Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said extending postpartum Medicaid coverage is morally and fiscally “the right thing to do” for Wisconsin. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Senate passed a bill to expand access to health care for postpartum mothers on Tuesday, while Assembly Republicans passed bills to further restrict and implement obstacles to accessing unemployment benefits for Wisconsinites.

The Senate for a second time since the last session passed a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers in Wisconsin from 60 days to a full year after childbirth. The measure received almost unanimous support, passing 32-1 with Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) casting the only ‘no’ vote. 

Bill author Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) said at a press conference that Wisconsin has a responsibility to support mothers and babies. 

Pregnant women in Wisconsin can currently receive Medicaid coverage if they have an annual income of up to 306% of the federal poverty level, however, they risk losing their coverage 60 days after giving birth. Newborns already receive a year of coverage in Wisconsin. 

The bill received an outpouring of support from members of the public during a bill hearing. This included, James noted, support from mothers who dealt with heart failure, preeclampsia and other health issues.  

“That’s why we’re here today,” James said. “Those moms are why we’re here today — their stories of life-threatening heart conditions, postpartum complications and the postpartum depression… Let’s give them the care they need.” 

Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said it is morally and fiscally “the right thing to do” for Wisconsin. 

According to a fiscal estimate by the Department of Health Services, the policy would cost $18.5 million in all funds including $7.3 million in general purpose revenue. If Wisconsin joined other states that have accepted the full federal Medicaid expansion, the cost for the postpartum coverage would be reduced to $15.1 million in all funds including $5.2 million in general purpose revenue.

Wisconsin is one of only two states in the country that haven’t opted to expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum moms, and despite bipartisan support, because of opposition from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), the bill continues to face challenges in becoming law. 

“Why is Wisconsin fighting for last place?” Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) asked during floor debate.

Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) said he was glad that the proposal was being voted on again, but also said it is “odd” that lawmakers were speaking about extending the benefit in a national political environment where the federal Medicaid program as a whole is under threat.

“I would hope that we could take that initial step beyond [this bill] …  to do our best to ensure that Medicaid overall is protected,” Larson said. “If the feds decide to set fire to Medicaid, as has been happening with other areas of government, there is no way that other states can make up for it.” 

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) noted on the floor that the Senate also passed the bill last session 32-1, and the Assembly is the reason that it was unsuccessful. 

Assembly Speaker Vos was one of the major obstacles to the advancement of the bill in the Assembly last session, and he continues to oppose the bill, having termed it an expansion of “welfare.”

“[Assembly Republicans] sat on it and did nothing and since that time, women and babies have been hurt because they haven’t received the care that they need,” Hesselbein said. “I’m very hopeful after our action again today that we could talk to the Republicans in the state Assembly and get this done.”

Felzkowski told lawmakers to remember that it can take more than one legislative session for a bill to pass and expressed confidence that the Assembly will eventually come around. 

“Sometimes it takes two or three [sessions], sometimes it takes four. We’ll get the Assembly there,” Felzkowski said during the floor session. “I promise.” 

When asked about the bill during a press conference Tuesday, Vos didn’t commit to bringing it up for a vote, saying that his caucus hasn’t discussed it yet, but he said he hasn’t changed his own position.

“My position has been fairly clear from the very beginning. I’ve never supported an expansion of welfare. I can’t imagine that I would ever support one,” Vos said. “But we have to talk about it as a caucus.”

Over 70% of the Assembly are co-sponsors on the bill, including 28 Republicans — who represent over half of the Assembly Republican caucus — and 44 Democrats. It needs a simple majority of 50 votes to pass.

New restrictions, requirements on unemployment insurance 

While the Senate sought to expand the public health care benefits for Wisconsin mothers, Assembly Republicans took action to restrict benefits for Wisconsinites who lose their jobs, passing a slate of bills that would restrict and implement more obstacles to receiving unemployment insurance.

People in Wisconsin are eligible to receive unemployment insurance if they were laid off and must be able, available and actively looking for work and willing to accept suitable work. The state Department of Workforce Development determines the weekly benefit. In Wisconsin, the minimum weekly benefit in Wisconsin is $54 while the maximum benefit is $370 per week.

Vos said the bills ensure that “all the folks who are in Wisconsin, who are able-bodied” and “living off the system wrongly” are “doing their due diligence to find a job as opposed to living off the system.”

Democratic lawmakers slammed the bills, saying they were wrongly seeking to make it more difficult to access public benefits at a time when Wisconsinites may need them more than ever given recent upheaval in the federal government under the Trump administration. 

“While Trump is starting trade wars, pushing the economy off the ledge and laying off droves of federal workers, legislative Republicans are doing nothing to push back,” Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said. “In fact, they’ve decided that the best use of our time here today on the floor is to make it harder for Wisconsinites to receive their earned benefits in a very chaotic time.”

Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee), speaking against the bills lawmakers were taking up, said it appeared to be “kick folks while they’re down day” in the Assembly. He said unemployment insurance is a “Wisconsin idea” — noting that Wisconsin was the first state in the country to establish an Unemployment Compensation program — and that the program provides protections for businesses and employees.

“Employers pay into UI and their employees get access to unemployment insurance by working for them, and when someone is laid off or a deeply unfunny billionaire with a chainsaw fires them or a business goes out of business because of deeply unfunny tariffs then the employee… gets a little bit back to help them survive until they get another” job, Clancy said.  

Republican lawmakers defended the bills as making the unemployment programs better for employers and those seeking the benefits. 

One bill — AB 164 — would change Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance program by renaming it the “reemployment assistance” program and expanding requirements for receiving the help. It would also require claimants make “direct” contact with potential employers as a part of their four required work searches weekly — or risk their benefits. The bill passed 53-42.

Rep. Benjamin Franklin said the bill requirements are “not a burden.” 

“It is an opportunity,” Rep. Ben Franklin (R-De Pere) said during floor debate. “Making real connections with hiring managers increases the odds of finding work that aligns with one’s experience, goals and skills.”

Vos said the proposals are “common sense” and accused Democrats of trying to keep people out of work.

“There are people all over the state of Wisconsin who are lying to us, lying to themselves and getting the benefit of the resources that the state of Wisconsin have when there is a job ready and waiting for them to take it,” Vos said. “Why would you want to support people who are scamming a system?”

Lawmakers also passed AB 165, which would ban local governments from using tax money to create guaranteed income programs without a work or training requirement, in a 53-42 party-line vote.

A handful of Wisconsin cities have explored pilot guaranteed income programs, including Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau. Clancy said people benefiting from local guaranteed income programs were being misrepresented by Republicans. 

“Giving cash to people in poverty helps them not to be in poverty,” Clancy said. “As it turns out, most people already know what they need and they make remarkably astute decisions about how to spend these benefits to help themselves and their families by meeting their most urgent needs.” 

Clancy said that in Milwaukee some beneficiaries have used the program to help pay rent, buy a vehicle to help them get to work and to take time off in preparation for the birth of a baby.

AB 167, which would expand the definition of employee misconduct used to deny an unemployment insurance claim and a worker’s compensation claim, passed 53-42.

Under the bill the definition of misconduct would include the unauthorized possession of an employer’s property or theft, unauthorized distribution of an employer’s confidential information, use of an employer’s credit card or other financial instrument for an unauthorized purpose and the violation of a company’s social media policy or absenteeism policy. The bill would also require the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to conduct random audits of half of the work searches reported by people claiming unemployment benefits. 

Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha), speaking against the bill, said Republicans will have to “wake up to the reality that there is chaos and confusion in Washington D.C.” at some point. 

“It will hurt working families in Wisconsin and… one of the things that they’re going to need if a recession comes and they are out of work and they are laid off are these unemployment benefits,” McGuire said. “Making it easier to restrict them from those benefits is bad. It’s bad for our economy. It’s bad for our working families. It’s bad for the people of the state.” 

Bill author Rep. Duke Tucker (R-Grantsburg) said that everyone should “strive for efficient and effective government programs” and said the bill would help ensure the unemployment insurance program is “healthy.” 

“Unemployment insurance is for those who lost their job through no fault of their own. What better way can we ensure the possibility of increased benefits [than] by having a solvent fund that’s well managed?” Tucker asked. He added there is no “ill intent” with the bill. 

Evers has previously vetoed bills similar to the unemployment changes and the guaranteed income ban.

Other related bills passed by the Assembly include:

• AB 162 would require state agencies to compile metrics on training and workforce development programs, including the unemployment rates and median earnings of participants six months after they graduate from a program. It passed 53-42.
• AB 168 would allow felony fraud claims related to unemployment to be prosecuted up to eight years after a crime was committed, extending the current statute of limitations of six years. It would also require the DWD to provide information about unemployment — including providing training materials for employers and claimants and expanding its call center hours — and to implement “identity-proofing” measures for unemployment. The bill passed 53-42.
• AB 169 would allow an employer to report to DWD an unemployment recipient who  declines or fails to show up to a job interview or declines a job offer. This would be used to determine benefits. The bill passed 53-42.

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Madison Public Library Director Tana Elias said advocacy on behalf of libraries by Wisconsin residents and other stakeholders is essential right now. The Madison Public Library is in the process of collecting physical notes from patrons to be mailed to lawmakers. (Photo courtesy of Madison Public Library)

Threatened federal funding cuts are causing uncertainty for the future of Wisconsin libraries and the programs they provide to the public, especially for those serving rural areas — and libraries are pushing Wisconsinites to talk to their lawmakers.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March to downsize and begin the process of eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency responsible for providing funding to states, including over $266.7 million last year. In 2024, Wisconsin received $3.23 million from the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States program, which is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the country. 

Northern Waters Library Services Director Katherine Elchert called IMLS the “backbone” of American libraries. While the cuts could affect all libraries, Elchert said the cut would be a “direct blow” to rural libraries, including those in her system.

Elchert’s system is one of 15 public library systems across Wisconsin. It’s made up of 27 libraries in the northern part of Wisconsin and is one of the smaller population size library systems, but the largest geographical systems. It is expected to get $64,064 in federal funding — or 8% of its total funding —  from the federal government in 2025, according to DPI. 

“Most [of my libraries] are quite small and the loss of this funding will impact every single library in my system….” Elchert said, adding that patrons might not immediately recognize the impact of cuts. “It’s not like the institute is providing money so your libraries can buy books. It’s more providing large, big picture collaborations,” she said. 

Some of those collaborative programs that could be affected include interlibrary loans, a mechanism for Wisconsin libraries to share information, books and resources across the state, WISCAT, the state’s resource sharing platform, and Badgerlink, an online library that gives people access to online databases and educational resources. 

Ben Miller, library services director for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, said his team is made up of about 20 people, 16 of them funded through federal dollars. They are responsible for providing support to local libraries, including supporting collaborative programs and ensuring they work. Miller said that Wisconsin has had more than 15 million materials moved between libraries each year with the Interlibrary Loan programs and WISCAT.

“If we lost federal funding, we would be down to a skeleton of a skeleton crew of three folks,” Miller said. 

Badgerlink is funded with state dollars, Miller said, but the staff at DPI is responsible for negotiating contracts and ensuring there is access to Wisconsin residents. 

“Our team of people make that happen, and without this federal funding, that state money would pay for content that no one can access,” Miller said. 

The agency has also worked to make WISCAT more accessible.

“We pay for the platform, we staff it… we manage it, and we have folks that help with those referrals,” Miller said. “It allows us to cast requests outside of the state even, so you could get a book from Florida into Wisconsin if that is what you need.” 

The DPI also distributes federal funds in the form of grants that allow libraries to pilot programs that could become part of regular services in the future. 

A recent example, Miller said, is the JobPod Initiative in Brown County, which has helped provide resources including digital literacy training and technology skills to Wisconsinites seeking a job through their public libraries. 

Another example of a successful program is the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, widely known as Libby, which provides people across the state with access to e-books and audiobooks.

“We provided money, found out people loved it, slowly stepped ourselves off, and then the library systems just went nuts and started buying books and things and now we have, like, the second most checkouts in the nation in Wisconsin,” Miller said. “We were able to stand that up, using this federal money to test the concept, and say, like, ‘Hey, this thing, this works. Let’s do it,’ and then they can incorporate it into their budgets.”

Miller said that his team is looking at the potential scenarios and working to provide service until they find out they aren’t funded. 

The last time the agency got communication from the IMLS, Miller said, was after the executive order, but before the appointment of Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith E. Sonderling to serve as acting director of IMLS on March 20. 

In that communication, Miller said, the federal government notified the agency that it should expect payment on April 22. Tuesday, he said, will be the next milestone. Some states, including California and Washington state, have already received notification that their Grants to States funding has been pulled.

Wisconsin’s library agency hasn’t had any communication with the federal government lately, though it has been monitoring for anything new. Miller said the program officer assigned to Wisconsin was part of the staff put on administrative leave in March. 

Typically, Miller said, he would be preparing to finalize the budget and preparing to put out grant applications, but he said his agency will be proceeding with caution, even if the state does get the funding on Tuesday.

“We’re holding back until we have a better picture of the future… We have questions about how this will look,” Miller said. “All of this funding is contingent on the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, which comes up for renewal this October, and so even if we get this money next week, we’re going to be really gun shy about putting that out until we know the future of IMLS as an institution and Grants to States moving forward.”

Miller said that the agency is also waiting to see what comes from a multi-state lawsuit launched by 20 states, including Wisconsin, challenging the Trump administration’s cuts to the IMLS and arguing that it violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. 

Elchert said the programs funded with federal money and the work of the state supporting those programs are important for broadening the collections available to libraries “particularly in those rural areas that don’t have the space or the budget to have those large collections that, say, Madison does.” 

Elchert noted that South Dakota recently announced it is suspending its interlibrary loan service in light of the federal cuts.

“My library system could not provide all of these resources. It’d be — I don’t even know how much it would cost to try and it just wouldn’t happen to be frank,” Elchert said. “So everybody is losing access to all of these larger resources that connect Wisconsin to the larger world.”

Elchert noted that the federal cuts are also affecting tribal libraries, which had their federal funds cut a couple of weeks ago. There are two, the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University Community Library and the Ben Guthrie Lac Du Flambeau Public Library, in her system.

The cuts would hit Wisconsin’s urban libraries as well.

“Ironically, this [executive order] is supposed to eliminate government inefficiency, but this is an incredibly efficient system to offer these services statewide and have them run at the state level with federal funds or any funds for that matter,” said Tana Elias, director of the Madison Public Library.

Elias said that if the funding isn’t awarded there will likely be a “scramble” in July to figure out what programs could be stopped initially and over time.

“It may be that we have to go back to the vendor and renegotiate a contract or renegotiate a reduction in service that we can afford in the meantime, while we wait for all of this to play out,” Elias said. “It’s a lot of uncertainty.”

According to a joint statement from Madison Public Library and Madison Children’s Museum, IMLS has awarded an average of 18 grants per year to Wisconsin museums, libraries and other institutions over the last 15 years — totaling nearly $70 million dollars over that span.

The Madison library was also notified that one of its recent grants that helped support the Observation Deck, a program that was being used to measure and illustrate the impact of library programming and support librarians in improving it, was canceled. She said the library had spent about half of the $240,000 awarded before it was canceled. 

“It’s a reduction,” Elias said. “But we have a plan to continue and wrap up that project with the funding that we have now.” That plan includes not moving forward with a second grant request and paying for service directly so the platform can continue to be used. “We won’t be able to expand it and offer it for other public libraries to use,” she said.

Elias added that she was concerned that the cuts could limit professional opportunities for library staff. Currently, she said many of those opportunities become available through DPI at little to no cost. She said professional training and ensuring staff have support will be even more important if public services shrink in other areas. 

“Library funding is being targeted. Humanities funding is being targeted. Arts funding is coming. We all know that education funding is being targeted as more of those funds slip away from us… as all of those safety nets shrink and fray, people will be coming to libraries more and more,” Elias said. “I think it’s even more important that we continue to have strong funding for libraries, because they’re kind of a safety net for a lot of people.” 

Elias said advocacy on behalf of libraries by Wisconsin residents and other stakeholders is essential right now. The Madison Public Library is in the process of collecting physical notes from patrons to be mailed to lawmakers. 

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium, which includes all of the public library systems in the state, has put together a webpage to inform residents about and encourage them to lobby their lawmakers for funding.

“It does make a difference. Legislators do listen to their constituents, and I think because we are working on a statewide campaign across the whole state, we’ll hit both those Republican and Democratic legislators… I think having bipartisan support is really important,” Elias said. 

Elchert of the Northern Waters system said that librarians are “scrappy” and everyone is working to help the community.

“It’s important that patrons know that their library services will be impacted if these cuts go through,” Elchert said. “It’s not a matter of will it be felt, but how badly will it be felt.”

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State Superintendent Jill Underly said "Washington, D.C. should not dictate how schools educate their kids." Underly pictured with Madison La Follette High School Principal Mathew Thompson and Madison Public School District Superintendent Joe Gothard in the hallway at La Follette in September 2024. (Photo by Ruth Conniff/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction rejected the Trump administration’s request to certify compliance with a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in K-12 public schools. 

State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement that Wisconsin schools are following the law. 

“We’ve put that into writing to the USDE,” Underly said. “We believe in local control in Wisconsin and trusting our local leaders – superintendents, principals, educators – who work together with parents and families every day to support students. They know their communities best. Washington, D.C. should not dictate how schools educate their kids.” 

The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter earlier this month to state agencies across the country requesting that agencies check with local school districts to ensure they don’t have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. 

The federal administration is trying to apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision, which said race-based programs in higher education violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, to K-12 education. The administration said state agencies needed to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court decision. 

Wisconsin is one of several states, mostly led by Democrats, that have pushed back on the request. The Trump administration, which has been targeting diversity efforts in K-12 schools as well as in higher education and other sectors, has threatened that it could pull funding from states that don’t comply with the request.

Wisconsin schools receive $841.9 million from the federal government, making up about 8% of the total funding for schools across the state. Funding from the Department of Education makes up $568.2 million of that, and according to DPI, this is equivalent to 6,106 educator jobs. 

According to the letter, DPI provided the Department of Education with copies of previous certifications of compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The agency said that its repeated requests for additional information about the new certification request went unanswered. In an April 9 letter, DPI asked for clarification on why the federal government was requesting another certification and asked the Department of Education to answer questions including whether the requested certification seeks to enforce any requirement beyond what is required by federal law and regulation and what legal authority the Education Department is using to make the request a condition of federal aid. 

“If the certified assurances are insufficient to meet the conditions of federal funding imposed by USDE, please articulate the basis in law for imposing these conditions, as well as an explanation as to why these assurances do not fulfill those requirements,” DPI General Counsel Benjamin Jones wrote to the Department of Education.

Underly said the new certification is a way for the federal government to “directly control the decisions in our schools by conditioning federal dollars. This is a serious concern – not just for the DPI, but for anyone who believes in lawful, transparent government.”

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Gov. Tony Evers after signing the 2023-25 budget bill with 51 partial vetoes on July 5, 2023. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

A split Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto in the last state budget extending school funding increases for an additional 400 years was within his constitutional powers. 

The executive partial veto powers granted in the Wisconsin State Constitution are uniquely expansive, though they have been limited in the past through Supreme Court decisions and constitutional amendments passed by the Legislature and approved by voters.

In the 2023-25 state budget bill, Evers used his partial veto power striking two digits and a dash from the years to extend the annual increases through 2425, saying the action would help provide ongoing financial support to schools. The initial bill had included a $325 increase to schools’ revenue limits for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.

Justice Jill Karofsky wrote in a majority opinion that the partial veto was within the power given to Evers in the state constitution, which says “appropriation bills may be approved in whole or in part by the governor.”

“We uphold the 2023 partial vetoes, and in doing so we are acutely aware that a 400-year modification is both significant and attention-grabbing,” Karofsky wrote. “However, our constitution does not limit the governor’s partial veto power based on how much or how little the partial vetoes change policy, even when that change is considerable.”

The case challenging the partial veto was brought by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce on behalf of two Wisconsin taxpayers, Jeffery A. LeMieux, a retired professor, and David T. DeValk, a Fox Valley substitute teacher — arguing that the action was unconstitutional and undemocratic. 

WMC Executive Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley said they were disappointed by the ruling, and that Evers “exceeded his authority at the expense of taxpayers, and now our great-great-great-great-grandchildren will still be paying the price for his reckless disregard for the law.”

Karofsky laid out several options that lawmakers could take if they want to address the issue further, including by addressing it in a future budget — such as the 2025-27 budget that is being worked on now, by passing a constitutional amendment or by drafting bills separate from appropriation bills to avoid the governor’s partial veto or trying to anticipate how the power might be used. 

Lawmakers have introduced a couple of proposed constitutional amendments. One, which passed last session, would bar the governor from using the veto power to create or increase any tax or fee. Another introduced in January would replace current language that says a partial veto may “not create a new word by rejecting individual letters in the words of the enrolled bill, and may not create a new sentence by combining parts of 2 or more sentences” to say the governor may “only reject one or more entire bill sections.” 

Those proposals have to pass in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature before they could go to voters for ratification. 

Karofsky wrote that the Court “takes no position regarding these measures. We merely outline them to illustrate legislative alternatives to the action before us.”

The three conservative justices on the Court slammed the majority opinion, saying that by upholding the veto the Court has given the executive the power to make law separately from legislators.

“How does a bill become a law?” Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in the dissenting opinion. “According to the majority, one option looks like this: The legislature passes a bill in both houses and sends it to the governor. The governor then takes the collection of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks he receives from the legislature, crosses out whatever he pleases, and — presto! — out comes a new law never considered or passed by the legislature at all. And there you have it — a governor who can propose and enact law all on his own.” 

Hagedorn wrote that the majority’s opinion makes “a mockery of our constitutional order. This is a mess of this court’s making, and it is long past time for us to fix it.” 

In an opinion concurring with the majority, Justice Rebecca Dallet said the precedent set forth in other cases before the court have “emphasized that a partial veto may affirmatively change the policy of the original bill.” Dallet said that she is “open to revisiting” that, but “this case is not a ‘clear opportunity’ to do so.”

“Petitioners do not ask us to overturn any of our prior decisions, let alone reimagine completely our approach,” Dallet wrote. 

Republican leaders and Evers react to decision, upcoming budget

Republican leaders were critical of the decision, saying that the Court had granted the governor unchecked power and that the decision would lead to tax increases for Wisconsinites.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said that the decision was evidence of the Court being partisan and “should worry every Wisconsinite.” 

“Is any Wisconsin citizen surprised that the liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are now a rubber stamp for liberal ally Tony Evers?” Vos asked. “The liberal Justices’ decision itself describes the effects of this decision as ‘significant and attention-grabbing.’ Modest words for a tortured reading of our Constitution that will hurt Wisconsin taxpayers for hundreds of years to come, all in the name of supporting their ally in the Governor’s office.”

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said that the Court “proved again that they will rule based on partisanship and politics rather than the rule of law” and that the veto was “an unprecedented overreach that will impact generations of Wisconsin taxpayers.”

Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said that the state cannot afford to provide money for the increases, calling it “wildly unrealistic” and “fiscally unsustainable,” and that increases would be felt by property taxpayers. 

The partial veto applied to increases to schools’ revenue limits, meaning that school districts will have more leeway to bring in funds through property taxes or state funds. The partial veto did not allocate additional state dollars for the increases, though lawmakers could decide to provide state funds for the increases. The partial veto also did not automatically mean school districts would raise taxes, though they would have the option.

Wisconsin has limited school districts’ ability to raise funds through property taxes since 1993. Schools originally received regular adjustments to their limits on an inflationary basis, but that was eliminated in 2009 and since then increases have relied on lawmakers or school districts going to taxpayers for permission to increase taxes.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s via property taxes or income taxes, this money is going to come out of the pockets of Wisconsinites from Tomahawk to Racine,” Felzkowski said. She called on Evers to “come to the table to find a solution to this problem that he created, otherwise average Wisconsinites will be forced to take on the financial burden that he has put on them.” 

Evers said in a statement that schools deserve “sustainable, dependable, and spendable state support and investment” and said the decision was great news.  

“For over a decade, the Legislature has failed to meet that important obligation. Importantly, this decision does not mean our work is done — far from it,” Evers said. “Today’s decision only further underscores the urgent need for Republican lawmakers to approve the K-12 investments I’ve proposed to ensure our kids and our schools have the resources they need now and into the future.”

Evers has called for an additional $3 billion in investments for the state’s K-12 schools, funded with the state’s $4 billion budget surplus. Lawmakers have said the decision would be influential in the shape of education funding in the 2025-27 state budget. 

Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly echoed Evers’ sentiment, calling the decision a win.

“The broader need remains: real, usable investments in our schools. That means fair special education reimbursement, meeting the mental health needs of our kids, stronger support for our educators, and access to nutritious school meals at no cost for every child,” Underly said. “These priorities must be reflected in the upcoming state budget. Without meaningful investment and an aid commitment from our Legislature, the burden continues to fall on local property taxpayers.”

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Jay O. Rothman, president of the University of Wisconsin System, speaks during the UW Board of Regents meeting hosted at Union South at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

Federal funding cuts and national culture war politics cast a long shadow over a state legislative committee hearing Thursday as Wisconsin’s higher education leaders asked lawmakers for additional investments in the next state budget — warning that disinvestment by the state could damage  public universities’, private nonprofit schools’ and technical colleges’ ability to serve students and the state. 

Lawmakers working on the 2025-27 state budget are gathering feedback from agency heads and members of the public just as higher education institutions across the country are facing an onslaught of threats from the Trump administration. 

As Republican lawmakers on the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee grilled Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and other higher education leaders on their budget goals, they appeared skeptical about providing additional funding. They pointed to current levels of spending and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which state Republicans have demanded be cut from the UW. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, expressed concerns about federal cuts to research and recent targeting of international students whose visas have been revoked. 

Rothman defends $855 million budget request

Rothman asked lawmakers whether the state is going to let its public universities “atrophy.” If not, he said,  new investments need to be made. The UW system has requested an additional $855 million, with the support of  Gov. Tony Evers, in the upcoming budget. 

The money  would be used to keep college affordable and accessible for Wisconsinites,  invest in retaining talented staff and support innovation, Rothman said. He told lawmakers the money would help UW maintain its two-year campuses and avoid raising tuition.

“We are at a state that without additional support from the state, student successes that we are seeing across our universities are at risk,” Rothman said. He noted that the state’s investment in the system has not kept up with inflation, and the money would put Wisconsin at the median nationwide. This would be up from Wisconsin’s current position of 43rd out of 50 when it comes to state investment in public universities.

This is not the first time Rothman has testified to lawmakers about the system’s request, having addressed lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee, which is in charge of writing the budget on April 1.

Committee Chair Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville) asked Rothman where he thought the money would come from.

“That is a challenge for the Legislature… This is an investment in the future of the state. We are returning $23 for every dollar that is invested in the Universities of Wisconsin,” Rothman said, citing a number that comes from a 2018 study.

Murphy told Rothman that he was “leery” of that number.

“If we’re increasing the money to the university by $855 million, are you telling me that I can expect $20 billion?” Murphy asked.

Rothman pointed out that lawmakers and their constituents have benefited from the existence of UW schools.

“At this table, you represent districts that have 9,000 students currently in school at the Universities of Wisconsin… More than half of you have attended one of our universities and hopefully you have benefitted from that,” Rothman said.

Murphy attended UW-Fox Valley from 1972 to 1974, according to his legislative biography. The school was merged with UW-Fond du Lac and UW-Oshkosh in 2018, and is now known as UW Oshkosh-Fox Cities. That campus is set to close in June.

Trump administration threats hanging over college campuses across the nation were central to the discussion over whether lawmakers should provide universities additional state funding.

Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) brought up diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at UW institutions. An audit released last week found campuses haven’t been tracking their spending on these efforts. The audit was part of Republican lawmakers’ ongoing targeting of DEI, and comes as the Trump administration has also ramped up efforts to try to eliminate diversity programs in education. 

Republican lawmakers used staff pay and capital projects funding during the last legislative cycle as a negotiating tool with the UW system to get concessions on DEI efforts, including a reduction in positions focused on DEI. 

“We’re trying to see more of an effort to see in money savings, and I know there’s been reductions in positions, but there’s also been requests to add more,” Nedweski said. “We had a deal on DEI. Would you say that the UW system kept up their end of the deal?”

“Yes,” Rothman said.

“I wouldn’t say that’s what the audit says,” Nedweski said. 

Rothman responded that the UW has gone above and beyond the terms of  the deal, having reduced staffing by 43 positions even though the agreed upon deadline won’t arrive until December 2026. 

“We were on our way when the [Legislative Audit Bureau] did its field work in May of 2024,” Rothman said. “Since that time, we have made significant progress, and we are in compliance with the agreement as it relates to the positions. We’ve exceeded what we said we were going to do.” 

Nedweski said she was concerned about being able to measure the outcomes of the investments in DEI programs. 

“We now have a pattern within the UW system and our other state agencies where taxpayers are making investments in things like employees teleworking without knowing if there’s productivity. We’ve heard repeatedly from the UW system that we don’t really know their actual impact,” Nedweski said. 

Rothman noted that nearly 36,000 students graduate with degrees from Universities of Wisconsin schools each year. 

“I think that is an extraordinary [return-on-investment] for our state,” Rothman said. 

Murphy asked Rothman about a letter from the Trump administration sent to over 60 schools, including UW-Madison, warning that they could face consequences if they don’t address “antisemitism” on campus. UW-Madison is one of many schools where students joined encampment protests against the war in Gaza last spring. The Trump administration has said the university didn’t properly protect Jewish students.

“How do we control this antisemitism problem on our campuses?” Murphy asked. 

Before Rothman answered the question, Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) interjected, asking what the topic had to do with the budget. 

Murphy shot back that, as chair of the committee, he could ask what he wanted. 

“If you think this isn’t a budgetary issue, I think you should talk to Columbia University and see what they would say about that,” Murphy said. Columbia became a target of the Trump administration after large student protests there and has had over $400 million in federal funding, mostly for medical and other scientific research, terminated, despite agreeing to police student protesters and place the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under scrutiny.

Rothman said the UW system is navigating First Amendment issues and being inclusive, but that the UW has done a lot of work to ensure that all students, including Jewish students, those with conservative beliefs, veterans, those who are disabled, “feel they are part of the campus community.”

Democrats on the committee expressed concerns about federal cuts to research funding, potential threats to Pell Grants and student loans and the targeting of international students. 

Emerson asked about the impact of federal cuts to research. The Trump administration has been targeting funding for higher education institutions across the country, including cutting over $12 million in research funding to UW-Madison. The flagship campus has laid off six employees so far.

Rothman said he is deeply concerned about the federal cuts. UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee are both tier one research institutions and the federal government invests about $1 billion annually in UW schools for research, Rothman said. 

“It’s not like we can start five years from now, six years from now… These research engines were built over generations,” Rothman said. “If they are not maintained, that’s gone.” 

Rothman said the impact would be felt in sectors across the state including as research would be lost and researchers even in the private sector could be affected as many are educated at public universities. 

Rothman said that philanthropic support would be incapable of filling the gap that would be left from federal funding cuts.

Nedweski said she thought there is skepticism among taxpayers about the federal funding of research. She asked whether the UW system is expecting Wisconsin taxpayers to pick up the cost. 

“I don’t think that the state could afford to pick up what could be lost,” Rothman said. “I think what’s going to happen if that occurs is that research capacity is going to decline, research infrastructure is going to decline and that will be our new reality going forward.” 

Emerson also asked Rothman whether the Trump administration’s move to cancel foreign students’ visas is having a “chilling effect” on prospective international students. Dozens of UW students and alumni, including 26 at UW-Madison, have had their visas cancelled by the Trump administration in recent weeks as a part of an unprecedented nationwide move by the federal government targeting international students. 

“Do we have fewer applications from international students for next school year?… Are there international students who are thinking of finishing their bachelor’s or higher education back home?” Emerson asked.

Rothman said that it was too early to know as most applications have already been submitted. He said that about 10,000 international students attend UW schools.

“We may have a number of international students who might be accepted into our universities that will not come because of this. We know there is anxiety among our international students just generally, for reasons that are understandable,” Rothman said, adding that the university is seeking to support students, but is  not providing legal representation to them.

Private, nonprofit schools and tech colleges on budget requests

Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities President Eric Fulcomer told lawmakers the top priority for private nonprofit colleges and universities is doubling the funding for the Wisconsin Grant (WG-PNP) Program, which provides assistance to undergraduate, Wisconsin residents enrolled in a degree or certificate program at non-profit, independent colleges or universities based in Wisconsin, from $57 million to $114 million.

Fulcomer’s organization represents 22 private nonprofit colleges and universities in Wisconsin, including Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Beloit College and St. Norbert College. It also includes Northland College, which was founded in 1892, but announced in February the school will be closing after this year’s graduation due to financial hardships.

There has been no additional investment in the grant program in the last two state budgets. Private, nonprofit schools don’t receive state funding to sustain their operations, but many students rely on the funding to be able to attend the schools. 

Among its neighboring states, Wisconsin ranks last when it comes to the amount of need-based grants awarded to students attending private nonprofit schools. The investment would not bring Wisconsin to the top, but would bring it to the middle among states in the Midwest. Currently, Wisconsin can give a maximum amount of $4,400.

The schools’ request is more than the governor’s budget request; Evers  proposed a 20% increase.

“I would prefer a larger increase,” Fulcomer said. “20% would be welcomed but it’s not enough to move the needle.”

If there is no increase in the budget, Fulcomer said the award will need to be reduced to $3,850, bringing Wisconsin even further below its peers.

Nedweski asked if he had suggestions for where the money for the budget request could come from. The state has a $4 billion budget surplus, which Evers wants to pull from to fund many priorities in his budget.

Fulcomer noted that about a quarter of all bachelor’s degrees and a third of all master’s degrees come from Wisconsin’s private, nonprofit schools and that students are providing millions in revenue to the state via taxes. 

“It’s a good investment, but I’m not in a position to tell you where you might find those dollars,” Fulcomer said.

“We are not operating with a lot of extra money in the next biennium. If you get more, it has to come out of somebody else’s bucket,” Nedweski said.

Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-New Richmond) commented that he thinks lawmakers “should reward success” and he admires the retention and placement rates for the private schools. 

Emerson asked about what would happen if the Pell Grants were reduced or eliminated — a question that comes as the federal grants face a shortfall and as there is also uncertainty surrounding the future of student loans. 

“Potentially we’d be looking at a 27% cut to enrollment,” Fulcomer said. “Cutting the Pell Grant or eliminating the Pell Grant would be devastating for our sector.”

Wisconsin Technical College System President Layla Merrifield asked for  about $60 million from the state, including $45 million that would go toward general aid for its 16 colleges. The technical college system’s budget for 2024-25 totaled about $1.3 billion with $592.9 million coming from state aid. 

“There’s almost no better investment that you could make in Wisconsin’s economy, in its workforce and its people than the technical college system,” Merrifield said. “Our outcomes are well documented. We are transparent with our data, both our failings and our successes.”

Murphy thanked Merrifield for her approach to the budget. 

It is “a little bit what we were looking for from the UW today…,” Murphy said. “They want $855 million, but it’s taken nine months, and we still don’t have very much detail around what they expect to do with that money.”

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Krish Lal Isserdasani, who is from India, has been studying computer engineering at the UW-Madison since 2021 and plans to graduate on May 10. UW-Madison Engineering Hall. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the cancellation of a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduate student’s visa and any actions in relation to that by the Trump administration. 

Krish Lal Isserdasani, who is from India, has been studying computer engineering at the UW-Madison since 2021 with plans to graduate on May 10. On April 4, just a month before graduation, Isserdasani received notification from UW-Madison’s International Student Services office that his visa was cancelled and his authorization to be in the country would end on May 2. He received no communication from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the State Department regarding the visa revocation.  

His cancellation was part of a wave of cancellations at universities across the country as President Donald Trump’s administration targets international students and ramps up deportation efforts in a crackdown on immigration.

U.S. District Judge William Conley wrote in his order Tuesday that Isserdasani has a “reasonable likelihood of success” on his claim that his visa was wrongly terminated and faces “possible devastating irreparable harm” as a result of the cancellation. Conley’s order bans the government from revoking his visa, detaining him or taking any other actions related to the cancellation pending a preliminary hearing April 28.

“The loss of timely academic process alone is sufficient to establish irreparable harm,” Conley wrote. “Given the amount of Isserdasani’s educational expenses and potential losses from having to leave the United States without obtaining his degree, the court concludes that Isserdasani credibly demonstrates that he faces irreparable harm for which he has no adequate remedy at law in the absence of injunctive relief.” 

Since the termination earlier this month, Isserdasani has reported a significant psychological impact on him, according to the order, including “difficulty in sleeping and fear that he will be placed in immediate detention and deportation.” 

“He reports being afraid to leave his apartment for fear of being apprehended at any moment,” the order states.

According to the complaint, Isserdasani and his family have spent about $240,000 on his education in the country. He would lose $17,500 on the current semester’s tuition and would be responsible for four months of rent despite not being able to stay in the country, the complaint states.  

Isserdasani is represented by Madison lawyer Shabnam Lotfi, who said in a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal that the “international students have done absolutely nothing wrong.” 

“They have followed U.S. laws and fully complied with the terms of their student status. They do not deserve this,” Lotfi said. “America must speak out against this injustice and not allow the Administration to distort the facts for their own political purposes.”

Isserdasani is one of dozens of students and alumni at University of Wisconsin institutions to have had their visas canceled by the federal government in recent weeks. There have been at least 26 at UW-Madison, 13 at UW-Milwaukee and several more at other campuses.

UW-Madison first announced cancellations on April 8, saying the university wasn’t notified by the government but had learned about them because staff has been reviewing federal databases every day to see whether students have been affected

According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration’s work to cancel visas has affected  at least 901 students at more than 128 colleges and universities nationwide. Some have been participants in protests about the war in Gaza, and others have had minor infractions, including traffic violations, according to published reports. 

Conley’s order indicates that Isserdasani appears to have had his visa canceled in relation to an arrest for disorderly conduct in November 2024 after he and friends got into an argument with other people while walking home from a bar one night. Madison District Attorney Ismael Ozanne declined to pursue charges after the arrest, and Isserdasani never had to appear in court and thought the issue was dealt with. He has had no other encounters with police, the order says. 

The university’s notification email that Isserdasani received stated that the reason given was “otherwise failing to maintain status” and he was “identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked.” It said the termination “does not have a grace period to depart the U.S.” and that “employment benefits, including on-campus employment and any practical training you may have had authorized, end immediately when a SEVIS record is terminated. Therefore, you no longer have authorization to work in the United States.”

The order said Isserdasani “was given no warning, no opportunity to explain or defend himself and no chance to correct any potential misunderstanding.”

The judge’s order also covers the visa cancellation for Hamidreza Khademi, a 34-year-old citizen of Iran and graduate student at Iowa State University, who is also being represented by Lotfi.  Khademi graduated in December 2023, but was working in the country through a visa extension approved in 2024.

Khademi was arrested in February of 2024 and accused of evading arrest in a vehicle in Texas. However, the Texas Department of Public Safety eventually determined that there was no violation and decided against filing charges. His visa was terminated on April 10 and an email notifying him included similar reasoning as the one Isserdasani received. 

The judge reserved a ruling on the motion for a temporary restraining order for Khademi, pending further briefing by the parties, because he questioned whether the western Wisconsin court was the appropriate venue for the case. 

“Plaintiffs include no facts showing that venue is proper for the claims brought by Khademi, who appears to have no ties to the Western District of Wisconsin, nor do the events or omissions giving rise to his claims,” the judge wrote.

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Wisconsin State Capitol (Wisconsin Examiner photo)

Wisconsin lawmakers considered new tax incentives meant to encourage the development of more employee-owned businesses and cooperatives and to promote safe gun storage. Both measures drew bipartisan support during a hearing Tuesday in the Assembly Way and Means Committee. 

One bill — AB 17 — would provide a tax credit to businesses that make the transition to a model that gives employees a stake. The credit would cover 70% of the costs for converting a business to a worker-owned cooperative or 50% of the costs for converting the business to an employee stock ownership plan. Businesses could receive a maximum of $100,000 from the tax credit. 

In a worker-owned cooperative, employees jointly own the business and have control over its operations. Employee stock ownership plans give employees partial or full ownership of a company’s stock as an investment for their retirement. 

According to the UW Center for Cooperatives, there are 728 cooperatives across the state, including 33 worker-owned cooperatives. 

The bill would create an individual income tax subtraction and a corporate income and franchise tax deduction for  the capital gain realized from the conversion. It would also instruct the Department of Revenue to create a program to promote employee-owned and cooperative business structures, providing education, outreach, technical assistance and training.

“More than ever, Wisconsin benefits from companies keeping jobs here, investing in their communities and staying locally owned,” bill coauthor Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) told lawmakers on the committee. This type of business structure, he said, is a “strong tool” to encourage that goal. 

James said the tax incentive would help businesses considering switching because the conversion process can be complicated and expensive.

According to the National Center for Employee Ownership, a transition to a worker-owned model can initially cost between $10,000 and $30,000. Converting to an employee stock ownership plan can generally cost between $100,000 and $300,000, with ongoing costs of $20,000 to $30,000 a year.

Several Wisconsinites who have benefited from making the switch testified in favor of the bill. 

John Dally, a veterinarian, said it would provide “critical support” for cooperatives in Wisconsin. Dally started a practice about 20 years ago with a colleague in Spring Green, and in 2020, they  acquired another location in Mazomanie. 

As they were getting older, he said, they began considering retirement and the future for their business, Cooperative Veterinary Care.

“We wanted to ensure the practice would stay in these small communities, continue to serve the families and the pets that we just come to know and love — we’ve worked with them for our entire careers — and we also wanted to have some fair and equitable options for our employees and have a return on our investment to sell,” Dally said. 

Dally said historically veterinary practices would be sold to younger associates, but with increasing costs of education, many young veterinarians cannot take on the additional debt that comes with taking it over. Private equity firms and large corporations have also been acquiring small practices in recent years, he said.

According to Brakke Consulting, a veterinary management consulting firm, nearly 25% of general veterinary practices and 75% of specialty practices, such as emergency and surgery care, are owned by large corporations. The issue of consolidation in the pet care field by large corporations has gotten the attention of U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. 

“We were looking around and thinking, what could we do, and I came upon this idea of employee ownership and it just made total sense,” Dally said. He said the transition in 2022 to a worker-owned cooperative cost about $30,000. He said a grant helped with the expense, and they also received support from the UW Center for Cooperatives. 

‘Tangible, positive impact’

Dally said that their team of veterinarians, technicians and assistants have been able to take ownership of the business. The employees, he said, range in age from 20 to 58 and come from a variety of backgrounds. 

“We all came together to create bylaws, manage the business, make decisions about how to allocate resources in smart and equitable ways,” Dally said. He said the cooperative has kept these veterinary services in these communities when they might have closed as they retired or sold to a large corporation who may or may not have kept them there. 

In the three years since transitioning, Dally said the worker cooperative has developed a beneficial health insurance program and a mental health program, invested in new equipment, raised wages and distributed additional profits back to the employees.

“It’s just created a tangible, positive impact on our local communities. It provides a clear pathway for employees to not only work for the business, but to own a piece of it and benefit from its success and all their efforts and enthusiasm,” Dally said. “Our experience in transitioning to this model is proof that it works, particularly in small communities.” 

Dally said it would not have been possible without the help they received, and  the bill could provide the necessary support to other businesses looking to make the transition. 

“It will allow businesses like ours to thrive and continue serving their communities while providing meaningful economic benefits for workers. It has the potential to change the landscape of business ownerships in Wisconsin, especially in these rural communities that are often overlooked by larger corporate interests,” Dally said. “We need your support to make this a reality.” 

Kristin Forde with the UW Center for Cooperatives told lawmakers that the center’s staff has  seen greater interest in employee ownership as a succession strategy for retiring owners, but the models remain largely unknown among business owners. 

Forde said the state is likely to face a crisis in business as Baby Boomers prepare to retire. 

“We really see employee ownership as… a solution to that problem,” Forde said. The legislation, she said, would tie together education and financial incentives to ensure that employee-owned cooperatives are a “feasible solution to retaining jobs and services in our communities.” 

Promoting safe gun storage 

Republicans and Democrats also appeared supportive of AB 10, which would eliminate sales taxes on devices meant to ensure safe storage of guns.

According to the CDC, unintentional injury is a top cause of death among children with guns being a leading method for injury. “It was kind of jarring to hear that,” bill coauthor Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) said. 

Neylon said unsecured firearms are a major cause for those deaths and injuries, and that  he wanted to propose a way to make safe storage more affordable. 

“This isn’t about politics,” Neylon said. “This is about saving kids’ lives.”

Neylon said after hearing from constituents and consulting with the state Department of Revenue, he has amended the bill to cover a variety of devices in addition to gun safes. 

The amendment defines  a “firearm storage device” as a locked and fully enclosed container and excludes glass-faced display cabinets. It adds “firearm safety” devices, “installed on a firearm designed to prevent unauthorized access to the firearm or to prevent it from being operated without first deactivating the device.” 

Rep. Joan Fitzgerald (D-Fort Atkinson) said she supports the action, but called for more to be done. 

“Protecting our kids and our communities should be top of mind for many of us… and there are a lot of people that are not responsible gun owners, so I do think we need to do more in this area,” Fitzgerald said. 

Gov. Tony Evers has also included the proposal in his 2025-27 budget, but Republican leaders on the Joint Finance Committee have removed it from his previous budget proposals and have said they plan to write their own budget. Fitzgerald asked Neylon why he proposed the measure if it was included in Evers’ budget. 

“I think, personally, this is at risk of being pulled out of the budget as a public policy item,” Neylon said. While his bill does have a fiscal impact, “I think there’s precedent of doing this through legislation in the past,” he added. “But if it ultimately is in a budget that I support, I would be happy about that.” 

Deductions for teachers’ classroom costs

Lawmakers also considered AB 64, which would allow teachers to claim a tax deduction of up to $300 for expenses, including professional development courses, books and other classroom supplies. It, too, has bipartisan support.

Bill coauthors Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) and Rep. David Armstrong (R-Rice Lake said) the bill mirrors the deduction that is already available for teachers when they file their federal taxes.

“This would double the potential benefit and bring teachers significantly closer to be made whole,” Armstrong said. 

Armstrong noted that teachers “sometimes find it necessary to purchase books or supplies for their classrooms.”  He added that he has  two daughters who are teachers and remind him about the costs “consistently at the beginning of school.”

CESA 6 CEO Ted Neitzke told lawmakers his wife, a Sheboygan middle school language arts teacher, has a classroom with likely “tens of thousands of dollars worth of Mrs. Neitzke’s investments in books and materials.” 

“This is something that… would be a great tool for local school systems, especially when we’re competing nationally for talent, to be able to support our staff in reimbursing some costs that they spend,” Neitzke said. “Any little bit helps.”

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Sen. Jeff Smith holding up a printout of President Donald Trump's post telling people to buy, which went out just hours before he paused most tariffs. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Wisconsin Democrats are resurrecting a resolution that would allow voters to weigh in on whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United ruling should stand — an effort that comes just a week after historic spending in Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court election.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission found that corporations and unions have a First Amendment right to speech and laws preventing them from spending were unconstitutional. The decision has enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend virtually unlimited amounts of money on elections. 

Lawmakers said the decision is the core of why spending has gotten so out of hand in the last decade and a half. According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, preliminary data shows that nearly $100 million was spent during the April race between Justice-elect Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel.

At a press conference, Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick) called billionaire Elon Musk — who has directed efforts in the Trump administration to slash federal programs and fire federal employees and spent millions trying to influence the outcome of the Wisconsin  Supreme Court — a “carpetbagger.” He criticized Musk for giving money to voters, saying Wisconsinites shouldn’t get accustomed to being paid to vote, but should be voting to make their voices heard.

Smith said money in elections is making voters feel like billionaires are outweighing their voices. He then called specific attention to President Donald Trump telling investors to ‘buy’ on social media — as the stock market was wavering — just hours before he announced that for 90 days he would be lowering U.S. tariffs to 10% on most countries and raising them on China to 125%. The move caused the stock market to rise and, then led to accusations of market manipulation and insider trading. 

“The man in the White House sent this message — ‘A great time to buy! A great time to buy.’ He sent his message to his rich donors and friends,” Smith said. 

“It pays off to put millions of dollars in campaigns because they’re going to make money in the end if they win,” Smith continued. “We need Congress to reevaluate this role of corporations and billionaires and their role in money and politics.”

The advisory referendum would seek an answer from voters on whether Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation should support a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision. Specifically it would ask voters the question whether “only human beings are endowed with constitutional rights — not corporations, unions, nonprofit organizations, or other artificial entities” and whether “money is not speech, and therefore limiting political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech.”

Smith said voters sent a message that they won’t be bought last week by rejecting Musk’s preferred candidate.

“We don’t want that money coming in here in Wisconsin to buy our elections and our freedom,” Smith said. “Let’s put this referendum on the ballots, so voters can make their voices heard directly to Congress.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Operations and Policy Director Beverly Speer emphasized at the press conference that the issue goes beyond Musk, saying that spending by independent expenditures —  totaling about $51.5 million in April — are often backed by billionaires and operated in shady ways.

“Don’t be mistaken, Musk is just one of a handful of billionaires who contributed to this bipartisan arms race,” Speer said. “Things will continue to escalate… Unless we want to see a $150 million race, and then maybe a $200 million race, we need to cut off this free-for-all.”  

Speer said that voters are mostly opposed to the vast spending in campaigns. 

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign conducted a survey in February that found about 88% of Wisconsin voters statewide are “extremely concerned” or “very concerned” about the influence of money in politics. The survey also found that 86% of respondents said people and groups shouldn’t be able to spend “unlimited amounts of money” to support political campaigns and 83% of respondents said there should be limits on how much campaigns can spend.

“While working Wisconsinites stretch to pay rent, feed their families, and make ends meet, billionaires treat our elections like a game — pouring millions into a state that they don’t even normally live in, hoping to tip the scales in favor of their special interests,” Speer said. 

A statewide referendum would need to pass the Republican-led Legislature, and Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) acknowledged that previous attempts have been unsuccessful. She said she welcomes more conversation about the issue and proposal.

“Not once has it even gotten a hearing, and you know, why? Because politicians who are beholden to big money in politics don’t want to hear what the people have to say about it, but we are calling on… our colleagues to join us in this resolution,” Subeck said. 

Subeck said lawmakers were starting with the referendum because any changes in state law are “neutered” by the Citizens United decision. She said Democrats would be introducing more bills to address the issue in the near future, including on disclosure of money in campaigns and on public financing. However, she said pushing Congress for a constitutional amendment will be key to changing the state of money in elections. 

“We cannot fundamentally make wholesale change in this through any state law as long as Citizens United is still law of the land,” Subeck said. “We need to amend our federal Constitution and we need to send that message clear and simple.”

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State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement about the response that Wisconsin schools need support, not threatened cuts to federal funding. Underly at a rally for 2025 Public Schools Week. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is resisting the Trump administration’s threat that it certify that local school districts put an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs or lose federal funding.

State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement about the response that Wisconsin schools need support, not threatened cuts to federal funding.

“We cannot stand by while the current administration threatens our schools with unnecessary and potentially unlawful mandates based on political beliefs,” Underly said. “Our responsibility is to ensure Wisconsin students receive the best education possible, and that means allowing schools to make local decisions based on what is best for their kids and their communities.”

The federal directive comes as a part of the Trump administration’s crack-down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the country and in K-12 as well as higher education. 

Wisconsin joins several states, most led by Democrats, that are rejecting the demands from the federal government. 

In the letter sent to state agencies last week, the Department of Education told state education departments that they needed to certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard — the landmark Supreme Court decision that found consideration of race in higher education admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement that the request includes ensuring that schools aren’t “using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.” Trainor said the government has seen “too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations.” The federal agency gave state agencies 10 days to respond and warned that federal funding could be at risk if there was continued use of “illegal DEI.” 

In a response letter to the U.S. Department of Education, DPI said it has already provided the federal agency with compliance assurances required by federal law, including those related to nondiscrimination. It said that it was unclear why the federal agency is requesting another certification and noted that the agency itself had said that recent guidance “does not have the force and effect of law and does not bind the public or create new legal standards.” 

“At best, the [directive] appears to be redundant. At worst, the [directive] appears to be unauthorized, unlawful and unconstitutionally vague,” Wisconsin DPI General Counsel Benjamin Jones wrote in the letter. “We are deeply concerned that the [request] allows the federal bureaucracy to threaten the loss of crucial education funding in order to dictate local education agency policies and decisions on what is best for kids.” 

The state agency asked the federal agency to answer a series of questions before it complies with the request, including the specific purpose of the certification, whether the requested certification seeks to enforce any requirement beyond what is required by federal law and regulation and what legal authority the Education Department is using to make the request a condition of federal aid.

DPI said that while it waits for a response, it will not collect certifications from local education agencies and will not send the requested certification to the U.S. Department of Education.

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Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler said he is not running for a fourth term on Thursday. Wikler speaks at a climate rally outside of Sen. Ron Johnson's Madison office on June 8, 2021. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler, who is credited for rebuilding the state party over the last six years, announced Thursday that he will not run for another term in the leadership position, saying it is time for him to “pass the torch” and find a new way to contribute to the “fight.”

The announcement comes a little over a week after a crucial Wisconsin Supreme Court election where the party’s preferred candidate, Justice-elect Susan Crawford, prevailed over Waukesha Judge Brad Schimel, who had the backing of Republicans and billionaire Elon Musk. 

Wikler said that the party is in “extraordinarily strong shape” with a liberal majority on the state Supreme Court for at least the next two years and Democrats in the position to potentially win a both houses of the Legislature and retain the governor’s office in 2026. 

“Now is the right time for me to take a breath, and to find new ways to advance the fight for a country that works for working people, and one that honors every person’s fundamental freedom and dignity,” Wikler wrote in a letter. “When my third term as chair ends this June, I will be passing the torch.” 

Wikler said he would be taking some time to “figure out what’s next” and to spend time with his family. 

The prospect of Wikler stepping down was broached earlier this year as he ran for Democratic National Committee chair. But he lost the race to Ken Martin, who was serving at the time as the Minnesota DFL Party chair. 

Wikler, who grew up in Wisconsin, moved back to the state in 2018 and started volunteering on campaigns. He was elected to be chair in 2019 in a moment where Democrats hadn’t had consistent success in the state for many years, but had just elected Gov. Tony Evers, putting a Democrat in the governor’s mansion for the first time in eight years.

Under his leadership, Democrats reelected Evers in 2022 by a bigger margin of votes than his first term, clawed back seats in the state Legislature under new legislative maps and flipped control of the state Supreme Court. 

In his letter, Wikler noted that the statewide races the Democrats have lost have been “agonizingly close.” This includes former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes’ loss by one percentage point to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022 and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in Wisconsin by less than 30,000 votes  to President Donald Trump last year.

Wikler also helped grow the state party’s fundraising efforts during his time at the helm, including raising more than $63 million during the 2024 election cycle — the most of any state party across the country. 

“This is a wrenching time for our country,” Wikler wrote in his announcement. “But in Wisconsin’s path over the last 15 years, we can see what we need to do to fight through it. It’s on all of us to find ways to contain the damage, look out for one another, and build the strength to end the destruction — and then rebuild. I’ll be looking for new ways to contribute to that vital work. As I do, I know the labor of building a great Democratic Party — the last line of defense of our battered but immeasurably valuable democracy — will continue. We will not let our country fall, and we will continue to write the story of Wisconsin’s resurrection as a bastion of progress.” 

Wisconsin Democrats acknowledged Wikler’s impact on the party after his announcement. 

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein said in a statement that “nobody could have dreamed about the lasting, meaningful infrastructure he would go on to build at WisDems.” 

“Through innovation, grit, and a ton of hard work, he transformed our State Party into a national powerhouse – with the results to show for it,” Hesselbein said. 

During Wikler’s time in office, Wisconsin implemented new legislative maps that have given Democrats a chance to control the Senate and Assembly for the first time in 15 years. “While he won’t be at the helm in 2026 when we flip the Legislature, it will be because of Ben’s efforts that we are able to do so,” Hesselbein said.

New chair will be elected in June 

The next chair will be chosen at the state party’s convention in June in Wisconsin Dells and will lead the party through a number of crucial elections, including the 2026 gubernatorial election, another round of state legislative elections and another state Supreme Court race. Some Democrats are already throwing their hat into the ring or announcing that they’re considering a run. 

Devin Remiker, the former executive director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, quickly announced his campaign for the top position, saying that “now isn’t the time to hit pause or rebuild, it’s time to fight tooth and nail.” Remiker said in a statement that he is grateful for Wikler’s leadership and that he has learned from him and hopes to build on his legacy. 

“I will be ready on Day One to double down on our successes and make needed changes,” Remiker said. “I have the experience working with local party leaders and grassroots activists to provide the partnership they desperately need on the frontlines of this fight.”  

Remiker, a Two Rivers native, has worked for the state party since 2018, including as executive director and currently as a senior advisor. He previously managed western Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Ron Kind’s reelection campaign in 2016.

Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki, a Milwaukee native, said in a statement that in conversations about the party’s future he has heard that “Democrats have got to do better when it comes to how we communicate our message.” 

“We need more effective communicators, period. I’ve given long, serious thought to how we do that and up our game,” Zepecki said. He said he will spend the next week speaking with party members and leaders “about that vision to see if they’re ready to shake things up.” 

Zepecki founded his own company, Zepecki Communications, in 2016, and has worked on three presidential campaigns as well as statewide campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate.

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Jennifer Williamson said she enjoyed the class sizes in Dodgeville. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The effects of a second failed referendum at Dodgeville School District became immediately apparent this week with the district announcing that 13 staff members along with some programs, including electives and extracurriculars, are to be cut. The April referendum failed last week by 109 votes with 2010 people voting against and 1,901 for.

Ainsley Anderson, a social studies teacher at the middle school, and Ian Sullivan, a third grade teacher at the elementary school, said they heard concerns from voters about there not being an end date to the referendum. 

The school district’s request was for a $2.49 million recurring referendum, meaning it would allow a permanent increase to the amount the district can raise through property taxes annually. It was going to be used for operating costs, filling a gap between the district’s revenue and expenses. The annual cost of the request was more modest than the district’s nonrecurring request in November, which would have allowed an increase of $2.99 million annually for four years, but failed by 113 votes.

“People are scared right now with the economy and everything,” Sullivan said. “It’s a very interesting stock market, and… I mean, eggs are $8.”

The educators said they knew the cuts were a possibility if the referendum failed. 

“The administration and the school board have been very clear… it wasn’t a shock that this was going to happen,” Anderson said. 

“It’s difficult,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of emotion, even with it being communicated well to us.” 

“You never want to hear about your colleagues losing their job,” Anderson added. 

The pair of educators met Tuesday with about 10 Democratic lawmakers, including members of the Joint Finance Committee, and about 20 other community members, including parents and school board members, at a community center in Dodgeville. They discussed the situation and the potential for lawmakers to act in the state budget to ease the financial challenges the district and others across the state are facing.

Dodgeville’s situation is a familiar story in Wisconsin as school districts have been relying on property tax hikes that need to be approved by voters for everyday costs while state funding has not kept pace with inflation for the last decade and a half.

“We know that so many families have been forced to raise their own property taxes in order to support their public schools, and that’s a difficult choice,” Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha) said at the start of the event. 

Democratic lawmakers used the event as a moment to highlight Gov. Tony Evers’ plan for helping school districts escape this trap. His plan would tap the state’s $4 billion budget surplus to increase special education funding by reimbursing public schools for 60% of costs — almost double the current reimbursement rate of 32%, to increase per pupil funding and to invest in other programs, including free school meals and mental health programs. 

Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) emphasized that lawmakers wanted to hear about people’s specific stories as a way to help inform their work on the budget committee.

“We know how many referendums there are. We know that some succeed and some fail,” Andraca said. In April, voters approved 52 referendum requests for a total of $952 million in new money for Wisconsin school districts that is funded through property taxes. There were 37 failed referendum requests, including Dodgeville’s. “We want to know the impacts that it’s having with you and your families and your schools on the ground,” Andraca added, “because that’s what makes our work more meaningful.” 

At a table with McGuire, a couple of parents spoke about their concerns about the ways the district will change.

Jennifer Williamson said she has two children in the school district and they’ve appreciated the small class sizes of between 14 and 18 children. Those class sizes on average will grow by four to five students due to financial constraints.

Stephany Marten told the table that she and her husband debated over whether to send their child to the local school district or to a local private school. They decided on Dodgeville. She said she learned more about the district and what it had to offer, including smaller class sizes, reading specialists and opportunities for students that need additional support. 

“It’s accessible and it’s affordable to all families,” Marten said. “Our public school funding is being cut. What are we spending it on?”

McGuire, throughout the conversation, emphasized people should reach their Republican lawmakers. The Democrats brought their conversion about education funding to a school district and area of the state represented by Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) and Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) — cochair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee.

Republicans hold the majority in the state Senate and Assembly and Marklein has served as cochair on the committee since 2021, meaning he plays a large part in shaping the budget bill that will eventually be sent to Evers if approved by the full Legislature. Marklein said at a recent public hearing on the budget that lawmakers haven’t discussed specifics on education funding in the budget, but will likely take into account what the public shares.

“Your state senator, Howard Marklein, has a tremendous amount of influence,” McGuire said. “So we have to continue to reach out to him.” He added that people should speak with their neighbors as well to encourage them to reach out to the lawmakers.

One person asked McGuire what is keeping Republicans from dedicating more funding to schools.

“I wish I knew,” McGuire said. “If I knew what levers to pull, I would’ve done it four years ago.”

The impacts of the failed referendum in Dodgeville could likely go beyond those announced by the school district administration, Anderson noted. Some staff will say, ”I can’t work with the district that has two failed referendums because of pay cuts, health care,”  he suggested, adding, “We’ve lost people to going elsewhere.”

The Dodgeville educators also participated in a conversation with Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Randy Udell (D-Fitchburg) and Rep. Andrew Hysell (D-Sun Prairie). 

Another educator at the table, Tom Butusov, formerly taught at the Dodgeville School District but left for a job at Mount Horeb Area School District — a community about a 20-minute drive away — about three years ago.

“When I got a job teaching in Dodgeville, I was very excited,” Butusov, who taught at the district for about three years, said. He grew up in the community and his mom also taught in the district. “But I learned pretty early on that because of just what the district can offer… I had to go elsewhere to best serve my family,” Butusov said. He said Mt. Horeb could pay more and it was close to a new house his family was purchasing. “It made sense, but I still love this community.” 

Butusov said the failed referendum is “heartbreaking.” He said he doesn’t blame the community because they’re being asked to pay for something they’ve already paid for and he isn’t mad at the district because he feels the state has put the district in the spot. 

“We have an entire district that’s falling through the crack and the state is doing nothing — nothing for us, and that’s what’s so frustrating is to see representatives that just aren’t doing anything,” Butusov said.

Anderson and Sullivan, who are also co-presidents of the Dodgeville teacher’s union, have children who go to the district as well. Anderson said she knows that even as budgets have shrunk, teachers are still working to provide a high quality education to students and are going to continue to work to do that even as some opportunities may be cut.

Sullivan said he and his wife have had discussions about whether they’ll leave the district. 

“We’re getting rid of field trips. We’re getting rid of after school clubs, opportunities at the high school and stuff. Do we want that for our kids?” Sullivan said. He added that the community is a big reason he was there and that it is “fighting to get more funding and give more opportunities not only to our own kids,” but to other students, especially those dealing with poverty and other challenges at home. 

Anderson said she would love to have a conversation with “Mr. Marklein and Mr. Novak about what they envision as the future of education in their districts.” She said she was feeling inspired to contact the local lawmakers and to encourage other members of the Dodgeville education association to do the same.

“Obviously, we’re doing everything that we can,” Anderson said. “What are they doing?” 

Sullivan said that he appreciated hearing specific budget plans from Democrats.

“I have not heard that from the other side. I would love that opportunity to hear it,” Sullivan said. “At the moment, I’m only hearing one side. The other is just saying no to everything, which I don’t think is OK.”

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Bascom Hall, University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Ron Cogswell | used by permission of the photographer)

Update: This story has been updated to include the number of students across campuses other than UW-Madison who have had their visas canceled and to include comment from Sen. Kelda Roys.

President Donald Trump’s administration canceled the visas of six current University of Wisconsin-Madison students and seven alumni who had employment extensions, the university announced. Universities of Wisconsin spokesperson Mark Pitsch said in an email that there have also been cancellations at other UW campuses and the system is working on gathering more information.

“We are aware of visa terminations other than those described at UW-Madison. Resources for students are available through our universities,” Pitsch wrote.

As of 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, Pitsch said that the UW knows of at least 14 other cancellations on other campuses. This brings the total to at least 27 students across the UW system. 

The cancellations come as the Trump administration has been cracking down on immigration, including the presence of international students in the country.

UW-Madison said in a press release Monday that it played no role in the cancellations. According to the release, UW learned from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that the students’ records were terminated.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin told the Faculty Senate that it wasn’t contacted directly about the cancellations and only learned about them because staff has been reviewing federal databases every day to see whether students have been affected.

UW-Madison noted that a status termination generally means an affected person should depart the United States immediately. UW-Madison’s office responsible for providing services to international students has contacted the students and alumni whose visas were canceled to advise them about the potential consequences of the cancellations and provide information about legal resources if requested. 

UW-Madison also said that while it’s not uncommon to see terminations for many reasons, it and peer institutions have seen an elevated volume and frequency of terminations over the last week. 

On March 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that at least 300 visas for international students have been revoked. Rubio told reporters that every time he finds “one of these lunatics,” referring to students that have participated in protests, he takes away their visa.

The cancellations have taken place at other institutions in the Midwest including University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University in Mankato as well as other institutions across the country, including at University of California institutions, Colorado State University and Arizona State University. In some cases, the cancellations have been tied to activism related to Palestine, while others have been tied to criminal infractions and in some cases, traffic violations. 

UW-Madison said the “precise rationale” for the termination of the visas is unclear, but that it doesn’t believe they were specific to participation in any “free speech events or political activity.” The university hasn’t responded to an inquiry for more information about the students. 

Some of the students targeted by the Trump administration have been outspoken activists against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil, a former student at Columbia University who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on campus, was detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is being held in a Louisiana detention facility with federal authorities claiming to have revoked his green card. Tufts doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish citizen with an F-1 student visa, was detained by mask-wearing DHS agents as she was leaving her off-campus apartment in Massachusetts. She is also being held in Louisiana.

UW-Madison said it is not aware of federal law enforcement activity on campus as of Monday. 

“International students, faculty, and staff are important members of the UW–Madison community, and the university deeply values their presence,” the university said in the statement. 

Mnookin also told faculty that while she can’t force people to, she is hopeful faculty will use their discretion to offer accommodations to affected students to help them finish their courses and degrees.

UW-Madison also pointed students to resources included in an update from April 2.

In that update to its international community, UW-Madison said it understood that ICE’s detainments of students at other institutions were “highly unsettling — especially for you and our broader international community.” 

“You are a valued and integral part of campus life, not only for the perspectives you bring to our teaching, research, and engagement mission, but also for the many ways you enrich the university’s social and cultural life,” Vice Provost and Dean Frances Vavrus said in a statement earlier this month. “We continue to be deeply grateful for your presence at UW–Madison.”

State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison), who represents the UW-Madison campus, called on people to push back against the actions of the federal government.

“All of us must stand up to the Republican regime’s lawless, unconstitutional and un-American actions to abduct, arrest, and kick out, and intimidate international students, legal permanent residents, and others, without due process of law,” Roys said. “This is unacceptable and we must unite in opposing it.”

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People from across southeast Wisconsin gathered in the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center Friday. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.)

People from across southeast Wisconsin gathered in the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center Friday to call on legislators to fund a range of priorities in the next state budget — from education to a new public safety building for Milwaukee to public transportation to child care.

The public hearing of the Joint Finance Committee was the second of four across the state this month. A hearing was also held in Kaukauna last week, and Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the committee agreed Friday morning that education funding was one of the top issues discussed. 

Committee co-chair Sen. Howard Marklein said at a press conference that funding for school districts and the fate of the Green Bay prison were two of the biggest issues discussed during the first hearing. He said lawmakers haven’t discussed any specifics yet when it comes to actions they may take on public school funding, adding that K-12 funding has historically been the No. 1 largest item in the budget and it’ll likely be that way in the future.

“We’re here to listen and input today may influence what we decide to do down the road,” Marklein said.

Co-chair Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) added that the lawsuit over Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that extended increases in revenue limits — the cap on how much schools can bring in — for 400 years will play a role in the discussion. The case was heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court last year, but a decision hasn’t been reached yet.

Lawmakers also have a $4 billion budget surplus that they will be considering as they write the budget in the coming months. 

During a separate press conference held by Democrats on the committee, Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) called attention to education funding, saying that lawmakers need to “stand up and fund education, particularly special education.” Andraca said lawmakers should adopt Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, which would invest an additional $3 billion in K-12 education. 

“I’m looking forward to hearing more today from all the people at this public hearing about what their priorities are in the state budget. I certainly hope my Republican colleagues are listening and will follow our lead,” Andraca said. 

A focus on education at the hearings continued as members of the public started speaking on Friday.

School leaders and advocates emphasize dire situation

Three days before the town hall, voters approved 57 referendum requests and a total of $952 million in new funding through property tax hikes for Wisconsin school districts. This was an approval rate of about 58% of the nonrecurring operating referendum requests, 65% of requests for building costs and 20% of recurring requests, which contain increases across multiple years. 

While the successful results will help school districts meet costs in coming months, voters also denied over $640 million in requests from other districts, including for Kenosha Unified School District.

Kenosha school board member Todd Price said the failed referendum, which was a $115 million nonrecurring request for operational expenses, leaves the district of 18,500 students in 31 schools facing a $19 million fiscal deficit. 

“As we are frozen in what we can raise due to revenue caps, we needed to go to our local tax payers for approval of the money,” Price said. “Our aim was to keep our class sizes reasonable, vital programs intact like advanced placement programs… which are popular for students aiming to go to college, and we want to retain our staff.” 

KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss, who spoke alongside Price, told lawmakers that they have the power to “be a strong partner of public education.” He said the passage of Act 20, a 2023 law to change literacy education in the state is a recent example of lawmakers using that power. 

“I am asking you to do this in the area of finances,” Weiss said. “By raising the reimbursement for special education to 60%, KUSD will receive $13 million of spendable money. We are currently facing a $19 million budget shortfall. $13 million as well as raising the revenue limit… will go a very long way to helping prevent the district from having to seek an operational referendum in the coming year.”

Weiss emphasized that the resources needed to pursue a referendum are “immense.” He said the district held four town halls, 20 small meetings, and five interviews with TV and radio stations in a six-week period ahead of Election Day. 

“This is not how I want to spend our time in the school district,” Weiss said. “I would much rather be using that time to increase student learning and improve our educational program.”

Swallow School District Superintendent Jill Ries said that the small district in Waukesha County has a history of being fiscally responsible, a trait that has helped it weather the “storm” caused by the state’s funding formula.

“We can no longer weather the storm, and we are facing a multi-million-dollar deficit in the future. We have reached the fiscal cliff. We can choose to have barebones public education, but is that what we want our state to become?” Ries asked.

Ries also called on lawmakers to increase revenue limits and at a minimum increase the special education reimbursement to 60%. 

Zachary Geiger, a physics teacher at Greendale High School, also voiced his support for Evers’ budget request, telling lawmakers that teachers have been trying to accomplish more teaching and learning with fewer resources for the last decade and a half. He said this is catching up with the district, which has had to go to referendum and recently had to cut an engineering course for the first time in 12 years.

“Instead of supporting students in pursuit of their futures and responding to the needs of the industries in Wisconsin, this course was cut with many others to reduce costs in order to balance a budget dependent on insufficient funding from the state,” Geiger said. “Please fund public education.”

The tension between public schools’ financial challenges and the growing costs of the state’s school voucher programs was also on display at the hearing.

Glendale River Hills School Board President Carla Pennington-Cross called on lawmakers to stop using school boards as a “laundering service” by sending an increasing amount of taxpayer money to private schools that don’t have “equal accountability, equal transparency and equal legal obligation” to students. 

Pennington-Cross called on lawmakers to increase per pupil funding to keep up with inflation. 

“Your long-term failure to do so means that my district has lost more than $3 million in real spending power since 2009 under your revenue limits,” Pennington-Cross said. 

Pennington-Cross called attention to the significant increases that voucher schools received in the last budget cycle. She also spoke to the disparity between the rate that public schools are reimbursed for special education costs and the rate that private and charter voucher schools receive. 

“In the past year public schools were reimbursed for only 32% of special ed costs, while private schools received 90%. Why are students with disabilities worth less when they go to public schools? They should get the same financial support from the state regardless of their school choice,” Pennington-Cross said. “Your funding model causes people to blame kids with disabilities for budget shortfalls in public schools, reinforcing stigma and discrimination. It is unconscionable.” 

Choice advocates appreciative of last investments, seeking more 

Advocates for more state funding for the charter and private schools that participate in the state’s voucher programs were also out in full force. 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks for the additional funding for school choice. Your decision has made an incredible difference for families like mine,” one parent of a student at Living Word Lutheran High School in Jackson said.

In the last state budget, lawmakers implemented the largest increase for the school voucher program in Wisconsin history. The change increased payments for schools at a minimum by 18% and at most by 44%. 

Many of the parents who testified for school vouchers wore matching bright green “Parent Power” t-shirts. A group of about 75 parents were organized to attend the listening session by the City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee-based organization that advocates for school choice. 

Executive director of City Forward Collective Colleston Morgan told the Wisconsin Examiner that the last budget was an example of state leaders moving past “partisan rancor” to take action, something he is hoping they’ll be able to do again.

“We saw the Legislature come together on a package that in our understanding benefited everybody — increases in the low revenue ceiling, lifting of the revenue limits and, yes, a significant increase for students in charter and private schools,” Morgan said. “Nobody got everything they needed… but everybody got something.” 

Morgan said that there were many participating charter and private schools that were “in existential crisis” during that cycle, and the historic increase to the program helped stabilize the situation. He said many schools have been able to increase staff pay. 

“There’s still more work to do, but we’re not today talking about schools on the precipice of closing like we were two years ago,” Morgan said. 

Morgan said his group wanted to attend to express thanks and encourage legislators to continue to work in a bipartisan way to get more accomplished, including raising the special education reimbursement rate, lifting the low revenue ceiling and putting additional funding into the voucher program. 

Milwaukee leaders on their goals for next budget

Local leaders who spoke at the hearing included Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who thanked lawmakers for their work last session to secure an increased sales tax in the city. He said the investments in the last budget show that “working together and investing in Milwaukee benefits all of us because a strong Milwaukee means a strong Wisconsin.”

Johnson called on lawmakers to invest in young people in the next state budget, including by increasing funding for Milwaukee’s Earn & Learn program, a summer employment program where youth can gain experience working with local businesses, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations. He also called on lawmakers to support Evers’ proposal for investing in 4-year-old kindergarten and increasing state funding for special education and child care.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure that the youngest residents here and young families have the support they need to start off on the right foot as they enter school and the workforce,” Johnson said.

Sarah Kazell, an advocate with Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), is attending all the budget listening sessions.

“Child care is a public good and without public investment, it just dwindles and dies in the private market, which is what we are seeing,” Kazell said. “We cannot find teachers willing to do a really essential, really high-skilled, high-stress job for $14 an hour, which is the average pay in my field. I’m personally making $12.50 an hour to take care of eight children.”

Evers has requested the state place $480 million towards the Child Care Counts program, which gives facilities funds to help pay staff without raising costs for parents. However, the program, which has been funded with federal money, is quickly approaching the end of those funds. 

“We need at the minimum to make the investment that’s in the governor’s budget for child care, but that’s honestly just a starting point to be able to stabilize the field,” Kazell said. 

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the “most important” investment for public safety would be to fund the removal and replacement of the Public Safety building. 

“We have steered clear of a fiscal cliff. We kept the Brewers in Milwaukee, we shared the burden of funding important services and investments with some of our region’s most urgent issues being addressed,” he said, listing accomplishments in the last budget cycle. Now, he added, it’s time to focus on the “generational impact that we can have in our community on public safety.” 

Crowley said that the removal and the replacement of the Milwaukee County Public Safety building, which was built in 1929, would cost $495 million. Milwaukee County has requested $250 million for the project from the state. According to the capital budget, due to the integrated nature of the county’s Courthouse Complex, the Historic Courthouse and Criminal Justice Facility will need to be renovated in addition to the new Public Safety building. 

Evers’ budget proposal included $25 million for the project — a tenth of their request.

“Many of you have seen this crumbling, unsafe and inefficient facility firsthand and that’s why, in order to improve outcomes for all, strong partnerships will be key in this endeavor,” Crowley said. 

Crowley said almost 80% of Milwaukee County’s property tax levy is dedicated to state-mandated services and the county has invested an additional $70 million in state-mandated public safety services over the last five years. 

“The cost continues to rise and outpace our revenues and challenges our ability to continue funding these critical services and make any additional investments in local priorities like transportation, mental health, [services for children ages] birth-to-3,” Crowley said. “That’s why a partnership with the state is essential.” 

Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball expanded on the request to replace the deteriorating building that houses the jail.

Ball said the current set-up of the building, which places victims, family members, visitors and defendants together, has created tension and resulted in 852 security incidents that required a response from the sheriff’s office in 2024.

“It is not sustainable to continue working as we have, and it is not fair to those who come in contact with our justice system,” Ball said. “In order to address the significant safety concerns and preserve the comfortability of core operations, funding from the state of Wisconsin will be critical.”

Other public hearings will be held in Hayward and Wausau during the last week of April.

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Madison Hands Off protest on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Thousands of Wisconsinites joined rallies in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay Saturday, taking part in a national day of action with simultaneous events in more than 1,200 cities across all 50 states, according to the organizers of the “Hands Off!” The protests targeted President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Trump administration’s deep cuts to federal funding for health care, science, the Social Security administration, education and other public goods. Indivisible, one of more than 150 participating civil rights, labor, LGBTQ and other groups, put out a statement saying the rallies were an effort “to let Trump and Musk know they can’t intimidate us into submission.”

In Madison, a massive crowd filled the lawns, sidewalks and streets on the State Street corner of the Wisconsin State Capitol, then marched the one-mile stretch to Library Mall on the University of Wisconsin campus. Organizers estimated more than 10,000 people participated.

Madison residents Jason and Aubrey, who declined to give their last names, said they were looking for a community with like-minded people. “We can be angry but it’s also fun to be out with people and it’s important to have joy in your life,” Aubrey said. She said she is concerned with rising income inequality and billionaires having control over social media and society.

“I’m scared for democracy and for the people I love who are going to be targeted by [Trump’s] immigration policies, his hatred of LGBTQ+ people. I felt kind of powerless and I think just being out here protesting, being in a really welcoming community — it’s what I can do right now,” Jason said. 

“Our next few years will be tough,” Charlene Bechen, a leader with the Oregon Wisconsin Area Progressives said. “MAGA leaders will launch attack after attack, perpetuate outrage after outrage, commit injustice after injustice with the goal of keeping us disoriented, demoralized and demobilized. We cannot allow that.” 

A ‘Forward’ band played several songs in the time leading up to the official start of the rally at noon. One of the band members — seen holding the megaphone — told rallygoers that they were there to “express our outrage at our current political situation.” 

“We’ve got some songs for you. You know what helps sometimes when you’re scared and you’re angry — dancing,” he said.  

Jim from Mazomanie said his chainsaw with “Hand Off” written on it was getting a little heavy, but it was fun to bring some smiles to faces. He said it represented “Elon Musk and his idiocy,” and said that Musk has “worn out his welcome in Wisconsin.”

“If we didn’t produce Tuesday,” Jim said, referring to the state Supreme Court election, in which liberal candidate Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, whom Musk supported by pouring more than $25 million into the race, “[it] would be a whole different deal.” 

Luis Velasquez, an organizer for Voces de la Frontera, highlighted the attacks against immigrants by the Trump administration and the issue of local law enforcement being pushed to assist with deportation efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Velasquez told the crowd that he is a DACA recipient whose parents brought him to the U.S. as a child from El Salvador, but that no pathway to citizenship exists for him. 

“I’m proud of being an immigrant myself and we know that there are plenty of good stories… stories that have been ignored and abandoned that have been systematically discarded,” Velasquez said. “Here in this space today, we can say that migration is beautiful, and that here is our home for the millions of immigrants who have been here in the U.S.” 

Milwaukee protest

In Milwaukee, organizers estimated 5,000 people gathered in front of the Federal Building as police blocked the road. Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore told the crowd “I feel like I’ve been born again,” and compared the protest to the civil rights marches of the 1960s.  “We fought for voting rights back then. We fought for health care rights then. We fought for the right for our elders to live in decency. We fought for educational opportunity. And guess what y’all, when we fought, we won. And that’s one of the things that… that’s the good news. Right now we’re fighting, and we are winning.”

The Trump administration, Moore told the crowd, is “actively trying to dismantle Medicaid.” Next week, as the Republicans move to push through their budget reconciliation bill with steep cuts to programs, they need to hear from the public, she said.  

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the immigrant workers’ rights group Voces de la Frontera, told the crowd, “This administration has made it clear from the beginning that they are taking a page from the fascist playbook, and treating immigrants as the scapegoat for the economic hardship that they are causing. They are trying to desensitize us to their cruelty, and to the humanity of others.”

Neumann-Ortiz talked about recent ICE arrests inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse, and called on county leaders to make the courthouse a safe zone from ICE arrests. “People will be afraid to come to the courthouse if that is not a protected zone,” she said. “And we know that these local fights are our frontline battles.” This is “where we have the most power” she added, saying it is imperative to win local struggles.

Calling out Trump administration detentions of political activists and deportations without due process to a notorious prison in El Salvador, Neumann Ortiz said,  “I know you’re as clear as I am that this is not just what they are doing to immigrants. They are paving a path, because that’s what they want to do to us.”

Cesar Hernandez of Voces spoke in support of unions and attacked Trump’s claim that undocumented immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy. “In 2022 alone, undocumented folks contributed $2.2 trillion to our economy, not to mention paying $96.7 billion (with a ‘B’) in federal, state, and local taxes.” 

Community activist Vaun Mayes told the crowd, “Right now food pantries for the poor and in need are losing funding in cities like this one right here, where food deserts are prominent.” Social Security and health care are being gutted “in front of our eyes,” he said. He denounced the erasure of Black history in schools and the rise of white supremacist ideology. “Fight back we will. Defend one another we shall,” Mayes declared. “… ‘cause we are the true patriots. And we seek a new day and a place for all Americans in this nation to thrive.”

Green Bay protest

In Green Bay an estimated 1,500 demonstrators gathered at Leicht Park with signs  protesting tariffs, the stock market crash, and Trump administration downsizing of federal agencies, threats to Medicaid and cuts to education.

"We remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law," DPI Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement. Underly at a rally in February. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is reviewing a request by the Trump administration that state education agencies ensure they aren’t using diversity, equity and inclusion programs — or risk losing federal funding. 

According to WisPolitics, state Superintendent Jill Underly said the agency is looking at the U.S. Department of Education’s “justification and authority to request sign off from Wisconsin schools on the federal agency’s political beliefs.” 

“Now more than ever, Wisconsin’s students, educators and schools need support – not threats of federal funding cuts that are vital to their success,” Underly said in a statement. “As we stated in February, we remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law and remain committed to providing the best education possible for our students.”

In a letter, the Department of Education said that state agencies need to certify their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the responsibilities outlined in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard — the landmark Supreme Court decision that said race-based programs in higher education violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and effectively ended consideration of race in admissions programs. 

“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements. Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.” 

The request comes as a part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing attack on DEI efforts across the country.

State agencies were given 10 days to collect certification from local education agencies and respond, according to the release. 

Underly, who was reelected to a second term this week, also urged state lawmakers Wednesday to invest in Wisconsin’s public schools amid the threat of funding cuts by the federal government.

“An unprecedented number of our school districts have been forced to turn to referenda, asking their communities to raise property taxes just to compensate for the state’s underfunding. On top of that, the Trump administration’s reckless cuts threaten the critical federal funding that Wisconsin schools depend on,” Underly said at a public hearing held by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee in Kaukana. Underly was not invited for an agency briefing before the committee, so she traveled to deliver her message at the public hearing.

Her requests for state investment include increasing the state’s special education reimbursement for schools, funding universal free school meals and investing in mental health supports for students.

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The seven members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court hear oral arguments in 2023. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a case related to a statewide literacy program that considers Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto power and lawmakers’ handling of emergency funds.

The case comes as the result of the last state budget and efforts by state lawmakers, Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Public Instruction to overhaul literacy programs in Wisconsin. 

During the 2023-25 budget cycle, lawmakers placed $50 million aside in an emergency fund controlled by the Joint Finance Committee that was meant to go towards funding new literacy programs. Lawmakers also passed AB 321 — now 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 — to establish the policy portions of the initiative, which included creating a new office in the Department of Public Instruction and instructing the agency to hire literacy coaches and create a grant program. 

Lawmakers subsequently passed SB 971, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 100, to create a mechanism for DPI to spend the money when the funds were transferred. A partial veto by Gov. Tony Evers caused lawmakers to sue, saying it wasn’t an appropriations bill therefore not subject to a partial veto.  Evers argued that the law included an appropriation and further asserted that DPI has been urging lawmakers to release the funds, which will lapse back into the state’s $4 billion budget surplus if not used before June 30.

Before the Supreme Court heard the case, a Dane County judge had ruled Evers’ veto proper, but said there wasn’t a case for the release of the funds. Both parties appealed to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to take the appeal directly

Assistant Attorney General Charlotte Gibson, the Department of Justice lawyer for DPI and Evers, argued that lawmakers don’t have the power to withhold the money and the court should order the release of the money to DPI. 

The issues at hand, Gibson said, “reflect an interlocking strategy to control how the executive branch spends funds and to limit the governor’s partial veto power. It involves dissecting appropriations into multiple bills and crediting funds set aside for executive agency programs to [the Joint Finance Committee] to control their destination and use. Those efforts are illegal, and they misread the governor’s veto authority.” 

Gibson said that the intention of the law, and the money being placed in the emergency fund, was to give money to specific agencies for specific purposes. A brief notes that “over the past few decades, the Legislature has increasingly used that appropriation not for emergencies, but rather to fund anticipated expenses through a legislative committee that purports to retain veto power over how the executive branch spends appropriated money.” 

Gibson said that the purpose of the emergency fund statute was not to serve as “a holding pen for lots of money that the Legislature wanted to give [the committee] power over,” but lawmakers are using it “to say, actually, we can spend it on whatever purpose…” 

“We think to correct the constitutional violation here, this agency can order those funds to be released,” Gibson said. 

Justices questioned Gibson on why the funds would need to be released to DPI if there was never an appropriation.

“The reality is the money’s sitting in a fund right now, and it hasn’t done anything with it,” Justice Rebecca Dallet said. “For all, we know they are going to use it for an emergency and not give it to anybody for anything else … that just hasn’t happened yet.”

Gibson replied that DPI has asked for the money and lawmakers haven’t given it to the agency. 

“But, I’m saying, [JFC] hasn’t appropriated it anywhere,” Dallet said. “Is DPI having an emergency where you think this is emergency money that you should get…?” 

“No, we think it’s unconstitutional for DPI not to get the money.” Gibson said. 

“Even if you were right, that the statutory structure here is constitutionally problematic, I still don’t see how you win and get the money, because that is not what the law says,” Justice Brian Hagedorn said. “There’s no provision of law that actually gives the money to DPI or appropriates the money to DPI.”

Gibson noted that the co-chairs of the committee Sen. Howard Marklein and Rep. Mark Born have said the money is earmarked for the purpose of the literacy programs. 

“What we’re struggling with is that we understand that there are hints and clues, earmarks — so different from an appropriation — and the way I’m looking at it, it could probably be parked in that fund indefinitely and that’s where I’m struggling with what’s the legal nexus,” said Justice Janet Protasiewicz. 

Ryan Walsh, the attorney representing the Legislature, argued Evers’ veto was inappropriate because the bill was not an appropriation bill, and that the remedy should be that the bill is law as passed by the Legislature, without Evers’ veto. 

“You can’t have an appropriation bill that makes no appropriation. It just doesn’t make sense,” Walsh said. However, he also said that if he is wrong then it means the law was improperly enacted because lawmakers passed it by voice vote, not roll call as is required of appropriations bills. 

Walsh said that under his argument the money would stay in JFC and go back to the treasury at the end of the biennium. 

“It doesn’t go to DPI,” Walsh said. “There is no obligation for [JFC] to disperse this money.” 

Justice Jill Karofsky said that she didn’t disagree about the discretion of the committee, but asked about the potential for lawmakers to abuse the discretion. 

“There aren’t really any guardrails here,” Karofsky said. 

Walsh said abuse “just doesn’t happen.” 

“What would stop the Legislature from emptying every last dollar of the Wisconsin treasury into a [JFC] emergency account?” Karofsky asked further. 

Walsh said many things could prevent that from happening, including the governor refusing to sign a budget that does so. 

Walsh also said the emergency account is a small portion of the state budget. He said that in the last 10 years the percentage of the budget that has gone to the supplemental account has ranged from 0.06% in the 2017-19 budget to 0.33% in the 2021-23 budget.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley said she thought “part of why we are here [is] that some want us to take a look at this structure — allowing JFC to have this discretion — and that to not address it would be a rather lame opinion.”

Walsh said that he didn’t think the Court needed to reach the constitutional question. 

“I don’t think anybody is insisting that you decide whether [Wisconsin should retain the] supplemental funding structure, which has been in place a long time, and by the way, the governor and the Legislature are assuming it’s still in place,” Walsh said. “We have a new budget pending… There are lots of reasons to be cautious here.”

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Justice Ann Walsh Bradley speaks at an election night party for Justice-elect Susan Crawford. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley will retire from the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July with one more title on her curriculum vitae: chief justice.

Bradley, the Court’s most senior member, was elected by her colleagues Thursday to serve as the leader of the Court. She’ll succeed outgoing Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, whose second two-year term in the top position ends April 30.

Bradley’s term will run about two months starting May 1, and she’ll step down June 30 in anticipation of her retirement. In preparation for that, the justices also elected Justice Jill Karofsky to fill out the remainder of the two-year chief justice term, ending April 30, 2027. 

Both Bradley and Karofsky, who was elected to the Court in 2020, are members of the Court’s liberal majority. 

From the late 19th century to the mid-2010s, the state Supreme Court’s chief justice had been selected by seniority. In 2015, a constitutional amendment drafted by the Legislature’s Republican majority changed the selection process to a majority vote of the Court’s seven justices. The amendment also instituted a two-year term for the chief justice.

The amendment was aimed at unseating Justice Shirley Abrahamson, the Court’s first woman justice. Abrahamson had been chief justice since 1996, the second-longest to serve in the position. After voters ratified the amendment in April 2015, a majority of the justices — at the time, five conservatives — elected Justice Pat Roggensack chief. They reelected her in 2019, then elected Ziegler as her successor in 2021.

Bradley said in a statement that her election as chief justice is a “tremendous honor.”

“It has been my life’s goal to honor the rule of law, enhance access to justice, and serve the 5.9 million people who call Wisconsin home,” Bradley said. “Serving as Chief Justice enables me to further those goals.” 

Bradley also participated in her final oral arguments Thursday morning, where Ziegler delivered kind words about her and called attention to her thorough resume and accomplishments

Prior to her time in law, Bradley served as a high school teacher before earning her law degree at UW-Madison Law School in 1976. Bradley worked in private practice, as a city attorney and as a public defender, including being appointed to the state public defender board in 1983.

In 1985, Bradley was appointed to serve as a circuit court judge in Marathon County. 

Bradley won her first term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1995, and was reelected for two consecutive terms in 2005 and 2015. She decided to retire this year and will be succeeded by Justice-elect Susan Crawford, who defeated her challenger Brad Schimel Tuesday ensuring a 4-3 liberal majority on the Court until at least 2028. 

Ziegler said Bradley has likely heard over 2,400 cases in oral arguments, give or take some cases, during her many years of service.

“I can assure you it’s quite impressive,” Ziegler said. “I don’t know how many opinions that you’ve written, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, but that number is also certainly impressive, and so, I would like to thank you Justice Ann Walsh Bradley for your service to the public and your service on this court.” 

Bradley thanked Ziegler and said that it’s been an honor to serve. She also thanked her husband and family for their support throughout the years. 

“People ask me, ‘Will you miss this place and miss this job?’ And, of course, I will,” Bradley said. “What makes this job is not only the heavy responsibility and an opportunity to serve, but an opportunity to serve with people who care deeply about the rule of law and care deeply about the people of this state.”

Karofsky said in a statement about her election to serve as chief justice that she appreciates the confidence of her colleagues and she will “continue to work respectfully with every member of this Court to ensure the administration of Court business is conducted in a fair and efficient manner.” 

“The people of Wisconsin have great faith in this Court, and I intend to be a Chief that increases the people’s confidence even further,” Karofsky said. “I hope to be someone that every judge and staff person in the judicial system finds approachable, so we can continue to improve the service we provide in all 72 counties, keeping each of us safe and ensuring access to justice.”

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Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who said the power issues in Wisconsin mirrors current federal issues, at a press conference in December 2024. (Photo by: Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that could determine whether a law passed in 2018 that requires approval from legislators on civil settlements violates the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. 

The case — Josh Kaul v. Wisconsin State Legislature — is the latest in an ongoing legal struggle focused on the division of power between the Legislature and the executive branch.

A  law passed after Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Kaul were elected in 2018, but before they took office, gave the Legislature, through the Joint Finance Committee, the ability to sign off on and decide how to spend court settlement money. That had been a power traditionally held by the attorney general.

It was part of a slate of laws passed and signed by Republicans during the lame duck period just weeks before the new Democratic administration took power in 2019. The Joint Finance Committee has become the vehicle for lawmakers to maintain control over  actions that agencies take outside of the legislative process, and this is not the first lawsuit the state’s top court has heard on the issue.

The case made it to the state Supreme Court after Kaul appealed a 2024 decision by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II that overturned a favorable decision made in 2022 by Dane County judge and now Justice-elect Susan Crawford.

Kaul said at a press conference after the arguments that the actions Wisconsin Republicans have taken to strip power from the executive branch are similar to those being taken by Republicans at the federal level. 

“What we are seeing in these cases in Wisconsin in a lot of ways mirrors what’s going on with the federal government right now,” Kaul said. “At the federal level what we’re seeing is the executive branch trying to pull legislative power into its own hands and making decisions about how legislation should be applied or whether it should be applied. Here in Wisconsin what we saw instead was an effort to concentrate power in the Legislature.” 

Kaul said that checks and balances and “multiple different sources of authority within the government” are necessary to protect the “our freedom and our liberty.”

“That’s why we have three co-equal branches of government,” Kaul said. “This case is about supporting that principle and ensuring that the separation of powers remains strong here in Wisconsin.” 

During the arguments, Assistant Attorney General Hannah Jurss argued that the “executive branch has the power to execute the law” and the “Legislature’s constitutional power is to write the law.” 

In a 2019 case, the state Supreme Court ruled that the law was constitutional. However, in a brief, Jurrs argues that the decision was not a broad endorsement of the law, but only “located a few instances where the statutes could be applied constitutionally and went no further.” 

Jurrs argued the law is unconstitutional in part because there is no way for the executive to override a decision by the lawmakers, which has infringed on the executive branch’s work. The 2018 law has led to disputes between Kaul’s office and lawmakers over resolving cases involving state taxpayers. 

“Having this sword, the legislative committee sword,  hanging over our head infects our decision making at every stage and every action… whether to prosecute, how to prosecute. How to talk with our clients, when to pursue negotiation, and the terms,” Jurrs said. “We’ve presented 13 cases that [the committee] as a body never even convened to consider.” 

Jurrs called the legislative seizure of executive powers  an “unprecedented and unparalleled intrusion into execution of the law.” She also argued that it limits the ability for the attorney general to act in multi-state lawsuits. 

Jurrs said that if the law had been in place in the 1990s when the state negotiated a tobacco resolution it would have led to a more complicated situation. 

“Hey, 44 other states, we’re entering this gigantic resolution with the major tobacco companies. We know that everybody else has come to this agreement. It has to be really confidential, but excuse us, we’re gonna have to hold everything and we have to take this to a committee of our Legislature so that they can decide whether they want to rewrite this agreement or allow us to enter it or not,” Jurrs said.

Justice Rebecca Bradley expressed skepticism about Jurrs’ argument that the power should lie with the attorney general without the oversight of lawmakers. 

“The Legislature in the provision that you’re attacking has prescribed the powers and duties of the attorney general, which is to basically give… the Legislature a check-and-balance on what the attorney general is doing and what I find frightening is that one person gets to make all of the policy decisions under your argument about what is going to be done with what is the taxpayers money,” Bradley said. “It’s not the attorney general’s money.” 

Misha Tseytlin, the attorney representing the Legislature, argued that the statute serves as a check on the attorney general’s power and lawmakers have an interest in overseeing the money.

“It’s important to remember we’re talking about not the attorney general’s money, not the agency’s money, but the people’s money,” Tseytlin said. He said an example is the $420 million opioid settlement that was reached and approved by lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee in 2021.  “The settlement was submitted to the Joint Finance committee, and it was approved by The Joint Finance committee. The Legislature in carrying out its constitutional duty to balance the budget of the state had to take into account all sorts of income, including that $420 million.”

Justice Rebecca Dallet questioned Tseytlin on how much power he was arguing lawmakers should have over funds. 

“Any source of income that comes into the Legislature they’ve got control of, so could the Legislature appoint a committee to return tax returns to make sure they are getting the money that they’re supposed to?” Dallet asked. “My point in asking the question… is where does this end? Every single dollar that comes in means the Legislature has total control… There is no role for executive power here.”

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UW President Jay Rothman tells lawmakers that this will be a “make it or break it” budget for the UW system. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Leaders of the Universities of Wisconsin and the state Department of Corrections (DOC) defended Gov. Tony Evers’ budget requests to lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee during a meeting Tuesday. 

The hearing marks the start of lawmakers’ official work on the state budget, which will continue this week with public hearings in Kaukauna on Wednesday and West Allis on Friday. 

Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Rep. Mark Born (Beaver Dam), co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee, said during a press conference ahead of the meeting that they were looking for “justification” on the “massive” requests from the UW and wanted an explanation of the plan for DOC. 

“[The DOC request is] lacking in a lot of details and seems to be a little short of being able to accomplish its mission, but I’m interested to hear more about how they arrived at that and why they made some of the decisions they made and hopefully provide some information that will allow us to improve that plan and make sure that it’s a good plan for the future of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and for public safety here in Wisconsin,” Born said.

In the past, lawmakers have heard from a greater number of agencies about their requests. During the last budget cycle, lawmakers heard from four agencies, including DOC, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the Department of Administration. That year, state Superintendent Jill Underly traveled to Eau Claire to talk to lawmakers about the Department of Public Instruction budget after not getting an invitation to speak. 

The lawmakers said it would have been a “waste of their time and our time” to hold briefings with other agencies.

“[The agency leaders] just have not been straight with us on things. They just don’t want to really talk about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it,” Born said. He said lawmakers were hopeful that the UW and DOC would work with them to answer some questions. 

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman told lawmakers during the briefing that he agrees with Gov Tony Evers’ assessment that this will be a “make it or break it” budget for the UW system. Evers’ request for the UW includes an additional $856 million, which would be one of the largest investments in the university campuses in state history. 

Rothman acknowledged that the request is “significant” but he emphasized that Wisconsin currently sits at 43rd out of 50 when it comes to state investment in public universities. The investments in the request would bring the system up to the median nationwide. 

Rothman explained to lawmakers that inflation and a lack of state investment over the last three decades to meet increasing costs has hindered the UW system. 

UW schools have worked to make changes, he said. When he started as president in June 2022, Rothman said 10 of the system’s 13 campuses were running fiscal deficits. That number is now six and should hit zero over the next year or so. He also noted there have been six two-year colleges that have closed or will close this year.

Rothman called the reforms necessary and said that the changes position the system for sound investments from the state. 

“We have to be asking ourselves a question: who will teach our children and grandchildren? Where will the nurses come from that will help care for our families and perhaps ourselves? Where will the engineers come from?” Rothman told lawmakers.

Rothman explained that the proposals seek to address five goals including increasing affordability, accessibility, developing talent, ensuring quality and investing in innovation.

“You cannot cut your way to success,” Rothman said. “You need to invest.” 

Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha) asked Rothman what would happen if the state did not fund the requests. 

“If we get the budget funded, we will not have to raise tuition. If we don’t get funded at an adequate level, that’s one of the levers… that I don’t want to have to use,” Rothman said. “I want to be able to maintain the accessibility that our students get, but we will do what we need to do, and it won’t be just one piece. That will be multiple levers, and we get more efficient in some places. We have to stop offerings, programs at certain universities.”

Republican lawmakers grilled Rothman on “administrative bloat” across the system and requests for additional positions and funding from the UW schools. 

The budget request would add 214 positions funded by state general purpose revenue to UW campuses. Rothman noted that UW campuses, excluding flagship UW-Madison, have lost 6,000 positions funded by the state since 2019. 

Born asked why there was a request for 13 additional staff members to support students who have aged out of the foster care system. He noted that a 2023-24 report found there were 420 of those students across the system. 

“I’m trying to wrap my head around — you talked about strategic investments, sound investments, and you’re asking for 13 positions, one on every campus to serve 420 kids?” Born asked. 

Rothman said the intention would be to expand the number of students who could be supported. 

“They’ve had a tough lot in life to start with,”  Rothman said, adding that the additional staffing  could give those students a leg up. “I would hope that we could expand that number.” 

Rothman also said that the specific request is part of the general goal of investing in students to ensure they make it to graduation. 

“If you look at the positions that we have asked for, they are all student-facing. We are trying to help our students be successful,” Rothman said. 

“This is a shining example of the governor’s desire to grow government and your desire to grow your system, and it’s not focused on the reality of how you invest in this stuff,” Born said. 

Born also focused on the idea of funding new programs on UW campuses. 

“Why would we need to fund a curriculum of the future? Isn’t there things that are fading away, things that are no longer of interest to students, things are no longer of interest to the workforce? Shouldn’t there be funds available to offer new things?” Born asked. 

Rothman said that the UW system has cut about 100 programs already. 

“So you’ve eliminated about 100 programs, but you can’t fund a new program and curriculum and AI without more funding?” Born continued. 

“I think the fact of the matter is if we had kept up with inflation in terms of our state support, we’d be in a different position,” Rothman answered. 

Corrections budget 

DOC Sec-designee Jared Hoy also defended Evers’ proposals during the hearing, saying that policy changes, increased investments and capital projects are needed to improve safety in facilities across the state. The proposal, Hoy said, is “not simply a list of funding requests” but is a “blueprint for the future” of state corrections. 

Under the proposal, the state would invest about $634 million in the DOC. The majority of the money would be used to fund major reforms throughout the state’s prisons including infrastructure upgrades and capital improvements to Waupun Correctional Institution, Lincoln Hills School, Stanley Correctional Institution, Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center and John C. Burke Correctional Center. The improvements would culminate in the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution. 

Hoy told lawmakers that the budget proposal was developed through conversations with DOC staff, legislators and outside experts with a focus on “safety for those in our communities and the people that work in our facilities every day.” 

The proposal also includes some policy changes meant to help limit recidivism, including by expanding access to workforce training and substance use treatment for people who have 48 months or less left in their sentences for nonviolent offenses.

“A system that prioritizes re-entry and release, but fails to reduce recidivism is not truly safe. A facility that contains individuals but is dangerous and unstable inside its walls is not safe,” Hoy said. “Safety must be both measured by what happens inside the walls of our facilities, and by what happens when a person releases into the community.”

Hoy said that he hoped lawmakers would see some of their thoughts and ideas for the agency reflected in the plan.

“The governor’s budget request is an opportunity for our state to come together and use our taxpayers’ money responsibly to help keep our children and our communities safe,” Hoy said.

The idea that some lawmakers have floated of building a new facility would take significantly more time and money, he added. 

“Our agency does not have time to wait 10 to 12 years for a new facility to be built,” Hoy said.

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State Superintendent Jill Underly won a second term in office Tuesday evening. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Incumbent Jill Underly, who had the backing of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, won a second term as state superintendent on Tuesday, defeating education consultant and Republican-backed candidate Brittany Kinser. 

“I’m just deeply honored and humbled for the trust you have placed in me to continue as state superintendent for public instruction,” Underly told supporters at her Election Night party. “This victory belongs to all of us who believe in the power of public education, but for every educator, family, and most importantly, kids across our state.”

The Associated Press called the race at 10:05 p.m. with Underly leading by more than 5 points and with more than 80% of the votes counted.

Kinser’s campaign released a statement shortly before 10:30 p.m. in which she acknowledged the result was “not the outcome I had hoped for.”

“Our kids’ future shouldn’t rest on the politicization of our education system, but on the belief that our kids deserve so much better than they currently receive,” she said.

The state superintendent, a technically nonpartisan position, is responsible for providing guidance for the state’s 421 public school districts, leading the Department of Public Instruction (DPI)  — an agency responsible for administering state and federal funds, licensing teachers and developing educational curriculum and state assessments — and also holds a position on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. 

Underly received the endorsement from Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state’s largest teachers’ union, and AFT-Wisconsin. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin contributed over $850,000 to her campaign. While Underly had the backing of the state Democratic party, Democrat Gov. Tony Evers refused to endorse in the race. 

WEAC said in a statement that the “victory inspires the public school educators who work with students every day to be even more visible and more involved in education policy deliberations to solve staffing shortages and the state funding crisis that forces communities to referendum every year to keep the schoolhouse doors open” and that the result is a rejection of “the school voucher lobby in favor of educators, so all students – no exceptions – have the opportunity to learn without limits and unlock their dreams.”

Kinser had never worked in a traditional Wisconsin public school and received criticism during the campaign for never holding a Wisconsin teachers’ license and allowing her administrator’s license to lapse, though she eventually updated it. She had also worked mostly in charter school circles in recent years, including as principal and executive director of Rocketship schools in Milwaukee and as a leader of the City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee-based advocacy group that has lobbied in favor of increasing funding for the state’s voucher program.

With her background, Kinser, who describes herself as a moderate, found support from Republicans and school choice advocates, receiving over $1.6 million in contributions from the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

While decisive, Underly’s victory was by a narrower margin than her first election in 2021, while Kinser did better than past DPI candidates who have run with the backing of the state’s powerful school choice lobby.

Underly said her takeaway from the closeness of the race is that “we need to just communicate better.” 

Throughout the campaign, Underly faced criticism from her opponent, Republicans and others for her recent approval of changes to state testing standards and poor communication with school districts. 

“There’s a lot that goes on at the agency that I think in years past, maybe state superintendents took for granted, but I think it’s important that we are communicating more,” Underly told the Wisconsin Examiner.

Underly said that the agency is working on rebuilding its relationship with legislators. 

“The Legislature and the relationship with the state superintendent hasn’t always been that great…,” Underly said. “We meet with them frequently. We meet with the governor’s office quite frequently also. I’m just going to go back to the fact that I hope that we all want the same things, regardless of where we are on the political spectrum.” 

Underly said that she also respected Evers’ decision not to endorse in the race and that her working relationship with his office is “fine.”

Throughout her campaign, Underly defended her decisions during her first term and said that she has served as “the No. 1 advocate for public education” and will continue to do so. Prior to being elected to the top DPI position, Underly worked as assistant director in DPI. She also previously served as a principal and superintendent of the Pecatonica Area School District and taught in public schools in Indiana.

Underly leaned on her advocacy for public schools while making the argument for her reelection. She introduced a budget request for the state that would have invested over $4 billion in public education, saying that it’s what schools deserved. Republicans and Evers both said it was too large. 

Democratic lawmakers said Underly’s victory is a sign of Wisconsinites’ support of public schools and will hopefully bode well for the future of securing improved funding for public education. 

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) told the Wisconsin Examiner that Underly’s victory was a vindication of her first term in office.

“She’s had to make do with some really tough choices, and she’s done a great job for kids and for teachers,” Hesselbein said.

“We know public schools unite communities, and when we have strong public schools, we have strong communities,” Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) said. “We’ve got a state superintendent who’s going to be looking out for every learner in our state, and so I’m also looking forward to the transparency and accountability that will come with ensuring that public dollars are for public schools.” 

Hong said that the lack of communication between Republican lawmakers and Underly is the fault of  lawmakers who are not interested in meeting the needs of students. She said that Underly’s win and “Republicans needing to answer to their communities who care about their public schools again” could encourage them to work across the aisle. She noted that Wisconsinites have repeatedly raised their property taxes to ensure schools have funding in lieu of reliable state investments. 

Hong also said that she thought Underly’s victory showcased that “public dollars going to private schools was a deep concern for a lot of Wisconsinites.” During her campaign, Underly criticized  her opponent for her lobbying for and support for Wisconsin’s school choice programs. She also expressed her opposition to the growth of those programs, saying it is not sustainable for the state to fund two school systems and that she would oppose dedicating more money to private school vouchers.

Underly said it’s clear that her opponent “cares about kids and she cares about kids learning,” and that something she would take away from the race is that “we all want the same things. Ultimately, we want kids to be successful.”