Wisconsin, like most states, allows individuals who have been convicted of a one-time, low-level offense to ask a judge to have the record of that conviction expunged once they’ve served their sentence and demonstrated they pose no risk to public safety

Recent and rigorous academic evaluations suggest that such policies aren’t effective at increasing employment among the formerly incarcerated.
August 11, 2022

Even before the pandemic, U.S. entitlement spending was on an unsustainable path, the growth in means-tested safety net programs far outstripping inflation.

Wisconsin could help lead the nation in empowering patient-consumers to seek care in a functioning market with upfront transparent pricing.

The estimate by the Department of Public Instruction of potential added costs to property tax payers from opening Wisconsin’s school choice programs to families of all income levels is deeply flawed.

A proposal to enhance public credibility

Wisconsin’s unemployment situation has rebounded, but participation in government programs remains elevated.

In a joint brief with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, we lay out the problems with occupational licensing in Wisconsin and what meaningful reforms can be enacted.

The new age of electronic monitoring

A majority of voters believe the state’s criminal justice system needs significant improvements, nearly three-quarters believe expungement law needs reform, among other findings.

Incarceration is rare for pot-only convictions; coupled with municipal policies, Wisconsin has, in effect, decriminalized marijuana.

The Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coalition, led by the Badger Institute, offers policy ideas for combating recidivism, fostering opportunity, saving taxpayer money and maintaining public safety in its second edition of Criminal Justice Reform Recommendations.

Review and recommendations

They’re working and should be made permanent

A trilogy of reports looking at police use of force, police discipline, and violent crime

Parents with disabilities or health limitations often time out of the program or end up on disability insurance

Disciplinary actions against police officers in Wisconsin’s largest cities, whether for use of force or anything else, are rare

A call for greater transparency

What we know thus far

Policies linked to work are critical to lifting people out of poverty

What is occupational licensing, how does it affect employment and consumer costs, and what options exist for reform?