Flat tax recommendation, education funding parity, policy playbook, government spending accountability Letter from the President Dear John, In the 35 years since the Badger Institute was founded, we’ve never been busier. In the nine-plus years since I’ve been in this job, I’ve never felt more hopeful – or grateful. Our staff has spent the summer working overtime on array of projects that will have an impact on Wisconsin for years to come. We recently released a NEW joint Report: Tax Reform Options to Improve Wisconsin’s Competitiveness with the Tax Foundation. The paper recommends a number of ways to implement a flat tax that will pull Wisconsin out of its economic stupor and help us compete with other Midwestern states. We’re also proud of some of the other policy papers and briefs we’ve put together of late, including: Ensuring Opportunity: Altering Wisconsin’s Safety Net to Encourage Upward Mobility by the American Enterprise Institute’s Angela Rachidi How Wisconsin could help lead the nation in empowering patient-consumers with A Roadmap for Healthcare Reform in Wisconsin by Daniel Sem and Scott Niederjohn Policy Brief: Unemployment (Over)Compensation detailing how federal supplemental unemployment benefits impacted unemployment during the pandemic by Ike Brannon Courts Clogged: How the Pandemic made the problem of delayed justice worse in Wisconsin by Jeremiah Mosteller Keep your eyes open for papers coming out soon on how to resolve the nightmarish problems with state-issued licenses in Madison, how to make sure we can responsibly build and repair our roads, and how to get low-level criminal offenders into jobs rather than back into cells. As you can see, we’ve harnessed some of the best minds in the state and country to help provide a sound policy template for the next governor and administration. We’re rolling these pieces into the Mandate for Madison policy roadmap we’re building piece by piece (that will be released this Fall). We’ve already begun rolling out a series of interviews and short videos with parents and students who have benefited from (or have been left out of) a school choice movement that has gained tremendous momentum in the last year. Our focus will be on those families least able to afford a quality education without choice. And our goal is to win funding parity to help make that possible. (P.S. Have you seen our latest videos on a Milwaukee mom’s take on why more parents need educational choice, the Mequon mom on a quest for academic excellence and the concerned parent launching a new charter school?) We also continue to do what few other outlets have been willing to do: track the trillions committed by Congress during the pandemic through our state government and right down to the counties and municipalities where the money is spent – and misspent. Here is our most recent investigation and more are coming: A Municipal Spending Quandary. The Badger Institute celebrates a 35-year legacy of promoting fair, accountable and cost-effective public policies in Wisconsin. We believe in competitive free markets, limited government, private initiative and personal responsibility as essential to our democratic way of life. When you donate to the Badger Institute, your generosity directly funds real, important and impactful research and reporting – as you see here. Having embarked on some of our most ambitious work, we rely more than ever on the people who know how vital our work is. We depend on the support of folks like you to advance these efforts—and we’d be grateful if you’d consider supporting us today with a gift. Gratefully, Mike Nichols Badger Institute President 262.389.8239 | [email protected] Support the Badger Institute   For 35 years, the Badger Institute, formerly known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), has 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 donate today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles for the next 35 years – and beyond! The Institute never has and never will accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Vice President of Development. 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 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!