Browsing: News & Analysis

Broad-based Wisconsin tax reform should be the goal

Numbers and nuggets from trends in Wisconsin — on everything from the state’s tax rankings to our workforce shortage to the growth in occupational licensing to corrections to the transportation funding dilemma to the decline of the mainstream media.

It would seem a simple question to ask of any public agency: How much money do you spend and on what?

Gov. Walker says he’ll decide on Opportunity Zone designations by March 21 federal deadline Editor’s note: On March 21, Gov. Scott…

Special needs students are left behind because of inequitable allocation of federal resources, administrators say in survey

Residents in high-tax states like ours are stung harder by cap on state/local tax deduction

Wisconsin’s ‘arbitrary’ exam scores fencing out many young professionals

Wisconsin ranks 38th in the latest state highway systems report.

‘I have to do a lot of paperwork and spend time testing my kids instead of teaching my kids’

Federal requirements in special ed are especially burdensome, educators tell Badger Institute in survey

Badger State requires higher score on national exam than most other states

Priorities should include tax reform, corrections, professional licensure and tolling

Funding regulations hamper districts and don’t improve education, local officials say in survey

Several regulations removed from the books, freeing professionals from onerous and unneeded requirements

Paperwork takes staff away from daily responsibilities and educating kids, officials say.
By Julie Grace
November 13, 2017

Hordes of Wisconsin government workers are employed to ‘check boxes’ for the feds

Many taxpayers in the Badger State could take a hit under changes proposed in House Republican tax bill.
By Jay Miller
November 8, 2017

Effort to scrap popular Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a case study in how difficult it is to reduce spending

U.S. education secretary also plans to give them more say over federal school dollars

ESSA could offer opportunities for state to involve districts in decision-making