Wisconsin voters will decide the state’s future direction in pivotal elections next year. Here are storylines Wisconsin Watch is following heading into 2026.
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Posted inCommunity, Government & Politics
After court ruling, some 13,000 disabled Wisconsin workers notified they may be eligible for backpay
Wisconsin residents who were previously denied unemployment benefits while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance could be eligible for financial compensation for past benefits. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Wisconsin Republicans mum on prison plans heading into key vote on moving projects forward
The GOP rejected Gov. Tony Evers’ $325 million budget proposal, but Republicans have yet to detail their own vision for fixing a broken system.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Health and Wellness
Legal loopholes in Wisconsin cannabis laws leave consumers vulnerable
A year after the Famous Yeti’s THC pizza incident, the state doesn’t have laws regulating THC in food preparation.
Posted inCommunity, Education, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Wisconsin’s budget shifts money from schools to Milwaukee prosecutors. That may violate the state constitution.
The budget diverts an estimated $2.2 million annually for the district attorney’s office that’s supposed to go to a fund for Milwaukee schools.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Does anyone actually get their record expunged in Wisconsin?
There aren’t official records on how many people have their crimes expunged, but one estimate puts it at 2,000 per year.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Why is Wisconsin’s prison system such a ‘mess,’ and what can be done to fix it?
Deteriorating prisons, truth-in-sentencing, Act 10: Reasons for problems abound, while solutions remain elusive.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
How do I get a video of a police shooting in Wisconsin?
The public can request video from police shooting cases under the state public records law, but they might have to pay a price — if there is any footage at all.
Posted inCommunity, Health and Wellness
Wisconsin, once a leader in childhood vaccinations, now a leader in vaccine skepticism
Personal conviction waivers have increased by four times over the past 30 years.