, licensed child-care centers and daycares, schools and institutions of higher education, domestic violence shelters and places of worship unless there is a warrant or an imminent threat to public safety.
Evers said when asked about the proposal that he would look at it, but that “banning things will absolutely ramp up the actions of the folks in Washington D.C.”
Evers said he is “confident” there will soon be a proposal to release $125 million in state funds to fight PFAS contamination that members from both sides of the aisle can support. He said his administration has spent the last several months in conversation with Republican lawmakers on the issue to try to reach a compromise.
Evers said that he hopes they will be able to do the same for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program, which is set to expire this year.
Evers said he is open to exploring options for getting WisconsinEye, the nonprofit that provided livestream coverage of state government similar to C-Span until it went dark last month, back online, but said he isn’t supportive of just giving the nonprofit state funds without a match requirement.
WisEye went offline Dec. 15 due to financial difficulties. There is $10 million in state funding for the organization that was set aside by lawmakers and Evers for an endowment, but the organization has to raise matching funds to access it.
“I think there has to be some skin in the game,” Evers said of WisEye.
The organization launched a GoFundMe on Monday to help raise $250,000, which would cover its expenses for three months. By the end of the day, the organization had raised more than $4,000.
Evers also called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 60 days to a year. Vos has opposed the bill and stopped it from receiving a vote in the Assembly, even as it passed the Senate with only one opposing vote and has more than 70 Assembly cosponsors.
“I’m hoping 2026 will be the year that the Speaker finally decides that bill will make it to my desk,” Evers said.
Evers also outlined his hopes that lawmakers will take action to help lower the cost of health care and prescription drug prices including by capping the price of insulin at $35, passing legislation to audit insurance companies when their denial rates are high and creating new standards to increase the number of services health insurance companies must cover.
Evers also called on lawmakers to provide funding for two sites that closed last year, one in Green Bay and the other in Chippewa Falls, that housed homeless veterans. He said ideally the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program would receive the nearly $2 million as he proposed last year.
Evers said he hadn’t seen the GOP-authored bills that passed the Assembly unanimously that would create a new state grant program that would go to organizations that serve homeless veterans.
“Whatever we can do to solve that issue,” Evers said. “Any of the things I’ve talked about today, if something happens individually, great. We have to get that done, so if they come up with a plan that I feel confident it’s going to work… then I’d sign it.”
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