From WisPolitics … — The GOP co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee are arguing a drop in the state’s projected surplus is even more reason to cut taxes. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau is projecting the state will now finish the 2023-25 biennium with a surplus of $3.25 billion. That’s nearly

From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers will hit Eau Claire, Wausau and Green Bay today as part of a statewide tour following his State of the State address. Evers will be joined by Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson and others on the stops. In last night’s speech, the guv

From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his sixth State of the State address this evening in what will be a busy day at the state Capitol. Evers will begin his speech at 7 p.m., and it will be streamed live on WisconsinEye. Watch the speech. See WisPolitics

From WisPolitics … — Both those who support abortion rights and those who oppose them are knocking a proposal by GOP lawmakers to ask voters to impose a ban on the procedure after 14 weeks of pregnancy. On the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Assembly Health, Aging and

From WisPolitics … — All GOP members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation voted against a bill to avert a government shutdown as the House sent the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore blasted Republicans who voted against the measure to keep the government funded after

From WisPolitics … — The Assembly’s calendar today includes measures to ban government lists of firearm owners and prohibit the state from infringing upon certain rights for parents.  Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on AB 468, which would ban government entities from intentionally creating, storing or maintaining a list of

From WisPolitics … — Dem voters asked the state Supreme Court to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections, citing its ruling last month striking down the legislative lines. The petition, filed yesterday, argued a foundation of the lines now in place was the court’s 2021 decision to

From WisPolitics … — The Assembly and Senate will be on the floor today for the first time in 2024. The Senate calendar includes a vote on the nomination of Tyler Huebner to the Public Service Commission. On Friday, a Senate committee voted 3-2 against recommending his confirmation. The Senate

Subscribers: There will be no WisPolitics products Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Thank you for subscribing! From WisPolitics … — U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced today she raised more than $3 million during the fourth quarter of 2023 as the Madison Dem continued to pull

From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee has a public hearing today on two bills that are part of a deal Assembly Speaker Robin Vos struck with UW leadership to curtail DEI positions at the university. One bill would authorize nearly $696.7 million in projects on UW campuses, including

From WisPolitics … — The liberal group Opportunity Wisconsin has launched two new ads — one on TV targeting U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil of Janesville, and the other a digital spot going after U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Prairie du Chien. Both Republicans are in swing districts though Van

From WisPolitics … — State law didn’t allow the city of Racine to use a van to facilitate absentee voting during the August 2022 state primary, a judge has ruled. Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz in yesterday’s decision also found the places the van stopped during that election inappropriately favored Dem voters.

From WisPolitics … — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says the medical marijuana bill being unveiled by Republicans will “probably be the most restrictive version in the entire country.” Lawmakers are set to hold a number of regional news conferences today to unveil the details. Those are planned for South Milwaukee,

Political Stock Report –A collection of insider opinion– (Jan. 1 – 5, 2024) Rising Pedro Colón: The former Dem lawmaker snagged an appointment to the Milwaukee-based 1st District Court of Appeals last year. Now, he’s poised to get a full six-year term without so much as token opposition on the

From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers said “hell yes” Senate Republicans have made it more difficult to find a new DNR secretary after a series of his appointments have been rejected. Evers told WisPolitics in an interview this week that he hasn’t yet offered the job to anyone since

From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s state and local tax burden in fiscal year 2022-23 rose slightly to 10% from the previous fiscal year’s historic low of 9.96%, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum report.  Overall, state and local tax collections rose 2.5% to $36.2 billion from $35.4 billion in 2021-22.

From WisPolitics … — Appeals Court judges Pedro Colón and JoAnne Kloppenburg are unopposed for six-year terms. Dem Gov. Tony Evers last year appointed Colón to the Milwaukee-based 1st District after he served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. No one else filed nomination papers to run for the seat

From WisPolitics … — The Presidential Preference Selection Committee meets today to set Wisconsin’s primary ballot for the Dem and GOP presidential races. The committee has sole discretion to determine which candidates will be included on the April 2 primary ballot for the parties that eclipsed 10% of the vote

From WisPolitics … — The Republican Accountability Project says it’s launching a six-figure ad campaign in Wisconsin and other states that says Donald Trump is running for president as a “wannabe dictator.” The group says the 60-second spot will air nationally on CNN and MSNBC as well as in Georgia,

From WisPolitics … — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says GOP lawmakers early next year will OK an audit of DEI practices in state government, highlighting his next target after curtailing positions at UW. The Rochester Republican told WisPolitics in a year-end interview that GOP lawmakers in early 2025 will then