Visit WisPolitics-State Affairs for premium content,
keyword notifications, bill tracking and more
Meanwhile, GOP legislative leaders are moving to set up an extraordinary session to vote on the budget.
From WisPolitics … — State Sen. LaTonya Johnson says Senate Dems are “not willing to be picked off one by one” to back the budget, but she still sees a bipartisan path to a two-year spending plan. “We are determined
The Joint Finance Committee nixed Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ call to raise hunting, fishing and other permits by $51 million and rejected additional positions for the state crime lab as it got back to work on the state budget.
The Joint Finance Committee convened shortly after 10:15 p.m. to begin voting again on areas of the state budget, more than 12 hours after its originally scheduled start time.
TOP STORIES Businessmen Michels, Hovde considering return to politics with runs for WI governor… [RPW Chair Schimming] doubted Michels would get in the race: “I haven’t gotten any indication that he is (running).” … wouldn’t be surprised if Hovde runs
From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee is scheduled to begin its final push on the state budget with GOP legislative leaders hoping to finish work on the document by the end of next week. A spokesperson for Tony
From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee will vote tomorrow on a request from the Department of Public Instruction to release $49.7 million to fund a literacy package, days ahead of the money lapsing to the general fund without
The Joint Finance Committee will meet tomorrow to restart its work on the state budget with an agenda that includes more than 50 topics, ranging from the UW system to Transportation.
TOP STORIES Supreme Court refuses challenges to the state’s congressional district boundaries… [unanimous] decisions, made without explanation [rejected suits] from the Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates, and … on behalf of voters by Campaign Legal Center.
From WisPolitics … — Republicans are hailing a unanimous decision by the state Supreme Court to reject two lawsuits asking the justices to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 election. The requests received national attention with control of
From WisPolitics … — Speaker Robin Vos told WisPolitics he’s optimistic lawmakers will wrap up the budget by the end of next week after Assembly and Senate Republicans met in a joint caucus today. Budget talks broke off last week
TOP STORIES Supreme Court sides with Republican Legislature in fight with governor… [unanimously] ruled that Evers improperly used his partial veto on a [science of reading] bill … said the budget committee can legally put money into an emergency fund
News travels at lightning speed these days, but we all need to slow down and think about what we’re reading.
From WisPolitics … — A member of the state GOP’s Executive Committee wrote in an email obtained by WisPolitics that he had been assured by the party’s first vice chair that there would be no further attempts to remove Chair
From WisPolitics … — GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he spoke with Dem Gov. Tony Evers this morning about state budget talks after the Senate stepped away from the negotiations last week. “So we’re staying in regular communication, and
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he spoke with Gov. Tony Evers this morning about negotiations on the state budget after the Senate stepped away from bipartisan budget talks last week.
TOP STORIES Wisconsin Supreme Court delivers win for environmentalists in fight over ‘forever chemicals’… [5-2 Ziegler, Bradley] ruled [DNR under Spills Law]] can force landowners to clean up emerging pollutants such as PFAS before they are officially designated as hazardous
The state Supreme Court today ruled that the DNR doesn’t have to identify PFAS and other contaminants as hazardous materials before responsible parties must take steps to clean up the pollution. In the 5-2 decision, the court ruled the agency
From WisPolitics … — The Assembly meets today to take up several bills, including measures related to elections, judicial security and nuclear power. One bill would create a process for candidates who have suspended their campaigns to opt out of
From WisPolitics … — UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin today directed schools and colleges to reduce their base budgets by 5% for fiscal year 2025-26, citing uncertainty at the federal and state levels. Mnookin wrote in a communication to faculty and
Meanwhile, GOP legislative leaders are moving to set up an extraordinary session to vote on the budget.
From WisPolitics … — State Sen. LaTonya Johnson says Senate Dems are “not willing to be picked off one by one” to back the budget, but she still sees a bipartisan path to a two-year spending plan. “We are determined to stick together as a body to make sure that
The Joint Finance Committee nixed Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ call to raise hunting, fishing and other permits by $51 million and rejected additional positions for the state crime lab as it got back to work on the state budget.
The Joint Finance Committee convened shortly after 10:15 p.m. to begin voting again on areas of the state budget, more than 12 hours after its originally scheduled start time.
TOP STORIES Businessmen Michels, Hovde considering return to politics with runs for WI governor… [RPW Chair Schimming] doubted Michels would get in the race: “I haven’t gotten any indication that he is (running).” … wouldn’t be surprised if Hovde runs … “He’s got the benefit of time because now he
From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee is scheduled to begin its final push on the state budget with GOP legislative leaders hoping to finish work on the document by the end of next week. A spokesperson for Tony Evers said there was no deal between GOP lawmakers and
From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee will vote tomorrow on a request from the Department of Public Instruction to release $49.7 million to fund a literacy package, days ahead of the money lapsing to the general fund without committee action. The committee originally received the request on March
The Joint Finance Committee will meet tomorrow to restart its work on the state budget with an agenda that includes more than 50 topics, ranging from the UW system to Transportation.
TOP STORIES Supreme Court refuses challenges to the state’s congressional district boundaries… [unanimous] decisions, made without explanation [rejected suits] from the Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates, and … on behalf of voters by Campaign Legal Center. … the second [rejection] in as many years. Suits hoped
From WisPolitics … — Republicans are hailing a unanimous decision by the state Supreme Court to reject two lawsuits asking the justices to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 election. The requests received national attention with control of the narrowly divided House at stake next fall. That’s particularly
From WisPolitics … — Speaker Robin Vos told WisPolitics he’s optimistic lawmakers will wrap up the budget by the end of next week after Assembly and Senate Republicans met in a joint caucus today. Budget talks broke off last week after Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said his caucus
TOP STORIES Supreme Court sides with Republican Legislature in fight with governor… [unanimously] ruled that Evers improperly used his partial veto on a [science of reading] bill … said the budget committee can legally put money into an emergency fund to be distributed later. [as it did] with the $50
News travels at lightning speed these days, but we all need to slow down and think about what we’re reading.
From WisPolitics … — A member of the state GOP’s Executive Committee wrote in an email obtained by WisPolitics that he had been assured by the party’s first vice chair that there would be no further attempts to remove Chair Brian Schimming. Meanwhile, a former county chair is urging an
From WisPolitics … — GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he spoke with Dem Gov. Tony Evers this morning about state budget talks after the Senate stepped away from the negotiations last week. “So we’re staying in regular communication, and we continue to work through it. I think the most
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he spoke with Gov. Tony Evers this morning about negotiations on the state budget after the Senate stepped away from bipartisan budget talks last week.
TOP STORIES Wisconsin Supreme Court delivers win for environmentalists in fight over ‘forever chemicals’… [5-2 Ziegler, Bradley] ruled [DNR under Spills Law]] can force landowners to clean up emerging pollutants such as PFAS before they are officially designated as hazardous substances. …. [a defeat for plaintiffs WMC. Reviews PFAS, where
The state Supreme Court today ruled that the DNR doesn’t have to identify PFAS and other contaminants as hazardous materials before responsible parties must take steps to clean up the pollution. In the 5-2 decision, the court ruled the agency doesn’t need to promulgate rules identifying every substance, including its
From WisPolitics … — The Assembly meets today to take up several bills, including measures related to elections, judicial security and nuclear power. One bill would create a process for candidates who have suspended their campaigns to opt out of appearing on the ballot. AB 35 was introduced after Robert
From WisPolitics … — UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin today directed schools and colleges to reduce their base budgets by 5% for fiscal year 2025-26, citing uncertainty at the federal and state levels. Mnookin wrote in a communication to faculty and staff that changes in how much the federal government will