Wisconsin’s Exploding High School Discipline Problem And Other Trends

By Ola Lisowski - February 19, 2019

By Ola Lisowski – Wisconsin’s students have long been plagued by racial disparities in graduation rates, at times posting the largest achievement gap between black and white students in the country. A new dataset shows that the achievement gap is still prevalent, with the graduation rate for white students 24.2 percentage points higher than for black students. Read More Wisconsin’s Exploding High School Discipline Problem And Other Trends

‘So, We Started With, Obviously, A Gas Tax Increase’

By Matt Kittle - February 18, 2019

By M.D. Kittle – After two meetings and tax-and-spend recommendations from his “hand-picked” transportation task force, Gov. Tony Evers last week “signaled” gas tax hikes could be in his budget proposal. Surprised? Fiscal hawks in the Legislature certainly aren’t. Read More ‘So, We Started With, Obviously, A Gas Tax Increase’

MacIver News Minute: Tax Hike on Manufacturers the Wrong Prescription for Wisconsin’s Economy

By Chris Rochester - February 14, 2019

Wisconsin lawmakers should approach the state budget with a physicians’ maxim: first, do no harm. As Rep. John Nygren put it, things are going well, let’s not mess it up. So why does Gov. Tony Evers insist on a middle class tax cut that also raises taxes on manufacturers? Hitting manufacturers with higher taxes now, just as this sector is hitting its stride in Wisconsin, is like giving a patient measles to cure mumps. Read More MacIver News Minute: Tax Hike on Manufacturers the Wrong Prescription for Wisconsin’s Economy

In Case You Missed It: DOT Pitches New Taxes and Fees, Socialists Pitch Green New Deal, SJW’s UW Public Health Grant

By MacIverNews - February 8, 2019

February 8, 2019 | In case you missed it, here are six stories from this week for the fiscally-concerned conservative. Read More In Case You Missed It: DOT Pitches New Taxes and Fees, Socialists Pitch Green New Deal, SJW’s UW Public Health Grant

Transportation ‘Tax Force’ Likes 5.5-Cent Gas Tax Hike, Return Of Indexing

By Matt Kittle - February 5, 2019

By M.D. Kittle and Chris Rochester – Gov. Tony Evers’ Transportation task force has spent the past couple of days weighing all kinds of tax-and-fee-increase ideas, but members appear to overwhelmingly support a hike in the state’s gas tax and a return to gas tax indexing. Read More Transportation ‘Tax Force’ Likes 5.5-Cent Gas Tax Hike, Return Of Indexing

Transportation Task Force Or ‘Tax Force’? Signs Point To Tax Hikes Ahead

By Matt Kittle - February 1, 2019

By M.D. Kittle — DOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson, a long-time lobbyist for transportation interests, comes to the head of the newly minted transportation task force table with a “Just Fix It” point of view, and that could spell trouble for taxpayers. Read More Transportation Task Force Or ‘Tax Force’? Signs Point To Tax Hikes Ahead

Data Release Shows Just 54% of K-12 Funding is Spent on Instruction

By Ola Lisowski - January 31, 2019

By Ola Lisowski – A new data report shows that Wisconsin Schools spend almost half their revenue on overhead with only 54 percent actually going toward classroom instruction. The release demonstrates how little of the $6 billion in annual state education funding actually makes it to the classroom. Read More Data Release Shows Just 54% of K-12 Funding is Spent on Instruction

Wisconsin’s Answer To Ocasio-Cortez Pushes Costly Green New Deal

By Matt Kittle - January 29, 2019

By M.D. Kittle — Are you itching to be taxed into oblivion to pay for a socialist proposal that would massively expand government and bury your children and grandchildren in debt? If so, do we have a deal for you. The Green New Deal. Read More Wisconsin’s Answer To Ocasio-Cortez Pushes Costly Green New Deal

Senate Fiscal Hawks Want DOT To Stay On Road of Reform

By Matt Kittle - January 28, 2019

By M.D. Kittle — State Senate fiscal hawks show no sign of retreating on their reform-first position on transportation. Read More Senate Fiscal Hawks Want DOT To Stay On Road of Reform

Evers Delivers Despair Narrative In Pushing Grow-Government Agenda

By Matt Kittle - January 23, 2019

By M.D. Kittle — In his first state of the state address Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers painted a bleak picture of a Wisconsin floundering in failure, a state gripped by poverty, and hopelessness plaguing the average home. Read More Evers Delivers Despair Narrative In Pushing Grow-Government Agenda