Journalism

Gov. Evers’ wide world of diversity, equity and inclusion

Republicans vow to strip DEI officers from budget proposal

By Ken Wysocky

Tucked away in Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed budget is nearly $3 million for a new cabinet-level chief equity officer and 18 new equity officers assigned throughout state government departments and agencies.

According to the governor’s job descriptions, the chief equity officer would “collaborate” with the 18 department- and agency-level equity officers “to identify opportunities to advance equity in government operations, including determining how current government practices and policies impact communities of color and individuals with disabilities.”

The governor’s request comes at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs are under fire in higher education, business and in government for fundamental unfairness and divisiveness and a failure to achieve their intended goals

Viewpoint

Economist vindicates Act 10 and common sense

Rewards for good teaching, wins for kids

By Patrick McIlheran

Recently a Yale professor wrote something that was astonishing because it shouldn’t have been astonishing.  

Barbara Biasi, a labor economist, vindicated the labor reforms in the Walker-era Act 10. And she redeemed, if I may say so, the good sense of Wisconsinites who favored the reforms.  

Biasi has long been studying Act 10’s effects, and she summarized her findings in Education Next, the reform-minded journal. The even-shorter summary: Reforming the way teachers are paid “can be a powerful instrument to attract and retain effective educators, which could have profound and long-lasting effects on students.”

Inside the Capitol

Flat Tax Testimony

Badger Institute President Mike Nichols testified in the Capitol twice this week, first on Tuesday to members of the Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue and then on Wednesday to members of the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means. Katherine Loughead of the Tax Foundation also testified in Wednesday’s hearing.

“Wisconsin can — and we think has to — do a lot more to compete with our neighbors. That’s where competition has to take place and with much of the rest of America. Or, watch our children and our neighbors move to states with more jobs and better wages, more opportunity and more prosperity. And those who are left behind at all levels are going to have fewer jobs, less opportunity and more of the tax burden. So, to us, the choice would seem clear.”

Survey Says...

Cutting Wisconsin state income taxes is a political winner for both sides of the aisle, according to a recent poll conducted for the State Policy Network by Morning Consult. 

Morning Consult polled 492 registered voters in Wisconsin between April 11 and April 17.  

Seventy-five percent strongly or somewhat support lowering state income taxes while only 6% strongly or somewhat oppose it. Of the seventy-five percent who are supportive, 42% are strongly so.  

Support stretches across all demographics and political affiliations. For instance, those who are strongly or somewhat supportive include:

Margin of error of +/- 4.

Podcast Rewind

Flat Tax Is Better for Business, Better for Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the vast majority of businesses are established as pass-throughs — meaning their owners pay the individual income tax rate, not the corporate tax rate.

So, no one understands the need for a lower, flatter tax in Wisconsin than Scott Manley of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the largest and most influential business association in the state.

Manley sat down with Badger Institute President Mike Nichols to discuss how a flat tax would improve Wisconsin’s ability to keep and attract residents and businesses, address the workforce shortage, benefit workers and contribute to overall growth in the Badger State.

At a Glance

Source: The Economic Implications of a Flat-Rate Income Tax for Wisconsin

Education Freedom

The final public hearing of the Joint Finance Committee was held Wednesday in Minocqua. Advocates for education freedom were heard once more, urging Legislators to close the funding gap that limits access to high-performing choice and charter schools.

Source: Alyssa Pollow, Twitter

Weekly Survey: Should Wisconsin allocate more money or less money for DEI initiatives?

Previous Poll Results:

What We’re Reading

• City Journal: Invest in More Cops

• Richard Moore: A bureaucracy never changes; it only lies in wait

• Kay Hymowitz: The Transgender Children’s Crusade

• AEI: A Crucial Character Trait for Happiness

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