Congress has passed an emergency aid package that provides help directly to people affected by the coronavirus, as well as to states struggling to deal with the health and economic damage inflicted by the illness. The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support, passing 363-40 in the House of Representatives and 92-8 in the...
Communities across the country are scrambling to mitigate the harm done by the coronavirus. But local governments in Wisconsin are finding that the state government has tied their hands by blocking several steps that communities could take to protect the health and well-being of their residents. One of the most damaging constraints was...
Paid Sick Leave and its Importance in Stemming the Coronavirus As we think about strategies to mitigate the deadly spread of the coronavirus, we have to take a close look at the large gaps in access to sick leave and health insurance. Rarely are there such stark examples of the importance of establishing public policies that promote a...
Wisconsin was recently awarded nearly $10 million for early childhood efforts. The Preschool Development Grant - Birth to Five (PDG B-5) is a one-year federal grant which allows Wisconsin to complete a needs assessment and a strategic plan to improve our early care system. The grant focuses on addressing pervasive challenges...
A bill in the Wisconsin state senate expanding short-term health insurance plans would make things worse for Wisconsinites. Short-term Health Insurance Plans, which currently offer limited health coverage for periods of less than a year, are being marketed more aggressively this year in part because of policy changes by the Trump...
Wisconsin legislators are considering a bill that would double a capital gains tax break approved two years ago, which was intended to encourage very wealthy people to invest in “distressed” areas. Although that strategy for incentivizing investments in “Opportunity Zones” was well intended, commentators across the political spectrum...
As the 2020 legislative session winds down, the Wisconsin Legislature is rushing to pass a bill this week (SB 440)/AB 532) that would double a current state tax break for very wealthy investors who reinvest money in “Opportunity Zones.” A new issue brief by the Wisconsin Budget Project explains why the existing tax breaks for the rich...
The new federal poverty guidelines, which are adjusted for inflation each January, provide an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by low-income working families, and they help illustrate why state and federal policymakers ought to help more Americans gain access to health care. These guidelines largely control who is...
Beginning in February, Wisconsin will start implementing changes to BadgerCare (Wisconsin’s Medicaid program for low-income families) that make health care less accessible for low-income Wisconsinites who do not have children. Medicaid helps people with disabilities, older adults, children and parents with low-wage jobs, and adults who...
For immediate releaseJanuary 29, 2020Contact: Tamarine Cornelius, 608-284-0580 x 305 Despite recent increases, Wisconsin’s public K-12 school districts still receive less in state aidthan they did a decade ago, prior to historic cuts to education, a new analysis from the Wisconsin Budget Project shows. The analysis shows that in 2021,...
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