Browsing: Government Transparency

By now, the health emergency has little to do with it

At the time the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its first major assessment of federal COVID-19 spending in March, more than 400 people had pleaded guilty to defrauding the programs and another 550 had been charged with felony fraud.

With cost overruns on bridge, road and other infrastructure megaprojects in Wisconsin as certain as death, taxes and Packers’ title-run failures, budget hawks are on high alert with new federal money about to inundate the state.

Wisconsin voters could make 2023 a watershed year for oversight of currently unchecked spending of billions of dollars of federal funding flowing into the state.

On February 1, 2022, Badger Institute President Mike Nichols testified in favor of AJR 112 before the members of the Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics.

Four Badger Institute police reform recommendations have been signed into law

Inside a $1.2 trillion bill, state Republicans say, is a progressive spending dream list 

Gov. Evers wants to use $100 million in COVID funding to underwrite a ‘fund of funds’ 

Milwaukee, Madison and Wausau plan to pay certain low-income families monthly stipends with no strings attached

With $800 million at stake, it’s time to finally dismantle the School Board and give control to a reform-minded leader

A menu of pro-growth tax reform options from the Tax Foundation and the Badger Institute.

The Evers administration included a $100 million public venture capital fund in its state budget proposal. While the Republican-controlled Legislature cut 400 items from the governor’s budget, this measure survived. In an open letter, the Wisconsin Free Market Coalition today calls on legislators to jettison this expensive and risky proposal.

Why Wisconsin shouldn’t spend $100 million in taxpayer money to invest in private enterprise

An unnecessary second stimulus is an invitation for state, county and local officials to act irresponsibly with our tax money

Massive federal spending leaves many in the Badger State better off, but the bill is coming due

Badger Institute Public Affairs Associate David Fladeboe submitted written testimony in favor of 2021 AB 149 before the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics on March 10, 2021.

2021 AB 149 would increase the Legislature’s role in approving the expenditure of federal funds related to COVID-19.

Nearly 90,000 Wisconsin small businesses that have taken out loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will face hundreds of millions of dollars in state income tax liability on those loans this spring, despite the loans being tax-free at the federal level.

As streetcar ridership and funding dwindle, alderman warns of long-term fiscal burden

Brief suggests ways to make officer discipline fair, quick, transparent and decisive

Preferential contracts undermine the truly disadvantaged, and programs are prone to fraud