(The Center Square) – Milwaukee County leaders are using words like “blindsided” to describe the nearly $11 million deficit in the county’s bus systems.
Milwaukee County Transit System announced a surprise deficit last week, and on Friday the county ordered an audit to see where the money went.
County Comptroller Liz Sumner was the first to say she was blindsided by the financial gap. She said in an email that she was “stunned to learn through the media” that the bus system will be so short.
Summer said that, as recently as the beginning of the month, the county’ s Department of Transportation was expecting a balanced budget. That is why she is pushing so quickly for an audit.
“I’ve already taken steps to better understand the circumstances that led to this sudden and concerning shift in MCTS’s fiscal outlook, which may result in service reductions to mitigate.”
Last week, MCTS interim president Julie Esch announced that the county’s bus system would rollback service.
Esch said because of “unexpected expenses and lower passenger revenue,” MCTS plans to trim 20,000 hours of service from its schedule.
“Reducing the frequency of buses is the last thing we want to do, but it will have the least impact on our riders. We provide 80,000 rides a day — that’s tens of thousands of Milwaukee County residents who depend on us to get to work, school and medical care,” Esch said in a statement.
Summer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the sudden deficit discovery, and sudden service cut announcements are not normal.
“To just all of a sudden, in the middle of the year, appear….so, what we’re hoping is to figure out where the communication breakdown was and the calculation breakdown,” she added.
County Supervisor Steve Taylor said MCTS is clearly looking at a “fiscal cliff” though he’s not sure how the county will face the challenges without help either from the state capitol or Washington D.C.

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority is not legally required to recognize or collectively bargain with a nurses’ union.
The case centered on whether Service Employees International Union Healthcare Wisconsin could legally compel UW Health to engage in collective bargaining wages under the Wisconsin Peace Act, a labor law normally used for private-sector unions.
While attorneys for the union argued the hospital functions like a private employer and that nurses can therefore demand union recognition, the Court rejected that argument in its ruling.
The justices held that Wisconsin Act 10, a 2011 law that limits limits public-sector union bargaining rights, had removed UW Health from the Peace Act’s coverage.
“When we examine the statutory language along with the statutory history, we conclude that Act 10 ended the collective bargaining requirements formerly placed on the [University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics] Authority,” Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in the opinion.
As a result, UW Health is under no legal obligation to negotiate with its nurse union, and the union has no legal power to compel wage bargaining.
More than 2,600 bedside nurses are a part of UW Nurses United.
While UW Nurses United reacted with disappointment to the decision, they said they “are not deterred.”
“Working people across Wisconsin have been fighting to rewrite the rules that have prioritized corporations and billionaires over working people for decades, and while the fight has not been easy, we continue to make progress,” the nurses said in a statement. “Our fight at UW is no exception.”
The statement cites the nurses’ 2022 walk-out and agreement with UW Health establishing a union to avoid a strike, a deal that is set to last through 2027.
The nurses said they would continue looking for ways to restore full collective bargaining rights, including passing new legislation through the state legislature and electing “pro-worker lawmakers.”
However, UW Health lauded the Supreme Court’s decision, noting that the court’s ruling followed the opinions of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission and the Dane County Circuit Court, which had ruled in favor of UW Health beforehand.
“UW Health appreciates the court’s deliberate, diligent and final review,” a spokesperson for UW Health said in a statement.

(The Center Square) – A group of Uber and Lyft drivers are pushing back against recent legislation that would classify drivers for companies such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash as independent contracts while allowing them to create portable benefits options such as health care and retirement accounts.
Senate Bill 256 and Assembly Bill 269 passed the Legislature and will be sent to Gov. Tony Evers.
“Uber and Lyft drivers in Milwaukee are standing together to raise concerns about workplace conditions, fair pay, and protections on the job,” Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale said in a statement. “… In the wake of recent state legislative action that would strip app-based transportation and delivery drivers of employee status and reclassify drivers as independent contractors, workers are sounding the alarm on how this change would negatively impact workplace protections like minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation.”
DoorDash estimated that there are 100,000 app-based workers in the state.
When the bill passed, Sen. Melissa Ratcliff, D-Cottage Grove called it a covert way to deny employment protections for these drivers.
Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin applauded the bill, saying it allows workers to maintain their independence while gaining access retirement savings, health insurance and occupational accident coverage.
Drivers who make $750 in a calendar year are eligible for a portable benefits account, with the company being obligated to pay 4% of the driver’s earnings in the previous quarter, minus tips, if a company contributes to the account.
“The emergence of the gig economy has created a situation that many employers have exploited to misclassify workers as independent contractors, in an attempt to deprive workers of important rights to which employees are entitled, including worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, and overtime pay,” Bloomingdale said. “Our labor rights and employment protections are the product of many years of struggle by the labor movement and must not be stripped away simply because the modalities of doing business have changed.”

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will have increased policing on Wisconsin waterways for the upcoming holiday weekend as it takes part in Operation Dry Water, a national campaign to prevent impaired boating.
Conservation wardens and local law enforcement will be on lakes and rivers watching for impaired driving and educating on safe boating.
“We want everyone to enjoy Wisconsin’s beautiful waterways this holiday weekend, but safety must come first,” said Major April Dombrowski, director of the DNR’s Recreational Safety and Outdoor Skills Bureau. “With Wisconsin hosting the national kickoff event in Green Bay, we are proud to lead the charge in keeping boaters safe across the country.”
The campaign comes after a 10-year-old died earlier this month following a June 7 boating accident at Idle Isle Park on Little Muskego Lake in Muskego. The DNR has not indicated if alcohol or drugs were involved but said that a boat operated by a 74-year-old man with one other person on board struck a stationary boat with three people on board, including the child.
The DNR reminds boaters that boating under the influence is illegal and alcohol is a leading contributing factor to recreational boating deaths nationwide.
Alcohol was a factor in 211 boating accidents with 79 deaths and 201 injuries in the most recent U.S. Coast Guard data from 2023.
The DNR is encouraging everyone on boats, not just the boat operator, to remain sober as well as boaters having properly fitted life jackets, having a float plan, monitoring weather and avoiding river shorelines and sandbars.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin manufacturers exported $24 billion worth of products in 2024 while making up 5% of the state’s total workforce, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
The report again showed that Canada was the state’s top trade partner with nearly $8 billion worth of exports, followed by Mexico ($4.4 billion) and China ($1.6 billion).
The group claimed manufacturing added $73.7 billion to the state’s gross domestic product while Wisconsin manufacturers sold $209 billion in manufactured goods.
Nearly 150,000 Wisconsin workers are related to exports while more than 60,000 were supported by manufacture exports, nearly 89,000 were indirectly supported by exports.
The most recently available numbers also showed 75,900 jobs in Wisconsin manufacturing were with foreign-owned companies in 2022, double the total from 15 years prior.
“Wisconsin is a manufacturing state, so it is no surprise that manufacturers lead the way on exports,” WMC President & CEO Kurt R. Bauer said in a statement. “Wisconsin’s economy depends on manufacturing, and a growing number of manufacturers depend on exports.”
Despite the large quantity of exports, the state imported even more in 2024 with 29% of the state’s manufactured goods being imported over the past decade.
The top categories of exports were agriculture and construction machinery ($1.76 billion), computer equipment ($1.74 billion) and navigational and control instruments ($1.63 billion).
“Wisconsin has long played an important role in the national and global economy,” Bauer said. “We depend on internationally sourced raw materials and goods to then create components and products that we contribute elsewhere. It’s imperative we support this cycle through good policymaking, ensuring foreign and domestic markets are free, fair, and reciprocal.”
The top imports were pharmaceuticals ($4.80 billion), general-purpose machinery ($2.86 billion) and navigational and control instruments ($1.68 billion).
China was the top spot for manufactured imports ($6.42 billion), followed by Canada ($6.25 billion) and Mexico ($5.94 billion).

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has launched a public platform for accessing transparent and easy-to-understand school finance data statewide.
Through the online Wisconsin School Finance Public Reports, viewers can access year-to-year and district-by-district data on school district referenda, tax levies, debt service payments and debt balances, and revenue and cost reports.
The platform, as mandated by 2021 Wisconsin Act 89, can be accessed free of cost.
“This new tool will increase fiscal transparency and help Wisconsinites understand how their districts and schools operate financially,” DPI Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement. “Building on our existing publicly available data systems, the WiSFPR dashboard will enhance the accessibility of our educational data to the public.”
Although the DPI’s advisory committee initially recommended including voucher-related funding data, the final dashboard excludes private school financial information following opposition from conservative advocacy groups and a rejection from the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee in 2023.
The portal uses financial data collected from all public school districts statewide, including county children with disabilities education boards and independent charter schools.
Taxes are broken down into different categories, like general operations to run the schools, paying off debt, building or expanding schools and community service.
The dashboard then reports t levies using equalized property values and mill rates, meaning levy rates are measured only by how much a certain district is taxing per $1,000 of property value.
While equalized levy rates and financial data have long been used in internal state reporting, the WiSFPR dashboard marks the first time they’ve been made publicly accessible in an accessibly, user-friendly platform.
Tax incremental financing districts are excluded from the reports.
Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, previously lauded the bill mandating the platform’s creation after its signing by Gov. Tony Evers.
“This is about transparency and access, and about every taxpayer, parent, teacher, reporter, and school board member who has at one point or another found our school funding data difficult to comprehend,” Felzkowski said in a statement. “Every member of the public should have the opportunity for an informed discussion about school spending with their school’s leadership.”
The dashboard marks another stride by DPI towards public financial transparency, and comes in light the DPI’s announcement that Milwaukee Public Schools would be losing state aid for missing the end-of-May deadline for last year’s financial report.
“Meeting key deadlines is critical to ensure the DPI can accurately and efficiently calculate general aid estimates for school districts across Wisconsin,” Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy previously said in a statement.
Although DPI didn’t specify the amount of state aid that would be withheld from the district, MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announced the 2023-24 year financial report was submitted by June 18.
The district’s financial data was available to view on the WiSFPR dashboard at the time of publication.

(The Center Square) – Billionaire Elon Musk stumped for Brad Schimel and spent millions in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race with one central narrative – a liberal-majority court would almost certainly redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps, handing Democrats a path to retake the U.S. House of Representatives by 2026.
That liberal court proved him wrong.
In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear two lawsuits claiming the current maps are gerrymandered in favor of Republicans.
Filed by Elias Law Group and Campaign Legal Center, the lawsuits urged the justices to redraw the state’s congressional maps in time for the 2026 midterms.
“Wisconsin voters deserve congressional districts that ensure all voices and viewpoints are fairly represented,” Abha Khanna, a partner of Elias Law Group, which filed the lawsuit, previously said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s current congressional map has unfairly rewarded Republicans with a significant electoral advantage and will continue to do so for the remainder of the decade.”
The Supreme Court offered no comment on its decision, although the court had previously declined to hear a similar request in 2024, also without stating a reason.
Musk’s efforts had anchored on the claim the congressional maps were at stake because a liberal court would redraw the current maps in favor of Democrats.
“What’s at issue here is control of the US House of Representatives,” Musk wrote on X. “The Wisconsin Supreme Court race might decide the future of American and Western Civilization!”
Musk campaigned in Green Bay, sporting a cheesehead hat and handing out million-dollar checks, which are being questioned by another lawsuit alleging that he bribed voters.
He personally gave $3 million to conservative Brad Schimel’s campaign, while the super PAC he funds, America PAC, spent around $18 million on ads, canvassing, mailers and field operations.
On the other hand, liberal-backed Susan Crawford raised more than $24 million for her campaign, including from billionaire donors George Soros and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
In the end, $100 million was spent overall on the race, making it the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history.
Although the court proved Musk wrong, Wisconsin conservative groups applauded that the maps wouldn’t be redrawn in time for the midterm elections.
“Today’s decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinforces the legitimacy of our state’s congressional maps and pushes back against radical, out-of-state leftists trying to meddle in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Counsel Lucas Vebber said in a statement. “This repeated rejection by the Court, including just last year, speaks volumes about the lack of merit in these challenges.”
Elias Law Group and Campaign Legal Center did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment at the time of publication.

(The Center Square) – Democrats on Wisconsin’s budget-writing panel say an agreement between Gov. Tony Evers and legislative Republicans would not necessarily guarantee their votes on a new state budget.
Top Republicans have been talking with the governor about a new state budget for weeks, and both sides have acknowledged that there is an agreement framework. Nothing is final, in fact it appears unlikely that lawmakers will hammer out a budget deal by Monday’s deadline.
Democrats on the Joint Committee on Finance on Thursday said they are optimistic, but also said they’re still waiting to see what a possible budget agreement will look like.
“All of us are going to have to make our own decisions about whether or not the budget is one that we can support, or meets the needs of our districts,” Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, told reporters Thursday morning.
No one has said just what may be included in the budget agreement between the Republican-controlled legislature and Evers.
However Assembly Speaker Robin Vos last week said that “Assembly Republicans will not pass a budget that doesn’t have a guarantee from Gov. Evers of tax relief in it.”
Evers on Tuesday said he will not sign a budget that doesn’t fully fund his child care program.
Roys on Thursday said that it is “good and important” that there are ongoing budget negotiations, but she also said Wisconsin is weeks behind schedule.
“We are several weeks behind from where we ought to be, given the fact we have these really important, looming deadlines,” she added.
Wisconsin lawmakers are supposed to have a new state budget to the governor by Monday. If they don’t the current state budget will simply rollover until the legislature can agree on a new state spending plan.

(The Center Square) – While $2.3 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds were spent by Wisconsin K-12 schools, test results have shown that students still have not recovered from the learning loss.
Wisconsin Policy Forum’s analysis said the funds provided a one-time boost to school budgets but that the funding was uneven based upon factors within the relief aid. The funding also came with a freeze on school revenue limits for the 2021-23 budget.
“While federal pandemic relief funds provided temporary support to districts across Wisconsin, their ultimate impact on student recovery and on schools themselves appears mixed,” the analysis says. “Some districts have seen notable improvements in student outcomes, proving that progress is possible. However, overall statewide test scores, chronic absenteeism, and other key metrics have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.”
The analysis comes as state leaders continue negotiations on the next state budget as the fiscal year ends.
Wisconsin student scores in math remain one-third of a grade below 2019 testing levels while reading results are a half grade behind.
Overall, Wisconsin school districts received $46.6 million in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds, $158.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, $685.4 million in ESSER II funds and $1.43 billion in ESSER III funds.
On average, that meant receiving $2,841 per pupil across all ESSER and GEER I funds with the median amount was $1,784 per pupil. Milwaukee Public Schools received 34.4% of the overall federal recovery funding in Wisconsin at $11,923 per pupil.
The districts were required to spend at least 20% of the funding on directly addressing student academic achievement through interventions.
“Districts then faced a dilemma: their ongoing operating funds were tightly constrained at a time when some of them were receiving large amounts of temporary federal funds,” the analysis concluded. “They could use the one-time aid to sustain their ongoing operations despite the freeze on their core state and local funding. However, doing so would mean a fiscal cliff taking effect in the current 2024-25 school year.”
New programs could begin, but the funding was temporary.
“Many of those efforts also required additional staffing, but hiring can be complicated in the case of temporary positions and was also more difficult in the midst of the pandemic,” the analysis said.

(The Center Square) – A pair of Wisconsin bills that would require the state to identify viable locations for nuclear energy facilities and hold a nuclear power summit in Madison have been sent to Gov. Tony Evers.
Assembly Bill 132 would establish a temporary board to plan and hold a Wisconsin Nuclear Power Summit, which would aim to promote Wisconsin as a leader in the nuclear and fusion energy sector.
Senate Bill 125 would direct the state to complete a nuclear siting study for identifying potential communities ideal for nuclear power generation, including both existing and new sites.
“These bills are about more than energy policy – they’re about Wisconsin’s future,” co-author Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, said in a statement. “Nuclear energy is clean, safe, and reliable, and it must be part of the equation if we want to power our economy for the long haul.”
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission estimated at least $1 million in supplies and services budget authority would be needed to conduct the nuclear siting study, while the Nuclear Power Summit’s would have an estimated cost of $250,000 to host in Madison.
A report by Badger Institute indicated that while nuclear provides 16% of all electricity-generated energy in Wisconsin, down from 24% in 1990, nuclear power is the most reliable source of electricity, producing about 96% of a plant’s rated output.
This makes nuclear more reliable and efficient than other sources of energy used in Wisconsin like natural gas, hydroelectric, coal, wind and solar. Additionally, an operating nuclear power plant emits no pollution or carbon dioxide, according to the report.
“This is a bold, strategic move for our state,” co-author Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, said in a statement. “As energy demands skyrocket – especially with AI and data infrastructure booming – Wisconsin needs solutions that are scalable and reliable. Nuclear provides exactly that.”
Steffen said Wisconsin already benefits from nuclear power, with Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Two Rivers supplying over a million homes and two-thirds of the state’s carbon-free electricity.
The passage of his bills signals that Wisconsin is serious about expanding the role of nuclear energy in the state, according to Steffen.
However, Rep. Moore Omokunde, D-Milwaukee, opposed SB 125 because he said the legislation left Wisconsin residents “out of the conversation.”
“[The bill] moves too quickly without having everyone on the same page first,” Omokunde said in a statement. “Because if you went door to door in your district today, I can almost guarantee that NO ONE is going to want a nuclear plant sited in their backyard – for health concerns, property value concerns, etc.”
Omokunde concluded that passing legislation for nuclear energy without talking to constituents about it first would be “putting the cart before the horse.”
However, a June 2024 University of Michigan poll shows 54% of Wisconsin residents have a positive attitude towards nuclear, matching the national average in that same study.
Additionally, the bills also passed both chambers of the State Legislature with bipartisan support.
While Evers has not publicly said whether he would sign the bills, he had previously recommended allocation $1 million for a nuclear siting study in his proposed 2025-27 state budget, as indicated in a Department of Administration budget summary.