Badger Institute
Recent News About Badger Institute View More
-
Republican Party advocates for eliminating Wisconsin's individual income tax
Some are calling for the elimination of Wisconsin’s individual income tax, which currently produces over $9 billion in annual revenue and accounts for over 40% of all state tax collections. A resolution adopted at the most recent convention of the Republican Party of Wisconsin encouraged the state Legislature to “make Wisconsin an income-tax-free state” and noted that a number of other states already do without one.
-
Michigan recommissions Palisades Nuclear Generating Station amid shifting green policies
America’s energy grids are strained as electricity demand continues to grow exponentially, and zero-emission goals are diminishing so-called “baseload” generating capacity. The response on the other side of Lake Michigan: a notable atomic about-face that may hold lessons for Wisconsin.
-
Disparity grows: Wisconsin sees uneven wage increases amid high inflation
Wisconsin is experiencing a significant disparity in wage growth across its counties. A county-by-county analysis reveals that while some residents are witnessing substantial wage increases, others are struggling to keep up with rising prices.
-
Michael Maibach defends Electoral College ahead of Mequon talk
As progressives begin to launch election-season attacks on the Electoral College, Michael Maibach is coming to Mequon to remind Wisconsinites why it’s worth fighting for.
-
Tax foundation: High-tax states see exodus as residents seek relief elsewhere
Wisconsin is hardly a taxpayer’s paradise unless compared to its neighboring states to the south and west. People are leaving Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa, and according to a new study by the Tax Foundation, the loss of state revenue and population migration are closely tied to punitive tax structures in those states.
-
Policy brief examines legal cannabis' health impact
The Badger Institute is not arguing for or against legalization either in this paper or in any of the other policy briefs we’ve compiled on the topic. Our aim is simply to present research in states that have legalized in the belief that, whatever decision Wisconsinites make in the years ahead, the outcomes will be better if the decision is informed by facts.
-
Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission debates controversial landmark status
Key members of the Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission appear to believe their role involves assessing housing availability, facilitating development deals, or aiding in securing tax breaks. This perception follows the commission's 3-1 vote last month to endorse a 35-year-old "postmodern" building for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The decision was unexpected and contradicted by a similar state entity's conclusion.
-
Milwaukee Public Schools fail to meet deadline for police presence
Fourteen months after a deal was struck with the Legislature, there will still be no police officers in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) as classes commence this Tuesday. This situation violates a stipulation included in the current state budget.
-
Proposed Vista Sands Solar project raises concerns over habitat disruption
The greater prairie-chicken, a species now threatened in Wisconsin, is at the center of a controversy involving the proposed Vista Sands Solar project in Portage County. The project, spanning 7,100 acres, would be the largest solar installation in Wisconsin and has raised concerns among conservationists and local residents.
-
Wisconsin's two-year colleges face uncertain future amid declining enrollments
A legislative committee formed to study declining enrollment across the University of Wisconsin System may recommend ending what remains of the two-year branch campus system. The leadership of the Study Committee on the Future of the University of Wisconsin System insists that no one on the 18-member committee has suggested this in its first two meetings, held in July and last Thursday, Aug. 8.
-
Wisconsin voters reject constitutional amendments on federal spending oversight
Bombarded with assertions from big-spending liberals, many Wisconsin independents and conservatives were persuaded this week to vote against two constitutional amendments. These amendments would have granted legislators shared responsibility with the governor over significant federal spending.
-
Odds low for Republican donations from UW-Madison humanities or social science professors
The odds of a UW-Madison pre-tenured professor’s political donation going to a Republican are only 1 in 490, according to an analysis by outgoing UW political science professor Ryan Owens and his colleague, Alex Tahk. In the social sciences and humanities, where professors’ viewpoints on politics and culture have more bearing on lectures than fields like engineering, the odds fall to just 1 in 530.
-
Wisconsin's heat pump subsidy may raise homeowner costs
Wisconsin will be the first state to distribute federally funded rebates to homeowners for energy-related home alterations, including heat pumps that are projected to significantly increase heating costs for homeowners.
-
Study reveals declining economic mobility for Milwaukee's low-income white children
A recent study from Harvard economist Raj Chetty and colleagues highlights a decline in economic mobility in Milwaukee County, particularly among white children from low-income families. The Wall Street Journal reported that the study compared the earnings of children born in 1978 and 1992 at age 27 to assess mobility.
-
Sheboygan County businesses establish $10 million fund for affordable housing
Four family-owned Sheboygan County businesses and a local economic development agency have established a $10 million fund to address the county's affordable housing shortage. The Forward Fund aims to build 400 to 500 single-family homes over the next several years, according to Brian Doudna, executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp. (SCEDC).
-
Wisconsin constitutional amendment debate includes concerns over disaster aid
The opponents of constitutional amendments that would give legislators a say, along with the governor, on spending federal dollars are claiming that adoption by voters on Aug. 13 would somehow slow down help for people struck by natural disasters. That’s simply not true.
-
Badger Institute advocates for constitutional amendments on Aug 13 ballot
On July 10, the Badger Institute launched a campaign recommending that voters approve the two-question proposal on Wisconsin ballots this August 13. The proposal aims to amend the constitution so that money sent to the state government by the federal government would be subject to the same legislative oversight and deliberation as all other state spending.
-
Future uncertain for Wisconsin's Commercial Docket Pilot Project amid changing Supreme Court dynamics
Advocates for a business court system operating since 2017 in Wisconsin are concerned that a politicized state Supreme Court may dissolve the successful pilot program this fall.
-
Documentary premiere highlights Joshua Glover's fight for freedom at RNC
A heroic moment in Wisconsin’s history deserves more attention, says Michael Jahr. So he’s making a movie about it.
-
Wisconsin voters to decide on constitutional amendments regarding legislative control over federal funds
On August 13, voters across Wisconsin will decide on two proposed amendments to the state Constitution. The first amendment seeks to prohibit the legislature from ceding its "sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated." The second amendment aims to prevent the governor from spending money from major federal allocations without legislative approval.