With all the pressing problems facing Wisconsin, it’s difficult to imagine that state legislators would be even remotely concerned about the dwindling ranks of newspaper reporters statewide.

But it’s time to recalibrate expectations in the wake of a recently introduced bill that would have the state pay $1 million annually to fund a journalism fellowship program. The program would pay 25 newspaper reporters an annual salary of $40,000 in an effort to bolster local news coverage in communities underserved by newspapers.

Healthcare spending continues to grow. Average per person spending was $13,493 in 2022 in the U.S., or $4.5 trillion total, according to federal data.

Fortunately, a bill just passed by the Assembly and up for consideration in the state Senate provides a solution that could make it both cheaper and more accessible via direct primary care.

The advantage of direct primary care is that no approvals are needed for procedures or services, so the physician and patient are more empowered. Care can be obtained faster and at lower cost.

The Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors has scheduled an April referendum asking voters to authorize an additional $252 million in funding — a tough sell in a district with plummeting enrollment, dismal academic performance and a huge influx of cash in recent years.

But there’s another reason — a simple one — that voters should vote no.

For too long to remember, MPS has been mired in mediocrity, unable to move forward on anything with any sort of urgency. There’s abundant evidence that more money will not produce better outcomes, but even more evidence that MPS typically moves slightly slower than the speed of your average hermit crab race.

Union membership as a percent of the workforce has been falling nationally for a long time — from about 1 in 4 private-sector workers in 1973 to less than 7% in 2023. 

The trend has been similar in Wisconsin.

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.

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