A Victory in the Effort to Secure Elections

On Tuesday, Wisconsin passed two constitutional amendments that impact how elections are run in Wisconsin. What does this mean and what’s next?

In the past, we've seen millions of dollars in private money flow unchecked to states and local governments’ public offices. Unlike political contributions, these funds are unregulated in many cases. Private funding provided to states and localities beginning with the 2020 election, has created distrust in our elections.

Wisconsin just put an end to this. This week, our state took a step forward in restoring trust in elections by passing two constitutional amendments that ban the use of private grants in the elections administration. This decision was crucial to strengthening election integrity.

As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I’ve been focused on increasing confidence in our elections. The more confident Americans are in their elections, the more likely they are to participate.

Working to Fix Student Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application process to help students gain access to student aid for college. For years, the FAFSA process has operated smoothly, but now delays caused by mismanagement are creating undue confusion and difficulty for applicants. It is crucial the Department of Education (ED) take the necessary steps to fix the system to give schools and students ample opportunity to prepare and accept financial aid offers.

In February, I called on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray to repair the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process so millions of students and their families can plan how to fund their education.

Now, colleges and universities are discovering further problems in the FAFSA process. Fields in the processed forms have imported incorrect or partial tax data from the IRS, have been left blank, have the wrong codes, and some have incorrectly calculated students’ eligibility for federal grants. The errors will likely require the Department of Education to reprocess hundreds of thousands of applications, which could further delay when some students receive aid offers. Already, the agency has said it miscalculated about 200,000 records it had processed before March 21.

Sorting through higher education options and deciding on a college is already a stressful time for many families, especially those with first-generation college students. What college applicants need is certainty and a system they can trust. I will continue working to return the trust in the FAFSA program that our students and families deserve.

Deadline Approaching: Tax Season Tips and Resources

Tax filing season can be the source of many headaches. As it comes to a close with deadlines quickly approaching, there are resources available for you to help answer any questions you have. IRS issues can be incredibly complicated and getting through to the right people to help can be a challenge. If you have difficulties working with the IRS, my team may be able to assist. Click here to contact my office.

Here are some tips and resources that may be helpful this tax season.

Dates and Deadlines

Now through April 15, 2024, you can file your taxes with the IRS. If you need more time to prepare your federal tax return, visit this link for more information.

By now you should have received the necessary documents from your employer to file your 2023 taxes. Make sure to collect all of the necessary documents needed for an accurate return before starting your tax return.

Important IRS Information

The tax season is open, and the IRS is accepting and processing federal individual tax returns.

With the start of the filing season, the IRS will be extending hours of service in nearly 250 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across the country. The extended office hours will run through Tuesday, April 16. To see if a nearby TAC is offering extended hours, taxpayers can visit Contact your local office to access the IRS.gov TAC Locator tool.

The “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov will add more details for taxpayers checking on the status of their tax refund, including clearer and more detailed information such as whether the IRS needs them to respond to a letter requesting additional information.

Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov 24 hours a day to get answers to tax questions. IRS.gov is the quickest and easiest option to get help. The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several tax law questions specific to individual circumstances.

Additional Information

In addition to the information above, the IRS has representatives that can help answer any of your questions. For more information on avoiding identity theft scams, filing your tax return electronically, or finding a reputable tax professional, please follow this link.

Have You Filed Your Taxes Yet?

Hearing From Our Milwaukee Police

I recently had the pleasure to speak with Milwaukee Police Association President, Andrew Wagner after I led a House Administration Committee hearing on crime. During a time where crime across the nation is plaguing our communities, it is more important than ever to understand the perspective from those on our front lines.

Thank you, Andrew, for stopping by! I look forward to continuing these important discussions and working to keep our families safe.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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