Email from Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty WILL Responds After Teacher's Union Lawsuit Attempts to End School Choice in Wisconsin WILL has released a statement in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Wisconsin PTA, several Wisconsin school districts, multiple teachers’ unions, individual parents, educators and students, and the Wisconsin Public Education Network, alleging that the Wisconsin Legislature has failed to adequately fund public schools. The lawsuit claims that the Wisconsin Legislature is not meeting its constitutionally required obligation to provide children with “an equal opportunity for a sound basic education.” If successful, this lawsuit would invite courts to create seemingly infinite funding for public schools and could end funding for choice and independent charter schools in Wisconsin. Contrary to the rhetoric in their court filing, the state is spending MORE on public schools than a decade ago after adjusting for inflation ($7,693 in 2014 versus $8,361 now). Overall spending in this time frame has jumped even more, from $16,820 per student in 2014 to $18,592 today. WILL President and General Counsel, Rick Esenberg, stated the following: “WILL exists to defend parents, taxpayers, and students, from reckless lawsuits like this. The lawsuit is an assault on democracy, seeking to install rule by judges rather than by the governor and legislature. The plaintiffs ignore basic facts about public education in Wisconsin and blame Wisconsin’s parental choice programs and charter schools for their own failures. Parental choice has been instrumental in providing better academic outcomes to tens of thousands of Wisconsin families. It has survived legal challenges before and will do so again. The plaintiffs would do better to solve their own problems rather than seek scapegoats and a work around our Constitution and democratic republic.” Read More WILL Takes the Fight for Safe Elections to DC This week, WILL was on the ground in DC, taking the fight for Voter ID and clean voter rolls to the halls of Congress. Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber sat down with Congressman Bryan Steil and the Committee on House Administration to provide expert testimony on the vital need for stronger election oversight, including Voter ID laws and clean voter rolls. In 2025, WILL released a new report, “Doing the Math: How Voter ID Laws Affect Turnout in Wisconsin,” which found that since the enactment of Wisconsin’s voter ID requirements ten years ago, overall voter turnout in the state has increased. Our analysis also found no evidence of disenfranchisement among minority groups or in Dane and Milwaukee counties, countering claims of negative effects on voter participation. WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber, stated, “At WILL, we work to improve election security, uphold the rule of law, and hold officials accountable. As Congress weighs major reforms to America’s election system, our work continues to serve as a reliable, nonpartisan resource to address critical gaps in our election integrity infrastructure.” Learn More WILL Issues Warning Against Discriminatory Entrepreneur Grant Program WILL issued a formal cease-and-desist to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the ColorBold Business Association, SCORE Mentors, and UW-Madison regarding the “Entrepreneur of Color Collective Grant” (ECC Grant). The grant, funded by a $95,000 WEDC investment from Governor Tony Evers, illegally bars business owners from applying based solely on their skin color. The ECC Grant is a race-based $2,500 business grant program that includes access to opportunities such as workshops, “shared learning pods,” mentorship meetings, and access to a “community navigator.” The program is exclusively open to “entrepreneurs of color,” requiring applicants to identify their race and ethnicity. In exchange for the funding, successful applicants must commit to specific performance, including bi-weekly virtual workshops, monthly SCORE mentor meetings, and active participation in “shared learning pods.” WILL is prepared to sue to ensure that every Wisconsin entrepreneur, regardless of race, has an equal shot at success. WILL Managing Vice President and Deputy Counsel, Dan Lennington, stated: “The Evers Administration is yet again engaged in explicit race discrimination, this time telling business owners they can’t get help because they are the wrong race. This is illegal race discrimination, and the Evers Administration’s scheme to launder this money through private companies just makes the violation worse. These parties are on notice – reverse course now to avoid a costly lawsuit that they will surely lose.” Learn More OP-ED: The Hidden Cost of School Debt In a new Milwaukee Journal Sentinel op-ed, WILL Research Director Will Flanders reveals that nearly $1 out of every $5 on your property tax bill is diverted to public school debt rather than the classroom. This growing burden averages $1,550 per student annually, creating a financial obligation that hurts, not helps, student support and school consolidation. WILL warns that as long-term debt becomes a routine feature of school finance, taxpayers are forced to pay more for services that students may never actually see. Read Op-ed Here Donate to WILL Today! Together, we will make sure that our freedoms are protected for our children and grandchildren. 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