Town Repeals Illegal Ban on Distributing Political Materials

WILL sent a demand letter earlier this summer on behalf of Steve Blake, a resident of the Town of New Chester, Wisconsin. Blake had previously handed out political materials on public land in the Town of New Chester, but the town had recently adopted an ordinance which made such activities unlawful. The demand letter made clear that the ban was an unconstitutional violation of Mr. Blake’s freedom of speech, and demanded that the Town immediately repeal the ordinance.

Recently, the Town voted to repeal the unlawful ordinance in its entirety.

🗯 WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber, stated, “The right to distribute political materials on public land in this country has been recognized since time immemorial. Our state and federal constitutions guarantee our rights to distribute these messages to others, and ensure that Government entities cannot simply ban speech they disagree with. WILL always stands in defense of those rights.”

🗯 Steve Blake, a resident of the Town of New Chester, said, “I am pleased that the Town repealed this ridiculous ordinance, and that myself and others are once again able to freely exercise our constitutional rights without fear of government reprisal. I am grateful that WILL was around to help me defend my rights.”

New Policy Brief | WI NAEP Results Are Even Worse Than They First Appear

Despite declining scores across the board on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction attempted to paint a relatively rosy picture of the results for the state. Claiming that elementary students had “bucked the trend,” a DPI press release pointed to evidence that Wisconsin students still ranked above the national average.

But a look below the surface reveals that Wisconsin families should be far more concerned than these rankings suggest. Wisconsin has fewer students in several challenging demographic categories than other states. Failing to account for that reality gives the state a “free pass.” WILL's new analysis accounts for the demographics of Wisconsin students. 

🌎 Check out our interactive map, showing more accurate ratings for the nation's 50 states.

📰 WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, PhD, was interviewed about the NAEP scores by Ray Carter from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Read the article here! 

INTERVIEW | Policy Report on Healthcare Price Transparency

WILL Policy Associate, Miranda Spindt, talked with Meg Ellefson on WI Morning News last week about the need for healthcare price transparency in the state. Spindt stated that “Here in Wisconsin, we have the 4th highest healthcare costs in the country, so I can only imagine how much of an issue that can be here. With price transparency, patients would be able to see what they are going to pay before going to the doctor.”

📖 Read the full report here!

School choice supporters: Headcount numbers show public schools aren't meeting kids' needs

The Center Square contributor, Benjamin Yount, writes on why there are more students leaving the traditional public school system for choice schools. Yount asked WILL's very own Director of Education Policy, Libby Sobic, and Research Director, Will Flanders, PhD, about what these headcount numbers indicate.