Wisconsin Politics & News
The Daily Signal examines Wisconsin state politics, voting law battles, fiscal policy, education debates, and the Badger State’s crucial role in national elections.
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opinion
Judges Put Election Reforms in Wisconsin on Hold, Except for Voter ID
On Monday, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused without comment to stay a Wisconsin district court opinion in One Wisconsin Institute v. Thomsen that threw out changes the state legislature had made in early voting rules as well as other changes such as the residency requirement for new voters…. -
news
Five Years Later, How Much Gov. Walker’s Union Legislation Saved Wisconsin
Residents of one state continue to reap the benefits of a budget bill passed five years ago that has saved taxpayers over $5 billion, researchers say. As a $3.6 billion deficit threatened to hit his state, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, championed the legislation in February 2011. Walker and the Republican-held legislature successfully balanced the budget, primarily through curbs… -
news
Wisconsin Farmers Seek End to Ban on Sales of Home-Baked Goods
Three Wisconsin farmers have filed a lawsuit against their state’s agriculture agency to overturn a ban on the sale of homemade baked goods. Erica Smith, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm representing the farmers, told The Daily Signal that she sees the lawsuit as a way to “raise awareness in… -
news
New Food Stamp Bills in Wisconsin Aim to Curtail Welfare Fraud and Abuse
As part of continued efforts by Gov. Scott Walker and legislators, welfare fraud and abuse legislation will be put to a vote on Tuesday in Wisconsin. A series of four bills, three of which target abuse of Wisconsin’s food stamp program, are expected to pass. The legislation (Wisconsin Assembly Bills 222, 200, and 188) would require… -
opinion
One Lawmaker Fights Wisconsin’s Practice of Letting Lawmakers Charge Taxpayers For Unused Sick Days
It’s enough to make any Wisconsin taxpayer sick. For 40 years, state legislators have enjoyed a special benefit that not only grants them sick leave, but also allows them to bank all unused sick days and use the cash value of those days to pay for health insurance after they retire from the legislature. “It’s a… -
news
Paul Ryan Questions Ex-Im Bank’s Role in Wisconsin GE Plant Closing
ELKHORN, Wis.—General Electric last week announced it was closing its Waukesha, Wis., plant and moving to Canada because Congress did not reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., addressed the issue Monday, explaining why he’s personally opposed to the bank and what really prompted GE’s move. Ryan, who chairs the House Ways and Means… -
opinion
Government Persecution of Wisconsin Conservatives Finally Comes to an End
In a lengthy decision issued on July 16, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has finally put an end to the secret, unconstitutional, “John Doe” investigation of conservative nonprofits in Wisconsin, such as Wisconsin Club for Growth. This legal harassment was engineered by a Democratic local prosecutor, John Chisholm, and the head of the state’s “Government Accountability… -
news
Scott Walker: ‘We Defunded Planned Parenthood’ in Wisconsin
AMHERST, N.H.—During his first trip to New Hampshire since the launch of his presidential campaign, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker outlined his resume as a conservative governor of a blue state, including lowering taxes, reducing regulations, and cutting funding for Planned Parenthood. “We defunded Planned Parenthood, which is particularly important these days in light of what… -
news
University of Wisconsin Launches Program to Find Missing Soldiers
More than 73,000 Americans who served in World War II “remain unaccounted for,” according to the Department of Defense. As we approach the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of the war this September, their families still wait for answers about what happened to their loved ones. Recently, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has decided to help locate… -
news
Wisconsin Bill Would Limit Types of Food That Could Be Purchased With Food Stamps
Wisconsin’s State Assembly approved legislation last week that puts in place new rules about what recipients of food stamps may purchase with the benefits. Assembly Bill 177 would limit the types of food that could be purchased with Wisconsin’s food stamp program, FoodShare. In addition to banning the purchase of foods such as lobster with the publicly-funded… -
opinion
Wisconsin Home Invasions: When the Government Upends Democracy
Cindy woke up to a battering ram at her front door. She opened the door to a rushing mob of policemen, yelling and barging through her house with no explanation. She begged them not to shoot her barking dogs. Another had to wake her children with an armed policeman at the foot of their beds…. -
opinion
How Wisconsin’s Right to Work Laws Could Boost Union Members
Many wonder how right-to-work laws will affect Wisconsin. To see how, consider another question: Do monopolies help or hurt customers? Until now, unions have had a monopoly in many Wisconsin workplaces. They didn’t have to persuade workers to purchase their services; they could force them to. Anyone who didn’t pay dues — averaging about $700… -
opinion
Wisconsin Is Finally Free to Implement Voter ID Law
Great news for those interested in election integrity and common sense reforms like voter ID: The Supreme Court today removed the final legal obstacle to implementing Wisconsin’s voter ID law. The Court refused to hear the American Civil Liberties Union’s appeal of a Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision that threw out the injunction issued against… -
opinion
How Wisconsin Becoming a Right-to-Work State Will Boost Its Job Growth
(This article was originally published last week, before the Wisconsin state assembly passed right-to-work legislation.) Wisconsin is poised this week to become the 25th “right-to-work state,” ending forced unionization and allowing individual workers to decide if they want to join a union or not. The Wisconsin Senate just recently passed right-to-work, and our sources in Madison… -
news
With Scott Walker’s Signature, Wisconsin Will Become the 25th Right-to-Work State
Wisconsin is one step closer to becoming the 25th right-to-work state. The Wisconsin State Assembly today approved right-to-work legislation barring unions from requiring workers to pay the equivalent of dues. The Republican-controlled State Assembly passed the bill 62-35 in a party-line vote after almost 20 hours of debate. Gov. Scott Walker, who is expected to… -
news
Should Wisconsin Pass a Right-to-Work Law? These 2 Charts Explain the Debate.
Some Wisconsinites are pushing for a right-to-work bill in their state capitol this week, in hopes to have their state join 24 others in making union dues voluntary. Though union membership rates have steadily dropped since the 1950s, the bill is drawing a heated debate. Tuesday morning, supporters and opponents of right-to-work laws testified before… -
news
Scott Walker Calls for Major Changes at University of Wisconsin System
MADISON, Wis.—More than 35,000 public employees would be removed from state government rolls if Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal stays intact through the legislative process. Walker’s 2015-17 budget proposal, which was introduced Tuesday, makes major changes to the operation of the state’s University of Wisconsin System. The second-term governor’s plan would split off the system… -
news
Wisconsin Treasurer Fulfills Campaign Pledge by Laying Off Staff
MADISON, Wis.—Newly elected state Treasurer Matt Adamczyk ran on a campaign pledge of cutting 80 percent from a $545,000 annual budget. A few weeks into his first term, he has, through layoffs, already gotten rid of his two-member staff. Adamczyk also declined to fill an empty deputy treasurer position that was paying close to $107,000 a year in salary… -
news
Undaunted by District Attorney’s Investigation, Republicans Found a Way to Win in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis.—Even after a wave of Republican victories in this month’s elections, targets of a Milwaukee County district attorney's investigation say the probe effectively chilled conservative donors and volunteers. Critics say the Democrat district attorney's investigation, launched in 2012, was aimed at disrupting the campaigns of Gov. Scott Walker and other state Republicans. “We spent, but we didn’t spend like… -
news
Will Burke Victory Mean a Higher Minimum Wage in Wisconsin? Not Necessarily.
MADISON, Wis. — If Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke defeats Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday, she’ll owe tremendous thanks to a union group fighting for an increase in the state minimum wage. But some political and legal experts say there’s no guarantee Wisconsin will see a higher minimum wage if Burke is elected. Although…