(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin Republicans are pushing a data center bill that would require utility rate increases are paid by data centers and not the general public, that the centers used closed-loop cooling systems to limit water use and that they submit annual water-use reports to the Department of Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill 840 had its first public hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs on Wednesday.
“Wisconsinites deserve certainty that their electric bills won’t go up simply because a data center moves into our state,” Rep. Jerry O’Connor, R-Fond du Lac, said in a statement on the bill. “AB 840 is designed to protect all Wisconsin consumers, not just those who live near a data center.”
The bill would charge the state’s Public Service Commission with ensuring that utilities do not increase rates based on data center energy use.
The bill comes as Microsoft – which is building a pair of data center projects worth a combined $7 billion at the former Foxconn site in Racine County – made similar promises to pay for energy costs itself, limit water use and replenish more than it uses, create jobs and that the company won’t ask for reduced local property tax rates.
The Wisconsin data centers are in a tax increment district, meaning property tax value increases from the development will be eligible to be captured and returned to Microsoft instead of going to the general property tax base. Wisconsin data centers are also excluded from having to pay sales tax on electricity or construction materials.
“We’ll pay our full and fair share of local property taxes, adding revenue to local towns and cities,” Microsoft wrote in a press release authored by Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. “This is obviously critical to supporting the growth a local community often experiences when data centers are built or expanded. And most importantly, at a time when many communities are facing revenue shortages that threaten vital public assets like hospitals, schools, parks, and libraries, we know from experience that this can make a big difference.”
The bill also mandates on-site renewable energy generation to reduce strain on the electric grid. Evergreen Action, an advocacy group, warned against the approach, saying it would force data centers to “rely solely on on-site renewable generation, blocking them from using off-site wind and solar projects that deliver cheaper, scalable clean power” in a statement from State Advocacy Director Courtney Brady.
“Most of what we do in everyday life involves a data center in some type of way – using the internet, cell phone, artificial intelligence, and cloud storage – which is why this bill is so important,” Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan, said in a statement. “It balances the demand for data centers while ensuring that data centers do not interfere with our rights, pocketbooks, or natural resources. I am looking forward to making sure this bill gets through the legislative process.”

(The Center Square) – A bill that would make grooming a felony in Wisconsin is now headed to the Senate.
Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, said she was compelled to propose the bill after the Kenosha case of a teacher that led to 12 misdemeanors and sentence of 450 days in jail and three years of probation.
During that case, Nedweski said prosecutors were looking for an enhanced charge and she began working to create a specific grooming law. The legislation was then introduced soon after a series of investigative stories from The Capital Times highlighted how state Department of Public Instruction investigations into 200 cases of sexual misconduct and grooming in Wisconsin schools had been concealed.
Assembly Bill 677 passed the Assembly with a 93-6 vote and is scheduled for the Senate Committee on Education.
DPI supported the legislation, saying that it aggressively moves to act swiftly and decisively to protect children and “a clear statutory definition of grooming will support that work, giving the department and law enforcement additional means to protect students.”
“AB 677 treats grooming as the serious crime that it is, closing the gap in state law and giving prosecutors greater ability to hold predators accountable and give families and victims the justice that they deserve,” Nedweski said in a statement after the bill passed the Assembly. “This bill specifically targets the intentional, calculated, and manipulative behaviors that predators use to exploit our children’s innocence.”
The Kenosha case involved former teacher Christian Enwright, who was convicted of the misdemeanors after evidence of thousands of text messages over two school years with a then-12-year-old student were shown in court.
The new law would make grooming a felony charge that could lead to 10 years in prison, with further penalty if the offender was in a position of trust over the victim, if there are multiple victims, or if the victim has a disability.
The bill defines grooming as “a course of conduct, pattern of behavior, or series of acts with the intention to condition, seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse or sexual contact or for the purpose of producing, distributing, or possessing depictions of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”
“I have seen firsthand that grooming is frequently a deliberate, gradual process; one that may unfold over weeks or months and often occurs through digital communication, emotional manipulation, isolation, or the abuse of trust,” bill sponsor Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, wrote in testimony for the bill. “By the time enticement or physical contact occurs, substantial harm has already been done. This bill allows law enforcement to intervene earlier in that process, when prevention is still possible.”

(The Center Square) – The reaction from Wisconsin Republicans to Gov. Tony Evers’ property tax relief plan was immediate, and almost unanimous.
Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany said Evers’ $1.3 billion in tax relief is not enough to cover the costs of the property tax increases his 400-year school funding order caused.
“It’s a Band-Aid,” Tiffany said during an interview Wednesday on News Talk 1130 WISN. “[Gov. Evers] will do anything to pump more money into schools.”
Evers this week proposed a property tax relief plan as a response to the property tax increases Wisconsin homeowners are seeing this year.
He also defended his 400-year school funding increase as necessary, saying Republicans “failed” for years to spend more on public education.
Will Flanders, with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said that’s not the case.
Flanders on Tuesday took to social media to point out that Evers’ 400-year school funding increase could raise property taxes across the state by $1.5 billion in just the next four years.
“A lot of concern about property taxes & the 400-year veto this year. But this is just the beginning. If districts tax to the max, it’s an additional ~$250 million per year. By 2030, taxpayers will be on the hook for ~$1.5 billion in new costs,” Flanders wrote. “Even if a district didn’t tax to the max this year, the new authority remains and snowballs.”
Quinton Klabon, with the Institute for Reforming Government, said taxes will likely snowball because many local schools “binged” on federal money during COVID and have not rolled that spending back.
“They did not let go of staff, even as enrollment collapsed, and, in many cases, they even hired a lot more staff! The solution: raise your property taxes,” Klabon said. “[For example] when teacher health care costs rise 12% and student enrollment drops 3%, they blow holes in their budget and raise your property taxes through referendum.”
Tiffany said Wisconsin needs to get rid of the 400-year school funding increase, freeze property taxes, and spend much less across all levels of government in order to get the state’s tax bills under control.
“There is a whole series of things that can be done here to get us back to fiscal responsibility,” Tiffany added. “We spend plenty of money. We are in the top 10 in property taxes in the United States. We spend plenty of money.”

(The Center Square) – An Assembly vote is expected to come early this year on a bill to allow online sports wagering in Wisconsin but it’s less certain when the full Senate will take up the bill.
Both Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, a bill sponsor, told media outlets they expect to hold a vote on the bill that was pulled from the Assembly calendar late last year.
The proposal would change the state’s definition of “bet” to allow the state’s tribes to offer mobile sports wagering if the bettor is in Wisconsin and the sportsbook servers are on tribal land, an amendment to current compacts allowing for casino gambling and sports wagering on tribal lands despite the state’s ban on betting.
“This legislation is really about allowing Wisconsin tribes to enter the same marketplace and compete,” August told Spectrum News.
August did not expand on what hang-ups led to the vote delay in November and his staff did not respond to interview requests or questions on what amendments could be coming to the bill.
“There’s really no rush on this,” August said in November. “… I had a conversation with a couple members over the weekend that brought up some points that I hadn’t considered yet, so we’re going to work through those and I expect that we will be voting on it early next year.”
Since the delay, both Fanatics and DraftKings have opened prediction markets in the state and FanDuel could be next.
Kalshi already had a prediction market related to sports in the state and is facing a lawsuit from the Ho-Chunk Nation that a national coalition of tribes recently joined.
August previously cited prediction markets as a “gray area” in state law as entities that are not subject to state laws or state taxes.
“Along with offshore, there’s also what are called prediction markets, a handful of which have already launched in Wisconsin,” August told Spectrum News. “These are extremely similar to online gaming. They’re regulated at the federal government level and so, these things are already happening and, unfortunately, or tribal partners aren’t able to participate in it right now.”
If passed, the bill would need to then be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Tony Evers, who has indicated he would support the bill.
Then Evers’ Administration would have to reach compacts with the tribes on topics such as state revenue share, which would then be subject to federal approval before legal sports wagering can launch.
“If you are a Republican who doesn’t necessarily trust Tony Evers on this, or if you are a Democrat who doesn’t necessarily trust Donald Trump on this, the good news is they actually both have to agree that this is the right way to do things here in Wisconsin and I’m confident that we can come to that sort of agreement,” August said.
Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, is one lawmaker who opposes the expansion of sports wagering in Wisconsin beyond the current in-person allowances on tribal land. He said he will vote “No” on the bill if it reaches the Senate floor.
Kapenga wrote in a recent newsletter that legislative offices “got slammed with emails urging opposition” before the Assembly vote delay. He compared the arguments saying that sports wagering is already happening in the state to the arguments supporting the legalization of marijuana.
“Besides the dangers of gambling addiction and its social costs, I’m not a fan of funneling more money to one party that holds a monopoly on sports wagering in Wisconsin,” Kapenga wrote. “The Governor has expressed support for this proposal and has tremendous power over its outcome. I certainly wouldn’t want to bet the house on him doing the right thing, and I will be watching to see if this topic picks up steam in January.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wants to rehash his proposal to send $1 billion of state tax money to local entities that agree to freeze property taxes.
Republican leaders, however, say that it is a request to backfill after Evers’ partial veto raised property taxes on Wisconsin residents for the next 400 years.
Evers said Tuesday that he would again push for the property tax proposal that legislative budget leaders rejected in the last budget negotiations. Evers plan included sending the $1 billion in state funds to local governments along with spending $237 million on property tax relief programs for “veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others struggling to afford the property taxes.”
Evers blamed Republicans for 7.8% statewide average increases in K-12 property taxes that Wisconsin Policy Forum said were due to referenda and Evers’ partial veto, which allows school districts to make a $325 per student per year property tax funding increase for the next 400 years instead of just the next budget.
“Republicans want to blame my 400-year veto (for) property taxes going up,” Evers told media at a press conference. “The problem with that is … Wisconsinites were going to referendum for an increasing number of years, long before I became governor.”
The $325 per student increase will allow for an approximately $250 million increase in property tax levies each year, which adds up to a $1.5 billion increase by 2030, according to Will Flanders, research director for the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.
“After months of ignoring our warnings of massive property tax increases due to his outrageous 400-year veto, the governor is now asking us to backfill his mistake,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement on Tuesday. “We will pass a repeal of his 400-year veto and we ask him to urge Democrats in the legislature to join that effort.”
This year’s Wisconsin property taxes saw the largest percentage increase in K-12 since 1992, a jump from the 5.7% increase a year ago. The K-12 costs on property tax bills are more than 50% of the property taxes collected statewide.
“Recent property tax increases fall primarily on his shoulders and unless he’s willing to fix that, taxpayers in Wisconsin will be driven out of their homes due to these unaffordable increases,” Vos said.

(The Center Square) – The latest plan to jumpstart Wisconsin’s economy has nothing to do with taxes or state spending.
A statewide coalition of free market groups is taking aim at Wisconsin’s volumes of regulation.
“Wisconsin has 165,000 restrictions on the books. If you think about it this way these are rules that have words that you must do something or you cannot do something but it’s really the only good way to measure it,” Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty policy director Kyle Koenen said on News Talk 1130 WISN. “When you look at Wisconsin we’re not in a great place nationally ranked 13th overall, and 13th is not great. In the Midwest, we have a second highest level of regulation, second only to Illinois.”
Koenen said rolling back just 20% of Wisconsin’s regulations could save nearly $2.5 billion a year or close to $23 billion over a decade.
WILL is part of the coalition that includes the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the IRG Action Fund, and the Associated Builders and Contractors in Wisconsin.
There are four pieces of legislation at the Capitol that directly target regulations.
* AB 274/ SB 277 would require lawmakers to review every single one of Wisconsin’s regulations every seven years.
*AB 275/ SB 276 would help people challenge burdensome regulations by allowing them to recover attorneys’ fees for any legal challenges.
*AB 276/ SB 275 would limit the number of new regulations by requiring any new rules be limited to one-per-proposal.
*AB 277/ SB 289 would require state agencies to offset the cost of any new regulations by ending old regulations or eliminating old rules. If lawmakers.
Koenen said that is necessary because the Wisconsin Supreme Court last year issued a ruling that opened the door to a lot more regulations, with a lot less input from legislators.
“Before [that] decision, the legislature had tools to pause or block agency rules that exceeded their statutory authority. After the decision, those tools are all gone,” Koenen added.
This is not the first time Wisconsin has seen a Red Tape Reset proposal. Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany is making a similar plan part of his campaign.

(The Center Square) – A bill that would require Wisconsin health care providers to transparently post a list of the prices for their 300 most common procedures will next head to the full Senate after it passed committee on a 3-1 vote.
Hospital groups and the Wisconsin Hospital Association opposed the bill, saying it’s a repeat of federal policy already in place, but bill sponsors say the topic is popular with the public and adds teeth to requirements that hospitals and providers comply and are transparent about the cost of services.
Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin, told The Center Square on Monday that the bill sponsors are highly supportive of doctors, nurses and providers but the measure is requiring administrators to show patients how much a procedure would cost before receiving the service instead of receiving a surprise bill total later.
Bradley said that he sat down at a computer with those who oppose the bill and showed them how providers in the state do not currently show the prices on their websites.
“There’s no other industry in the world where you find out the price of something after you’ve purchased it and it’s been delivered,” Bradley said. “This is about transparency.”
Bradley added that the bill directly follows the federal guidelines in President Donald Trump’s executive order, so it isn’t duplicative, but it will put those requirements in place permanently in Wisconsin.
He said that sponsors amended the bill to delay fines for hospitals that are actively working to comply with the requirements after meeting with them.
“We’ve tried to overcome every possible objection that the hospitals can come up with and, keep in mind, the only people in opposition of this are the hospitals and the hospital association,” Bradley said.
Hospitals, meanwhile, say that they are being transparent with patients on pricing.
“Hospitals across Wisconsin have provided patients with price transparency tools that far exceed their obligations under federal regulation,” the WHA said in testimony against the bill. “Due to advancements in technology and integration with electronic health records systems, hospitals and health systems have increasingly utilized “push” estimates to patients. A ‘push’ estimate is proactively sent to patients in advance of their service without the patient requesting it.”
Bradley said the largest difference between Senate Bill 383 and the federal requirements is that the Wisconsin bill requires a button to be prominently displayed on a provider’s website for price transparency.

(The Center Square) – A proposal to eliminate Wisconsin income tax on overtime pay is headed for a Tuesday committee vote.
Assembly Bill 461 would match a temporary federal income tax exemption on overtime that would apply to the extra pay received for working overtime up to $12,500 per year for an individual or $25,000 per year for joint filers.
The exemption is targeted at middle-income residents and is phased out for those making an adjusted gross income between $150,000 and $275,000 as an individual or $300,000 to $550,000 as a joint filer.
“Assembly Bill 461 is a practical step to ensure hard-working Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn at a time when their families need that money much more than the government,” Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, said in testimony on the bill. “It ensures their sacrifice of personal and family time is not unduly punished by our tax code, supports staffing needs, and honors our state’s traditions of hard work and sacrifice.”
The current federal exemption applies to tax years 2025 through 2028 but the Wisconsin bill would not have an endpoint.
The bill would reduce Wisconsin tax collections by an estimated $176 million in fiscal year 2026 and then $150 million each year after that.
“Not adopting this policy in Wisconsin would further degrade Wisconsin’s tax competitiveness,” Evan Umpir, the General Counsel and Director of Tax, Transportation & Legal Affairs for the Wisconsin Chamber wrote in testimony supporting the bill. “For Wisconsin to remain competitive, we should make sure our tax code rewards hard work and productivity.”

(The Center Square) – Democrats in Wisconsin are joining others from across the country in criticizing or condemning ICE after last week’s deadly shooting in Minneapolis.
Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, who is running for governor, sent a letter to Wisconsin’s members of Congress asking for ICE operations to be suspended.
“The [Trump] administration’s agents should be investigated, charged, and held fully accountable. In this country, no person can be above the law, especially not a public official who abuses their power,” Roys said.
She also called ICE agents a “violent, untrained, unaccountable paramilitary force” and she called them “armed vigilantes who are assaulting our freedoms.”
Roys’ view on ICE is similar to the views from The Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America, which called for ICE to be abolished.
“We need to keep our communities safe from the masked agents empowered by our right-wing government to act belligerently without consequence,” Milwaukee DSA co-Chair Andy Barbour said.
One of Wisconsin’s tribes, the Oneida Nation, on Sunday said while it has talked about keeping ICE and its agents off tribal lands, said it’s not possible.
“The Oneida Nation does not welcome ICE agents onto our reservation. However, it is not possible to ban them from the reservation – as much as their actions are condemned,” the tribe said in a Sunday press release. “It is important that while we go about our lives, when confronted with ICE agents and the appalling enforcement activities, that we do not increase tensions and manage situations in a calm manner. Should anything arise regarding ICE agents, we have asked Oneida Police Department to assist members in ensuring interaction is lawful and that proper documentation is presented. Our goal is to keep members safe during these escalating troubled times.”
Other Wisconsin Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers, have condemned the shooting in Minneapolis.

(The Center Square) – Voters from 36 states across the country will return to the polls to elect their next governors in 2026.
Several governors races are expected to see fierce competition between parties as they battle for control of their states. In other states, like California, primary challenges are likely to determine who will be elected to state leadership.
Out of 36 governors races in 2026, the Cook Political Report ranks five as “toss ups” where “either party has a good chance of winning.”
Here are those races.
Arizona
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is seeking reelection in a race that appears to be hotly contested.
Karrin Robson, a former candidate for Arizona governor, and Arizona U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert will face off in a three-way primary election for the Republican nomination. Both Biggs and Robson received endorsements from President Donald Trump in the race for governor.
Robson has run on implementing principles of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to reduce government spending in Arizona.
“While Katie Hobbs misplaces hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds and grows the government, Karrin will shrink it,” Robson’s website reads. “She will streamline operations, prioritize responsible spending, and hold every agency accountable.”
Biggs has focused on border security throughout his campaign so far, with a focus on implementing Trump’s immigration agenda.
Hobbs has made affordability a focus of her campaign, touting her record over the past four years of reducing budget deficits in the state and providing tax cuts to middle class families. She also highlighted her work to order National Guard troops to the southern border.
Arizona’s primary election to determine who Hobbs will face off against in the general election is set for Aug. 4.
Michigan
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and a crowded group looks to succeed her.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrest, are looking to win the Democratic nomination for the Great Lakes State. They are joined by Democrats Marni Sawicki, former mayor of Cape Coral, Fla., and Chris Swanson, sheriff of Genesee County.
U.S. Rep. John James, former Michigan attorney general Mike Cox and Tom Leonard, former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, are vying for the Republican nomination to be Michigan’s governor.
Benson, seen as a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination according to recent polling data, has focused her campaign on highlighting past achievements as the secretary of state. She has highlighted past achievements in voter security, reducing government bureaucracy, and reducing costs.
“As Secretary of State, Jocelyn has overseen the highest turnout, most secure elections in Michigan’s history by making it easier to vote and harder to cheat,” Benson’s campaign website reads.
As frontrunner for the Republican nomination, James has focused his campaign on lowering taxes and healthcare expenses.
“John will audit wasteful DEI programs, eliminate foreign influence in our institutions, and rebuild trust in government,” James’ website reads.
Michigan will hold its primary election on Aug. 4.
Wisconsin
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced in July he is retiring from politics. Evers’ retirement has left a field open for others hoping to fill his post.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, former lieutenant Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Rep. Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County executive David Crowley are among a crowded field seeking the Democratic nomination.
In a less crowded race, Republicans in Wisconsin are looking to take back the governor’s mansion as U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, Washington County executive Josh Schoemann and Andy Manske have declared campaigns for candidacy.
Barnes has highlighted past issues from his campaign that he plans to focus on as governor. He focused on using public funding to lower energy costs in the state and expanded voting opportunities.
As Republicans look to retake the Wisconsin governorship, frontrunner Tiffany has touted his past legislative experience and pushed for an end to sanctuary jurisdiction laws in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin will hold its partisan primary elections on Aug. 11.
Georgia
Term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp will end his two-term run as the governor of Georgia and hand the reins off to another candidate in the Peach State.
On the federal level, Georgia is considered a swing state with two Democratic U.S. senators and the state’s preferring Joe Biden in 2020 but Trump in 2024. However, on the state level, Republicans have consistently had the advantage.
Several members of Kemp’s cabinet have declared their candidacy for the seat. Attorney General Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger are each vying for the Republican nomination.
President Donald Trump offered Jones his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for governor in August 2025, giving a boost to the lieutenant governor’s bid.
“We’re fighting for election integrity, lower taxes, and to secure Georgia values,” Jones wrote in a post on social media.
Democrats in Georgia are hopeful to capitalize on their wins in the U.S. Senate by flipping the governor’s mansion.
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond have all declared candidacy for the Democratic governor nomination.
Lance Bottoms has focused on expanding Medicaid as a key component of her campaign for governor.
“Keisha will work to eliminate income taxes for teachers, crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent, and she will invest in education so our children have better pathways to success through career training or college,” Lance Bottom’s website reads.
Georgia’s primary election is set for May 19.
Nevada
Incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is running for a second term in Nevada. With less competition compared to other battleground states, Attorney General Aaron Ford looks to be the Democrat poised to take on Lombardo.
In 2024, Trump won Nevada as the first Republican president to do so since 2004.
Ford has received endorsements from both Democrat U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen in his bid for governor.
Trump has endorsed Lombardo is his reelection campaign.
“As governor, he is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Ensure NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE,” Trump wrote on social media. “Joe Lombardo is SMART, STRONG, AND TOUGH.”

(The Center Square) – One of Wisconsin’s Republican congressmen said he voted to extend the COVID-era health care subsidies because the country needs an off-ramp.
Western Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden voted for a House plan that would extend the Biden-era enhanced subsidies for three years.
“We have to have a bridging mechanism,” Van Orden said. “You can’t just turn the spigot off.”
Van Orden voted against the subsidy extension just a day earlier. But he said on Thursday that Republicans have to do something other than say no.
“This is an absolute Democrat problem, and the Republicans are going to ride a horse in, and fix this,” he added. “But we have to have a bridging mechanism.”
Republican leaders in the Senate have said the extension plan from the House is dead on arrival, so it remains to be seen just what that “bridging mechanism” will be.
The COVID subsidies have become a major issue in Van Orden’s race for Congress. A liberal group earlier this week announced a seven-figure ad buy to target Van Orden for his opposition to continuing the enhanced subsidies.
Late Thursday night, one of Van Orden’s Democratic opponents blasted Van Orden for his vote.
“The House did the right thing [by] passing a 3-year extension of the ACA tax credits. But it shouldn’t have taken this long,” Democrat Rebecca Cooke said on X. “And let’s be clear:@derrickvanorden spent months attacking these tax credits and has repeatedly called for repealing the ACA. His vote today shows he’s scared of losing – and he should be.”
A number of Republican voters criticized Van Orden on X on Thursday, including one who said Van Orden’s vote cost him a vote.
Van Orden responded.
“Today I voted to give us enough time to fix what the democrats broke,” Van Orden wrote. “We need an off-road. We are already working on real policy change.”

(The Center Square) – Voters in Wisconsin are worried about their wallets heading into the 2026 elections.
The Institute for Reforming Government recently released the results of its listening session tour, and unsurprisingly “affordability” is the number one concern.
“By far, the most significant issue discussed in every listening session was cost of living – rising prices in the basic essentials – as well as costs related to housing, health care and child care. Inflationary pressures on food and living expenses, housing, health care, child care,” IRG’s report stated.
“Similarly, in IRG’s poll of statewide voters, 39% of voters said that “cost of living” was the #1 issue that would drive their vote, which included 49% of Independents. One of every two voters said lowering food costs.”
Wisconsin voters are not alone in worrying about affording the basics. Most 2026 polls say affordability is the top issue for voters this year.
IRG’s CEO CJ Szafir said voters are drawing a line from their day-to-day struggles to politics, policies and their votes.
“The data makes one point unmistakably clear: affordability is the defining issue for Wisconsin families. Residents across the state described grocery bills that feel unsustainable, housing and tax burdens rising faster than wages, child care and health care costs that strain every household budget, and jobs that fail to keep pace with inflation,” Czafir said. “The takeaway is simple – candidates who prioritize affordability and present serious, practical solutions will be the ones who earn the trust of Wisconsin voters in 2026.”
The IRG report says health care, state taxes and housing are the second-biggest issues for voters.
“Over 60% of voters indicated that health care, taxes, and housing were important issues for their vote,” Czafir added.
As has been the case for years, voters say they are also worried about the state’s public schools. But, the report says, it is not a top concern.
“Only 5% of voters indicated that K-12 education was the most important issue in 2026,” the report added. “In the same poll, while voters had plenty of ideas to improve their schools, of the respondents that had school-aged children living at home with them, 45% of them said that they were ‘very satisfied’ with their children’s schools.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin is expecting more people and higher costs from its Medicaid program in the coming year.
The state’s Department of Health Services this week wrote a letter to lawmakers explaining that costs will be $213 million more than expected.
“Several factors are contributing to the projected deficit,” Health Department Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson wrote. The “Medicaid budget adopted lower Family Care and Family Care Partnership enrollment growth trends than the Department recommended during budget development. The actual enrollment trend so far this biennium suggests program enrollment will be even higher than the Department anticipated.”
Specifically, Johnson said managed care enrollment will cost $45 million more than expected. She also said fee-for-service nursing home expenditures and Children’s Long Term Supports costs will be “significantly higher than budget due to higher-than-projected utilization.” Johnson said the fee for service increase will be at least $59 million higher, and the CLTScosts will be $38 million more.
Johnson said there could be some cost savings. She told lawmakers that “BadgerCare Plus and SSI Managed Care enrollment has trended lower than budget in the first six months of the year.”
But she also warned that HMO costs are higher than expected. Still, Johnson told lawmakers “managed acute care costs are more favorable compared to the budget.”
Wisconsin’s state budget has $9.7 billion set aside for Medicaid, and it’s not clear whether Republicans will find more money for the program.
Johnson promised to continue to update lawmakers as 2026 begins.
“The department will continue to manage program funds in a cost-effective manner while maintaining access to quality health care to over 1 million Wisconsinites,” Johnson added.

(The Center Square) – Menomonie’s leadership on Monday unanimously approved regulation changes in zoning that will classify data centers in the northwestern Wisconsin community as such rather than in the same designation as warehouses.
Zoning, lot sizes, and land use for large artificial intelligence data centers is included in the changes.
Balloonist is considering building a data center in Menomonie. The new regulations mean Balloonist will need to reapply for zoning and permitting.
The community of about 17,000 off Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and Eau Claire is not alone in looking to set rules for data centers. Madison and Milwaukee are also looking at adopting data center regulations, as are state lawmakers.
State Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, and Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Birchwood, on Monday introduced legislation that would create new statewide regulations.
“With guardrails in place, Wisconsin can be a leader in the digital economy while protecting residents and ensuring responsible development,” Quinn said.
The plan from Quinn and Zimmerman would:
• Prohibit energy costs for data centers from being passed on to other customers.
• Require any renewable energy used to power data centers to be located at the site.
• Require water used by a data center for cooling purposes to be recycled.
● Require data centers to annually report the total amount of water used.
• Require a data center to file a bond or security sufficient to cover the cost of any required reclamation.
• If construction of a proposed data center is not completed, the owner must restore the parcel to the condition that existed prior to any construction
“The bill I am introducing will prevent utility companies from passing their electricity costs on to any other customer. Wisconsin is open for business – just not at the expense of ratepayers already here,” Quinn added.

(The Center Square) – Some of the loudest opposition to the Trump Administration’s raid in Venezuela is coming from Wisconsin’s progressive lawmakers.
Democratic candidate for governor Francesca Hong was one of the first to accuse the president of breaking the law and starting a new war.
“Trump’s rogue attack on Venezuela and the abduction of Maduro sets an alarming precedent that does nothing to make our country safer or improve the lives of working Americans. It is not only unconstitutional, but a violation of international law,” Hong wrote on X.
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that U.S. special forces went into Venezuela to capture now-former president Nicholas Maduro. Maduro has been indicted on drug trafficking charges. He’s due in a New York City courtroom today for an arraignment.
Wisconsin Democratic Socialist Ryan Clancy cheered the weekend protest in Milwaukee against the Venezuelan raid.
“I’m grateful to the folks who braved the cold [Saturday], with just a few hours’ notice, to stand with the people of Venezuela and against the Trump regime’s unlawful act of war,” Clancy wrote on X. “This isn’t about one person. This isn’t about drugs (and Trump has been explicit about this, noting that he wants to hand control of Venezuela over to oil companies). It’s unacceptable and dangerous for one country to accuse a leader of a crime and to invade that country to abduct them. When regime change is external, it shatters countries’ autonomy and costs lives.”
The protests in Milwaukee saw a few dozen people turn out. Milwaukee state Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, also took to social media to blast President Trump and the Venezuelan raid.
“Trump and his regime are not only a national embarrassment. Today, they made themselves into an international pariah,” Larson added on X. “It is distinctly unAmerican to ignore history and rekindle the worst mistakes of our previous attempts at regime change. No more wars for oil.”
Wisconsin’s Republican state lawmakers were mostly silent on the raid, but the state’s Republican congressmen all supported the raid on X over the weekend.

(The Center Square) – 2025 was a deadlier year in Milwaukee after the city’s police department reported a jump in homicides last year.
Milwaukee’s homicide database shows 142 people were killed in the city in 2025, compared to 132 in 2024. That is an 8% increase.
Milwaukee Police are not offering any thoughts as to why more people were killed in 2025 than 2024.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the spike in homicides is “vexing.”
The murder increase in Milwaukee stands out, in part, because 2025 saw fewer murders in most big cities. Washington, D.C reported a 31% drop in homicides, while Chicago reported 30% fewer killings. New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New Orleans also reported a drop in homicides in 2025.
Nationwide, the FBI said homicides fell almost 20% in the last year.
Milwaukee did see a double digit drop in other crimes, however.
The police database shows a 19% drop in non-fatal shootings. Milwaukee Police say 515 people were shot and survived in 2025, down from 637 in 2024.
Aggravated assaults fell 22%, and robberies dropped 28%. But the biggest year-over-year decline in crime in Milwaukee came from carjacking cases.
The police database reported a 49% drop in carjackings, from 513 in 2024 down to 264 in 2025.