Budget decisions made by lawmakers have an enormous potential to help or harm the well-being of Wisconsin families and communities. We know that following the budget process is time-consuming and a lot to take in. That’s why we’ve carefully reviewed the budget proposed by Governor Evers, and prepared summaries that explain in plain language what the budget means for schoolchildren, taxpayers, and anyone who wants to make sure that Wisconsin residents stay healthy. Here’s what we found: K-12 education: Governor Evers has proposed a budget that significantly increases support for Wisconsin’s public schools, targets additional resources at identified needs, promotes racial equity, and

[Madison, WI] – Once again, Gov. Tony Evers’ failure to lead on COVID-19 is hurting Wisconsinites who are still reeling from the impact of the pandemic. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Thursday that the Evers administration has failed to provide food assistance to tens of thousands of Wisconsin children who would normally receive subsidized meals at schools, but were stuck learning virtually while their classrooms were shuttered.   As Gov. Evers refused to lead on reopening schools, his administration also shut down the live call center intended to serve struggling parents who were trying to feed their children. Instead, the hotline

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after President Biden unveiled his “skinny budget” for FY2022. “At a time when Admiral Davidson is warning that the Chinese Communist Party could invade Taiwan within the decade, it is pure insanity for the Biden administration to propose an inflation-adjusted defense cut at the same time that it is growing domestic spending by double digits. “The warning signs are flashing red. If we do not act with a sense of urgency to grow and modernize our military today–not tomorrow–we will fail to

MADISON, Wis. — Republican State Senator Duey Stroebel has been among the ringleaders in state Republicans’ effort to limit the freedom to vote. This is in line with a nationwide effort, coordinated by conservative organizations, to create obstacles to the ballot box, which often target Black, brown, and young Americans. Stroebel claims his efforts are aimed at transparency, but as recently reported, his own office policy allows for deleting public records, including emails about the identity of individuals or groups he worked with on election law bills. Emails that A Better Wisconsin Together was able to obtain pertaining to an election venue

MADISON, WI—Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI) released the following statement in response to the results of the union election for Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama. “The brave workers in Bessemer, Alabama have made history in a state that is not known to be friendly to organized labor against a corporation that has built an empire off too often exploiting its workers. Despite a coordinated campaign of intimidation, union-busting and interference by Amazon, workers stood up to describe their awful working conditions, organized to form a union with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RDSU) and did not back down against Amazon’s corruption.

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) is calling on the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Board of Directors to convene a meeting early next week so School Board members, parents, students, staff and the general public can hear from MPS Administration about preparations. “While the School Board approved a proposal to reopen more than 2 weeks ago, and with some students set to return next week, there still is no publicly available plan,” said MTEA President Amy Mizialko. With K-3 students scheduled to return Wednesday, Administration still has not released hard numbers on students returning, where overflow classrooms are needed and

MILWAUKEE – County Clerk George Christenson testified before the Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics, in opposition to Senate Bills 207, 210, and 213. “Wisconsin’s elections are a great example of our proud tradition of good, honest, and transparent government,” said Clerk Christenson. “Despite the pandemic, all 72 Wisconsin counties conducted free, accurate, and secure elections in November. There are over thirty election law reform bills currently introduced at the State Legislature. Like the four heard at yesterday’s hearing, most of these bills, if passed, would have negative consequences on Wisconsin elections—including voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression.”    Senate Bill 207

WHITEWATER — Representatives from ACLU of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Education Network, Coalition for a Just Budget, Building Unity, WEAC, and other groups held a press conference today outside the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) hearing at Whitewater, emphasizing the importance of public input during the 2021-2023 biennial budget process and highlighted the need for the budget to reflect the needs and values of Wisconsinites.   The JFC typically holds multiple hearings around the state. The first of three in-person events was held in Whitewater today, with other events planned later this month in Rhinelander on April 21 and Menomonie on April