From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee has delayed the start of today’s executive session on education funding and taxes. The latest announcement pushed the start of the hearing to 5 p.m. It was the third delay announced today after the committee was originally scheduled to convene at 1

From WisPolitics … — GOP state Rep. Tony Kurtz today said legislation he’s co-authored to extend the state’s stewardship program is just a starting point as stakeholders weigh in. Dem Rep. Deb Andraca told Kurtz — a fellow member of the Finance Committee — that she likes a lot of

From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers today insisted “I didn’t lie” when he said Republican legislative leaders refused his demand to make a significant investment in education during budget negotiations. Evers also disclosed the two sides were far apart on a boost to special education funding. Speaking with reporters

From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin is on pace to see a spike in credible threats against state judges and justices in 2025, according to numbers compiled by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. A court spokesperson says that’s partly because judges and staff across Wisconsin are being encouraged to report threats to

From WisPolitics … — The Department of Public Instruction plans to withhold an additional $25.4 million in state aid from Milwaukee Public Schools this year due to delayed financial reporting, according to a letter provided to WisPolitics.  In a notice sent to the district yesterday, Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy

From WisPolitics … — State Dem Party Chair Ben Wikler at a WisPolitics luncheon today said Wisconsin is seeing a “burgeoning blue wave” that will hit the state in full force next year following Democrats’ painful November loss.  The outgoing chair spoke at today’s panel alongside former GOP state Rep.

From WisPolitics … — An executive with a paper mill in Biron warned that restricting foreign ownership of Wisconsin land could cut off the company’s ability to expand in the state. But GOP Sen. André Jacque, who co-authored one of the bills to restrict foreign ownership that received a public

From WisPolitics … — The Department of Public Instruction will continue withholding aid from Milwaukee Public Schools after the state’s largest district missed two deadlines last month to file financial data with the agency. DPI Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy said the agency will continue to withhold $16.6 million from

From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s six GOP House members and Republican state lawmakers want the state Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit asking the justices to redraw congressional lines. And the six members of Congress want liberal Justice Janet Protasiewiciz to recuse herself from the case after comments she made

From WisPolitics … — The Joint Finance Committee plans to take up general fund taxes during upcoming executive sessions. But GOP leaders haven’t indicated just when that will happen. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau today released the next batch of budget papers for 17 areas, including general fund taxes.  At the

From WisPolitics … — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson today lambasted President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” arguing it would increase the deficit and Congress should find more cuts before approving.  “There’s no amount of pressure that President Trump can apply to me that exceeds the pressure I feel from the

From WisPolitics … — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told WisPolitics in a statement today GOP legislative leaders were working to schedule another meeting with Dem Gov. Tony Evers this week. It would be their third day of meetings after they first got together March 26. Vos, R-Rochester, also confirmed today

Subscribers: Please give us your feedback and get free entry into a WisPolitics event.  Take the short survey here. From WisPolitics … — Dem Gov. Tony Evers met twice with GOP legislative leaders yesterday as budget talks have ramped up, according to multiple sources. WisPolitics reported earlier this week that

Subscribers: Please give us your feedback and get free entry into a WisPolitics event.  Take the short survey here. From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin Restaurant Association Executive Vice President Susan Quam told lawmakers today a bill eliminating the tax on tips would support restaurant workers and owners.  “Eliminating income tax

Subscribers: Please give us your feedback and get free entry into a WisPolitics event.  Take the short survey here. From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers will meet with GOP legislative leaders tomorrow to pick up their talks on the budget, according to a source with knowledge of their plans.

From WisPolitics … — Fond du Lac DA Eric Toney told WisPolitics he’s considering another run for attorney general after losing to Dem Josh Kaul by 35,000 votes in 2022. Toney said he received calls the day after the 2022 election urging him to take another run at the job

Subscribers: We are sending this PM Update today instead of the usual REPORT, which will return next week. Thank you for subscribing! From WisPolitics … — Hannah Dugan’s supporters have created a legal defense fund to fight what the group calls an “unprecedented attack on the independent judiciary by the

From WisPolitics … — The Wisconsin Supreme Court today set a May 29 deadline for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to respond to two lawsuits seeking to overturn the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. The court also set a May 30 deadline for anyone else interested in the

From WisPolitics … — Income tax collections last month dropped 9.1% compared to April 2024 while corporate taxes were down 13.2%, according to new numbers the Evers administration released today. The fiscal year-to-date collections have also now fallen behind the pace that the Legislative Fiscal Bureau had projected for the

From WisPolitics … — Speaker Robin Vos said today the Republican tax cut plan is “on pause” until Gov. Tony Evers agrees to meet with GOP leaders in person, adding he’s frustrated the Dem governor hasn’t agreed to another meeting.  Evers, Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, met