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11/20/18

School Referenda in Wisconsin-Fall 2018 Election Update

Voters this month approved school referenda at rates not seen previously, making 2018 the highest year on record with more than $2 billion in additional school spending passed. Our latest Focus looks at the updated trends in school referenda. Our interactive dashboards provide more school referenda figures, including district by district data....Read More
Blog

10/24/18

10 Questions for Candidates: Tony Evers

To inform voters ahead of the November election, we published a report in August looking at key issues in the state along with 10 questions for legislative and gubernatorial candidates. At the same time, WPF sent the 10 questions to the two major candidates for governor. On Sept. 22, we...Read More
Interactive Data

10/5/18

Average New Construction by County

Counties rely on property tax collections as a main source of revenue. However, since 2006, the state legislature has limited counties’ property tax increases to the amount of new construction or development. From 2006 through 2011, the state provided a minimum allowable levy increase, or floor, which permitted a county...Read More
Interactive Data

10/3/18

School Referenda in Wisconsin

Despite recent increases in state funding, more school districts are turning to referenda to increase spending. In numbers and total dollars, successful school referenda in 2018 may exceed those in 2016, which marked the highest year since 2001. Our latest Taxpayer looks at recent trends in school referenda. Our interactive dashboards provide...Read More
Newsletter

9/28/18

News & Updates | 3rd Quarter 2018

President’s message It’s election season in Wisconsin, and with two tight statewide races and a number of spirited battles for congressional and legislative offices, that means nonstop candidate advertising, mailings, and phone calls. As is par for the course, many of these communications take quotes and votes out of context...Read More
Newsletter

9/28/18

3rd Quarter 2018 President’s Message

It’s election season in Wisconsin, and with two tight statewide races and a number of spirited battles for congressional and legislative offices, that means nonstop candidate advertising, mailings, and phone calls. As is par for the course, many of these communications take quotes and votes out of context to negatively...Read More
Interactive Data

9/17/18

Counties could see more sales taxes

Starting Oct. 1, the state of Wisconsin will begin collecting taxes on more sales made by out of state and internet retailers to consumers here. The move follows a June 21 U.S. Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. to give states wider latitude under federal law in...Read More
Event Recap

9/13/18

A Fresh Start: When Do Employers Have a Right to Know?

Roughly 115 people attended our first Viewpoint Luncheon in Madison, A Fresh Start: When Do Employers Have a Right to Know? which explored the state’s current expungement framework and the pros and cons of potential policy reforms. For an estimated 1.4 million Wisconsin residents with criminal records, employers’ ability to...Read More
Event Recap

8/14/18

Forum hosts Policy in a Pub in August

More than 100 people attended our Policy in a Pub event on August 13 where we previewed our new research on charter school funding in the city of Milwaukee. The report – A Teachable Moment – details the city’s charter school financial landscape, explaining how the different types of charter...Read More