The unions’ lawsuit to overturn Act 10, Wisconsin's 2011 labor reform, isn’t primarily about money.

Money is involved. When the Legislature and then-Gov. Scott Walker took away most of the control that public employee unions exerted over state and local governments, they said it was to arrest overspending by reducing employee benefit costs.

Mission accomplished: The reforms so far have saved taxpayers $16.8 billion...

Wisconsin's Republican lawmakers recently introduced Assembly Bill 660, aiming to help employers provide support for working families in meeting the costs of childcare. While the bill's intentions are commendable, the approach of directly subsidizing employers to create and subsidize childcare slots has proven ineffective in other contexts. 

It would also unfairly disadvantage childcare providers ineligible or incapable of benefiting from the program, such as for-profit small businesses, and has the potential to be costly if participation among employers is high. Instead, lawmakers should focus on reducing the cost of childcare in Wisconsin by reforming the regulatory environment, while providing direct assistance to needy families in a flexible way.

Since the end of World War II, the average number of milk cows living in Wisconsin each year has halved in size, yet the annual production of milk in the state has doubled.

While the factors underlying such a rise in dairy productivity are beyond the scope of this post, the Badger Institute, under its previous name, has in the past analyzed the impact of government on Wisconsin agriculture.

The lines are on two separate scales: The blue line and the left depict the average number of milk cows each year by five-year increments. This scale is in millions. The red line and the right scale depict annual milk production. This scale is in billions.

After Gov. Tony Evers announced last week he was diverting $36.6 million in federal emergency pandemic funds for, among other things, a soccer stadium, a sports center and a railroad museum, state Sen. Duey Stroebel tweeted, “I struggle to see how any of these projects relate to pandemic relief.”

Evers opened himself up to a whole lot of questions that have nothing to do with the public’s fondness for the beautiful game or old trains. Such as: Why is the governor still doling out pandemic money years after the pandemic is over? How much of that pandemic money is still waiting to be spent? And why is he the only person in the state of Wisconsin who gets to decide how to spend it?

The Badger Institute, formerly known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), has long been at the forefront of the fight for school choice, right to work, welfare reform, tax restructuring, limited government, civil society and so much more. If you appreciate the Institute’s legacy and want to support free markets, opportunity and prosperity, please consider donating today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles now and in generations to come.

The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Executive Vice President.

The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization funded solely by the generosity of foundations, companies and individuals.

Badger Institute
700 W. Virginia St., Suite 301
Milwaukee, WI 53204