Wisconsin state lawmakers wrapped up the 2017-2018 legislative session in March. During the session they passed several bills affecting K-12 education, health care, taxes, and public assistance. To learn more about specific bills, please read our legislative summaries: K-12 Education: Legislative Summary Health care: Legislative Summary...
Advocates were surprised this year when a sweeping package of changes to public assistance was introduced late in the legislative session and was quickly approved by the legislature. Within just a few weeks of when they were introduced, the legislature approved nine of the ten special session bills proposed by Governor Walker.
Wisconsin state lawmakers have wrapped up the 2017-18 legislative session after passing several bills that affect K-12 education.
The second half of a two-year legislative session typically includes debate on a number of tax bills, especially when updates to budget projections increase the size of the state’s estimated closing balance. That was true again this year, and as the legislature often does in an election year, it enacted tax cuts that are expected to leave the state with a perilously slim budget cushion.
The Wisconsin State Legislature considered a very wide range of bills relating to health care during the 2017-2018 legislative session. This overview summarizes a small but significant portion of that legislation, specifically bills related to access to health insurance and access to health care services.
The U.S. Department of Commerce plans to add a question about citizenship status to the census. This may sound benign, but it is in fact a reckless, political tactic designed to suppress the counts of immigrant kids and families. This is being done despite clear direction in the Constitution that the census is supposed to count everyone, regardless of citizenship status.
By Dave Edie, Early Care and Education Policy Analyst Wisconsin continues to be near the top among states in providing four-year-old kindergarten (4K), ranking 5th in the nation, according to a 2017 report by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The report for Wisconsin, NIEER Analysis of Wisconsin's PreK...
Following years of sabotage and hostility directed towards the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Governor Walker and the legislature pivoted to pass a $200 million reinsurance program, which is expected to slightly lower premiums for those relatively few people who earn too much to qualify for premium tax credits that help defray the costs of...
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) turns eight tomorrow, Friday, March 23. Despite Republicans’ ongoing efforts to repeal, replace, or sabotage the ACA, the health reform law has some impressive accomplishments. During this challenging year, public sentiment regarding the health care law has become more and more positive. In February, more...
Research has shown that when children receive high-quality child care, they are much more likely to perform well in school, graduate on time, and be productive members of society. This is why it’s critical that there are investments made into early care and education programs and that efforts are made to get low-income children, who...
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