From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s state and local tax burden dropped to another record low in 2024, accounting for 9.62% of personal income, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. That’s down from 9.92% in 2023, which also set a record after state and local taxes accounted

From WisPolitics … — Agency staff recommends the Elections Commission reject a challenge to state superintendent candidate Jeff Wright’s nomination papers that argued he should be knocked off the ballot for failing to include “Wisconsin” on two sections of his filings. A Racine voter filed the challenge last week, arguing

From WisPolitics … — Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says Senate Republicans will “pull out all the policy issues right away” when Gov. Tony Evers introduces his budget plan. “It’s not a policy vision for the governor,” LeMahieu said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “But

From WisPolitics … — Conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel raised $1.5 million over the past six months, bringing his overall haul for the campaign to $2.2 million. Schimel’s campaign said today the haul is more than double what any Supreme Court candidate in Wisconsin history has raised during the

From WisPolitics … — Freshman GOP Rep. Lindee Brill, of Sheboygan Falls, says she prays this session will produce results that make her regret not voting for Robin Vos, R-Rochester, as Assembly speaker. Brill joined Rep. Chuck Wichgers, R-Muskego, in abstaining from yesterday’s leadership vote as Vos was reelected to

From WisPolitics … — Dem Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “a joke” that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos thinks schools can get by on the spending boost due them over the next two years, vowing to propose an even bigger increase in his budget. Evers used his partial veto authority

From WisPolitics … — At least three of Wisconsin’s six House Republicans are publicly vowing to back U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, for speaker during today’s vote. The offices of U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, and Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, told WisPolitics the lawmakers would support Johnson today.

From WisPolitics … — The state Elections Commission today will consider opening an investigation into the Madison clerk after 193 uncounted absentee ballots were found more than a month after Election Day. In materials prepared for today’s meeting at the direction of Chair Ann Jacobs, the staff proposed the probe

From WisPolitics … Subscribers: Today’s AM Update and News Summary will be the final WisPolitics products ahead of the holiday season. Normal products will resume Jan. 2. Thank you for subscribing, and happy holidays. — Gov. Tony Evers announced today appointed Karen Hyun, the chief of staff of the National

From WisPolitics … — GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany joined Dem colleagues Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan in opposing a resolution, backed by Donald Trump, to avoid a government shutdown. GOP U.S. Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, of Juneau, Glenn Grothman, of Glenbeulah, Bryan Steil, of Janesville, Tony Wied, of De Pere,

From WisPolitics … — Dem Gov. Tony Evers is knocking GOP lawmakers for blocking the reallocation of $70 million for building projects on Universities of Wisconsin campuses, a move that could impact a widely supported engineering building at Madison. The Building Commission yesterday deadlocked on the proposal to move the

From WisPolitics … — A special committee plans to vote today on a proposal that would ensure Native American students can wear traditional tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony or school-sponsored event. Current law requires schools to provide reasonable accommodations of a pupil’s religious beliefs along with a ban on

From WisPolitics … — A joint legislative committee plans to vote today on suspending a state rule that bars anyone from having a firearm while fishing after the DNR determined it was the best option to nix the prohibition since it conflicts with Wisconsin law. The Department of Natural Resources

From WisPolitics … — Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Greta Neubauer says she’s having conversations with Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul about ways to prevent the mass deportations promised by Donald Trump. “We are having conversations with Assembly Democrats, in our local communities, and of course with the

From WisPolitics … — The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus announced the reelection of Sen.-elect Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, as chair.  Meanwhile, Rep.-elect Sequanna Taylor will serve as vice-chair for the 2025-26 session, Rep.-elect Margaret Arney will serve as secretary and Rep. Kalan Haywood was reelected treasurer. All but Arney will represent

From WisPolitics … — The state Department of Justice agrees with the Wisconsin GOP that a federal law requiring electors to meet on Tuesday trumps a state statute saying they should get together on Monday. But DOJ argued in filings yesterday that a federal judge should dismiss the suit and

From WisPolitics … — The Senate Universities and Revenue Committee has an informational hearing planned today that will include testimony from Tech College System President Layla Merrifield. UW-Green Bay Chancellor Dr. Michael Alexander and Madison Area Technical College faculty member Grant Emmel have also been invited to speak. — The

From WisPolitics … — State residents will pay $327.2 million more to K-12 schools via property tax bills this month — an increase driven in part by widespread voter-approved referendums, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reports. That amounts to a 5.7% increase in the gross property tax levy for schools to