Since 2015, the Madison Police Department’s Operating Budget has grown by nearly thirty percent, according to a report recently published by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The report takes a look at overall spending trends on the state’s police forces since 1987. Earlier today, WORT Producer Jonah Chester spoke with Ari Brown, a researcher with the […]
MMSD preparing for turbulent financial year
COVID-19 has forced schools throughout the state to haphazardly adjust their budgets to account for unforeseen operations costs. Now, while still tangling with the uncertainty the future holds, the Madison School District has released its 2020-21 draft budget. Last week, WORT producer Jonah Chester spoke with Jason Stein, research director for the Wisconsin Policy Forum. […]
State could cut school funding to balance budget
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe damage to the state’s 2020 budget. The financial deficit means the state could begin trimming budget items to account for the cost of the pandemic. Among those budget items? Wisconsin’s schools. Earlier today, WORT Producer Jonah Chester sat down with Jason Stein, Research Director with the Wisconsin Policy Forum. […]
Rob Henken on COVID-19 Economic Fallout
Wisconsin is slated to receive around 2.3 billion dollars in federal COVID-19 relief aid. But that infusion may not be enough to prevent the state from slipping into further economic turmoil. WORT producer Jonah Chester sat down with Wisconsin Policy Forum President Rob Henken to discuss how the pandemic is financially impacting local governments. The […]
Ready for Recession? Jason Stein on WORT
Is Wisconsin ready for a recession? That’s the subject of a recent study by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, which examines Wisconsin’s financial readiness for an economic downturn due to the novel coronavirus. Their study, titled “Ready for Recession?” finds that Wisconsin is about average among all states in its ability to respond to an economy […]
Evers, Republicans Split On Budget Surplus
Last month, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau projected that Wisconsin would have a budget surplus of nearly $452 million by the end of 2021. While Republicans have repeatedly called for cutting taxes and returning that surplus to Wisconsin taxpayers, Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order earlier today calling on lawmakers to “recommit to two-thirds […]
