Prior research demonstrated that Wisconsin’s economy has been delivering a strong overall performance. But how broadly are the state’s economic benefits being distributed? Is Wisconsin’s economy coming through for its workers?

Fortunately, Wisconsinites have been sharing broadly in the state’s prosperity. Wisconsin’s economy is thriving under free market reforms — outperforming the nation on a myriad of measures, including labor force participation, poverty rate and income inequality.

The Wisconsin labor reforms dubbed Act 10, passed by a by a Republican legislative majority and signed by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2011 and struck down Monday by a Dane County judge, already look likely to be a key issue in the upcoming race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.   

At stake in the April 1 election is the ideological majority of the court to which Monday’s decision likely be appealed. Progressives outnumber conservatives 4-3 on the Supreme Court since the 2023 election of Janet Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee judge who openly touted her left-leaning positions on hot-button issues such as abortion. During the campaign, she publicly said she disagreed with the 2014 ruling in which the state Supreme Court found the Act 10 reforms legitimate.  

The race so far is between Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge who served as Wisconsin’s attorney general during the Walker administration, and Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge who as a lawyer worked on behalf of unions trying to overturn the law.

Despite a slight recent uptick, Wisconsin’s housing inventory in October of this year was 64% lower than its value during the same month in 2016, data gathered by the National Association of Realtors show.

The series counts the number of active listings of single-family homes, condos or townhomes in a geographical unit during a given month. According to Realtor.com, the data are a “snapshot measure of how many active listings can be expected on any given day” of the month in question.

The active listing count is one indicator of the housing supply in a market or region. If inventory is high, it means that buyers have more choices available to them and may have more leverage to negotiate prices down. If inventory is low, buyers may bid against each other for fewer choices, which could move prices upward. Low inventory and high prices could also signal to developers that more housing supply is needed.

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