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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos during a year-end interview told WisPolitics his chamber likely will pass legislation to allow online gaming in Wisconsin, though the final version of the bill may differ from the one abruptly pulled from a floor calendar last month.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, says regulating the THC industry will be a top priority for the spring floor period.
Senate Dems want to boost the state’s share of special education funding to 90%, to offset the impact of school costs on homeowners and to boost the Homestead property tax credit. Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, believes they can accomplish all of that — and then some — without a tax increase if the Legislature makes affordability a priority in how it builds the next state budget.
In a Dec. 15 interview with WisPolitics, Kaul ticked off a series of improvements at the labs, from a new one opening in Milwaukee next year to using better tests and upgrading information mechanisms.
After the results of this fall’s elections in places like Virginia and New Jersey, national consultants have argued 2026 campaigns should be focused on just one thing — affordability. Minority Leader Greta Neubauer told WisPolitics in a new interview that will be Assembly Dems’ main focus during the spring floor period. And then they’ll take the same message to voters next fall.
Chief Justice Jill Karofsky says she’s optimistic the Supreme Court will be able to secure funding needed to extend the protection now provided by four Capitol Police officers amid a spike in threats against the judiciary.
Panelists at a WisPolitics-State Affairs polling summit sought to debunk misconceptions about the rural voter and weighed in on President Donald Trump’s gains in rural Wisconsin last year. Pollsters Ryan Tyson, an expert on the Trump voter who has worked
Economic experts say the Trump administration’s tariffs have led to unpredictability, uncertainty and will likely lead to increased costs in Wisconsin. A panel during yesterday’s WisPolitics-State Affairs and Wisconsin Tech Council luncheon said Wisconsin’s manufacturing, construction and agriculture industries so
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil declined to say whether he backs sending the National Guard to Milwaukee as President Donald Trump weighs sending troops to other cities besides Washington, D.C., to combat crime.
Speaking at a WisPolitics luncheon in Madison Tuesday, Kaul also slammed changes that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made to the way vaccines are approved.
Both voiced optimism at a WisPolitics luncheon about their parties’ futures despite recent losses.
Lawmakers and transportation experts at a WisPolitics luncheon agreed the state surplus could delay tough choices on how to fund transportation, but they expect hard decisions in future budgets. They also suggested one much-discussed future revenue option is unlikely for years to come: tolling.
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, bemoaned the lack of a successor under Donald Trump, saying it’s handing China “the world on a silver platter.’’
“We should not be wasting taxpayer money the way we do. We shouldn’t be wasting the borrowed money that’s mortgaging all of your future the way we do,” the Oshkosh Republican said. “And I don’t know how …anybody could take a look at what he’s uncovering and not just be, as I said, just outrage and demand that we keep looking.”
Gov. Tony Evers at a WisPolitics luncheon said tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will have a negative impact on Wisconsin and possibly reduce the state’s projected $4.3 billion surplus.
State superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser said at a WisPolitics candidate forum that she backs school choice because she “supports families making the best option for their kids.” Rival Jeff Wright, meanwhile, said he is concerned about a lack of transparency regarding funding of the voucher program.
Panelists weighed in on these challenges during a Jan. 15 WisPolitics + WisBusiness Health Care Report virtual luncheon, which follows the recent release of the latest annual report from the state Office of Children’s Mental Health. The office highlights concerns around anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts among kids in Wisconsin — all of which are on the rise.
Dem AG Josh Kaul said he’s ready to challenge the incoming Trump administration if it seeks to improperly divert federal funds to the president-elect’s immigration priorities, tries to end birthright citizenship or restricts access to abortion drugs.
But Vos argued the Government Oversight Accountability and Transparency Committee would provide a unique opportunity to examine state spending because so much of the focus with the current budget process is on “how much should the increase in the programs be. Very rarely do they have the time and the opportunity to delve into the details of how you know x, y, z, could be done.” The GOAT Committee, for short, will be chaired by Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu noted Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has raised the prospect of again trying to cut taxes on retirement income. But LeMahieu said he wants broader tax relief that cuts across ages. The majority leader also said he likely won’t bring up his proposal from this session to move the state to a flat tax and believes there’s no appetite in his caucus to try pumping additional state money into various local aids in an attempt to drive down property taxes.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos during a year-end interview told WisPolitics his chamber likely will pass legislation to allow online gaming in Wisconsin, though the final version of the bill may differ from the one abruptly pulled from a floor calendar last month.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, says regulating the THC industry will be a top priority for the spring floor period.
Senate Dems want to boost the state’s share of special education funding to 90%, to offset the impact of school costs on homeowners and to boost the Homestead property tax credit. Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, believes they can accomplish all of that — and then some — without a tax increase if the Legislature makes affordability a priority in how it builds the next state budget.
In a Dec. 15 interview with WisPolitics, Kaul ticked off a series of improvements at the labs, from a new one opening in Milwaukee next year to using better tests and upgrading information mechanisms.
After the results of this fall’s elections in places like Virginia and New Jersey, national consultants have argued 2026 campaigns should be focused on just one thing — affordability. Minority Leader Greta Neubauer told WisPolitics in a new interview that will be Assembly Dems’ main focus during the spring floor period. And then they’ll take the same message to voters next fall.
Chief Justice Jill Karofsky says she’s optimistic the Supreme Court will be able to secure funding needed to extend the protection now provided by four Capitol Police officers amid a spike in threats against the judiciary.
Panelists at a WisPolitics-State Affairs polling summit sought to debunk misconceptions about the rural voter and weighed in on President Donald Trump’s gains in rural Wisconsin last year. Pollsters Ryan Tyson, an expert on the Trump voter who has worked for conservative groups, and Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles
Economic experts say the Trump administration’s tariffs have led to unpredictability, uncertainty and will likely lead to increased costs in Wisconsin. A panel during yesterday’s WisPolitics-State Affairs and Wisconsin Tech Council luncheon said Wisconsin’s manufacturing, construction and agriculture industries so far have largely weathered the storm of tariffs. Businesses have
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil declined to say whether he backs sending the National Guard to Milwaukee as President Donald Trump weighs sending troops to other cities besides Washington, D.C., to combat crime.
Speaking at a WisPolitics luncheon in Madison Tuesday, Kaul also slammed changes that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made to the way vaccines are approved.
Both voiced optimism at a WisPolitics luncheon about their parties’ futures despite recent losses.
Lawmakers and transportation experts at a WisPolitics luncheon agreed the state surplus could delay tough choices on how to fund transportation, but they expect hard decisions in future budgets. They also suggested one much-discussed future revenue option is unlikely for years to come: tolling.
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, bemoaned the lack of a successor under Donald Trump, saying it’s handing China “the world on a silver platter.’’
“We should not be wasting taxpayer money the way we do. We shouldn’t be wasting the borrowed money that’s mortgaging all of your future the way we do,” the Oshkosh Republican said. “And I don’t know how …anybody could take a look at what he’s uncovering and not just be, as I said, just outrage and demand that we keep looking.”
Gov. Tony Evers at a WisPolitics luncheon said tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will have a negative impact on Wisconsin and possibly reduce the state’s projected $4.3 billion surplus.
State superintendent candidate Brittany Kinser said at a WisPolitics candidate forum that she backs school choice because she “supports families making the best option for their kids.” Rival Jeff Wright, meanwhile, said he is concerned about a lack of transparency regarding funding of the voucher program.
Panelists weighed in on these challenges during a Jan. 15 WisPolitics + WisBusiness Health Care Report virtual luncheon, which follows the recent release of the latest annual report from the state Office of Children’s Mental Health. The office highlights concerns around anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts among kids in Wisconsin — all of which are on the rise.
Dem AG Josh Kaul said he’s ready to challenge the incoming Trump administration if it seeks to improperly divert federal funds to the president-elect’s immigration priorities, tries to end birthright citizenship or restricts access to abortion drugs.
But Vos argued the Government Oversight Accountability and Transparency Committee would provide a unique opportunity to examine state spending because so much of the focus with the current budget process is on “how much should the increase in the programs be. Very rarely do they have the time and the opportunity to delve into the details of how you know x, y, z, could be done.” The GOAT Committee, for short, will be chaired by Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu noted Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has raised the prospect of again trying to cut taxes on retirement income. But LeMahieu said he wants broader tax relief that cuts across ages. The majority leader also said he likely won’t bring up his proposal from this session to move the state to a flat tax and believes there’s no appetite in his caucus to try pumping additional state money into various local aids in an attempt to drive down property taxes.