July 19, 2022 — Over the last decade, Wisconsin legislators have frequently restricted the ability of local communities to adopt policies that protect and empower workers, improve the health of their residents, and make sure housing is safe. These restrictions on local self government have been particularly harmful for people of color and other residents of urban areas.
July 10, 2020 — Local government spending on law enforcement has significantly increased over the past two decades in Wisconsin, becoming the single biggest category of local spending. Black community leaders have called on policymakers to put that money to better use, shifting resources away from law enforcement and towards mental health services, housing, job assistance, and other services that strengthen communities.
March 18, 2020 — Communities across the country are scrambling to mitigate the harm done by the coronavirus. But local governments in Wisconsin are finding that the state government has tied their hands by blocking several steps that communities could take to protect the health and well-being of their residents.
December 16, 2019 — For our economy to work for everyone, Wisconsin needs to invest in strong communities across the entire state. But Wisconsin has gone back on its commitment to providing resources to local governments, forcing counties, cities, and towns to implement taxes and fees that fall most heavily on residents with the lowest incomes.
January 23, 2017 — Wisconsin ranks 35th in the number of government workers per population, meaning Wisconsin’s state and local governments are leaner than all but 15 other states. The number of public employees in Wisconsin has fallen over time, and current levels of public employment are significantly lower than they were around the turn of the century.