One of the surprising changes to the budget bill was an amendment loosening Wisconsin’s child labor laws. Without any hearing or opportunity for public debate on the issue, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) approved an amendment significantly reducing the constraints on hours that may be worked by children. The JFC amendment, which is...
The 2011-13 biennial budget withdraws more than $45 million in state support for specific programs in Wisconsin school districts programs that help prepare our students to become the leaders of future generations.This budget withdraws all support for a number of programs in school districts, including Advanced Placement courses. The...
YoungStar, Wisconsin's new quality rating and improvement system for licensed child care programs, suffered a major setback in the Governor's budget. Incentives for higher quality providers were either eliminated or reduced significantly. For example, a three- star (out of five) rated child care provider would receive no bonus payment...
In 2009, public transit services in Wisconsin provided more than 65 million rides. Whether by city bus, public taxi service, or commuter rail, public transit serves a vital purpose for Wisconsin’s families, especially the most vulnerable. Those who are unable to afford a car can utilize public transit to get to and from work, the...
The two-year budget recently signed into law by Governor Walker contains significant cuts to higher education in Wisconsin. Over the next two years, core state support for UW universities and colleges is reduced by $250 million, and state support for the technical colleges is reduced by more than $70 million.These cuts follow a trend of...
On July 1st, Mississippi amended a law that prevents most 17-year-old misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenders from being tried as adults. Felonies including rape, murder, and armed robbery may still warrant charges in the adult court system. Mississippi is the latest and 38th state to make this positive step in juvenile justice....
The budget bill brought both good and bad news for the Transitional Jobs program, which provides subsidized job placements and training for unemployed, non-custodial parents who are ineligible for both unemployment insurance and the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program. It was initiated in September 2010 as a two-year demonstration program,...
Despite extensive cuts to education, including the elimination of the educational Wisconsin Covenant program, the 2011-13 biennial budget added funding for a reading task force called “Read to Lead.” The Read to Lead task force is budgeted for $1.2 million dollars over the next two fiscal years, with the aim of bolstering the reading...
The Governor’s proposed budget eliminated men from the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program, and the Joint Finance Committee restricted the program further by reducing income eligibility for women from 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 200% FPL. Joint Finance also imposed parental notification and use of family income to...
The Wisconsin Covenant, championed by Governor Doyle, was launched in 2006. It was seen as a way to inspire young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to plan early for successful high school careers that would lead to higher education.Eighth graders, beginning in the spring of 2007, were invited to sign a Wisconsin...
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