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MacIver's Bill Osmulski appeared on the Meg Ellefson Show as part of her year-end review. Bill talked about what he learned about in 2024 and what he's bracing for in 2025. It's information every Wisconsin resident should know. You can find the links to our coverage below.
1. Why government is terrible with money - School districts don't have operating budgets. State agencies don't have operating budgets. No wonder government is so inefficient and reckless with our money.
2. How energy rates are set - Wisconsin power companies don't make money from producing electricity. The make money by building infrastructure. Energy rates are set by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Power companies are only allowed to recoup their costs for producing electricity from customers. They also get to recoup the costs of building new infrastructure, but they also get to add on a percentage that becomes their profit. In short, the only way they make a profit is by building new infrastructure, and the more expensive that infrastructure is, the bigger profit they make.
3. Act 10 hangs in the balance - Act 10 got Wisconsin out from under the thumb of the union bosses. Prior to that, government at all levels faced crushing financial pressure to meet the requirements of their union contracts. If Act 10 goes away, that pressure will return. The first thing the public will notice will be lower service levels, followed by even more referendums, and eventually higher taxes across the board. MacIver estimates that Act 10 has saved Wisconsin residents a combined $31 billion over the past 12 years. The outcome of the supreme court race will be pivotal in deciding this issue once and for all.
4. Gov. Evers prepares for reelection - Gov. Evers will need to establish his dominance within the Democrat party prior to the gubernatorial election cycle in 2026. He needs to fend off any would-be challengers (like Josh Kaul and Cavalier Johnson) and prevent Republicans from getting any wins they can use in their campaigns. Everything he does in 2025 will be in pursuit of those two goals. Expect a very progressive budget proposal and open resistance to everything Trump proposes.
5. Rethinking state finances - The next state budget will be a top priority for MacIver in 2025. We've already started to release policy positions for that debate. Those include a performance-based budgeting paper and video.
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