Month: February 2026

Two Democratic state legislators announced a bill Tuesday, backed by a coalition of labor unions and political organizations, that would raise the minimum wage in Wisconsin from $7.25 to $20.

State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and Rep. Angelina Cruz (D-Racine) have drafted a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 immediately, followed by regular increases until it hits $20 in 2030. From then on, the state wage floor would be pegged to inflation.

“About 800,000 workers in Wisconsin earn less than $20 an hour. They are home health care providers, early childhood educators, grocery workers, nursing assistants, the backbone of our communities,” Cruz said. “This bill is about dignity, it’s about fairness and it’s about building an economy where, if you work hard in Wisconsin, you can afford to live in Wisconsin.”

The bill provides small business owners, who employ 50 or fewer workers, more time to transition to the new wage floor. It also raises the tipped wage from $2.33 an hour to $7.50.

The legislation has backing from a coalition of unions and political organizations, including the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Union (MASH), United Auto Workers (UAW), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Citizen Action of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Working Families Party and Our Wisconsin Revolution.

“Even if it doesn’t pass this session, we know that elected officials will become accountable this fall,” Roys said. “Maybe it’s the last bill of 2026 and maybe it’s the first law of 2027.”

Wisconsin companies exported $27.12 billion in goods during 2025, a decrease of $687.6 million or roughly 2.5% for the year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The total was the state’s lowest since 2021 and marked the second consecutive year of decline.

Exports started the year on a good trend with year-over-year gains in January and March leading to a 2.1% increase for the first quarter. Starting in April, Wisconsin exports declined year-over-year for six straight months, including a 9.2% drop in April and a 7.4% drop in May. For the second quarter, exports were down 7.2% and they declined 3.4% in the third quarter. October did show a 2.6% year-over-year increase and December was up 1.8%, but a 7.6% decline in November left the state down 1% for the quarter.

Geographically, the declines were driven by some of Wisconsin’s largest trading partners.

Exports to Canada, the top destination for Wisconsin products, fell 8.6% or $706 million to $7.52 billion. It was the lowest level of exports to Canada since 2020. Exports to Mexico, the second largest destination for Wisconsin products, were down 7.1% to $4.04 billion, a decline of $309 million. Exports to China, the third largest destination for Wisconsin in 2024, declined 34.5% or $535 million to $1.02 billion. It marked the lowest level of exports to China since 2006.

Exports to the rest of Asia, on the other hand, increased 9.2% to $4.93 billion, a gain of $415 million.

Europe also saw an increase, importing 6.6% from Wisconsin to reach $6.19 billion. The Netherlands in particular drove the increase with a 29.8% increase to reach $1.04 billion. It was enough of an increase to propel the country to be the top European destination for Wisconsin products.

Exports to Germany, the top destination in 2024, decreased more than 17% or $195 million to $942 million.

Other top European destinations in 2025 included the United Kingdom, up almost 14% to $872 million, Belgium, down 5.3% to $760 million and France, down 7.6% to $384 million.

Exports to South America increased 6.4% to $1.7 billion and exports to Africa were up $132 million or 41.2% to $454 million.

Wisconsin’s exports to Australia, the fifth largest destination for the state’s products in 2024, dropped nearly 17% to $671 million for 2025. The decrease was enough to push the country down to 11^th as a destination for Wisconsin products.

President Donald Trump’s reworked global tariffs began Tuesday at a rate of 10%, even though he said over the weekend that they would start at 15%.

Under the trade law the administration is now turning to, called Section 122, tariffs of up to 15% can be quickly applied, but only for up to 150 days.

As a result of the renewed uncertainty, the E.U. earlier Monday froze implementation of a massive trade deal with Trump last summer.

Other trading partners, such as India, China, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, are also considering what to do. Most of the trade framework deals the Trump administration and foreign trading partners reached since early last year have been under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the 1977 law the Supreme Court said Trump improperly used when he imposed sweeping tariffs last year

The powerful speaker of the state Assembly, who shaped the GOP’s agenda in Wisconsin for the better part of two decades, announced Thursday he won’t seek reelection, marking the end of an era in state government and Republican politics.

Robin Vos, 57, is the longest-serving speaker in Wisconsin history, having served in that job for 13 years. In that position, he’s dealt with two governors — one Republican and one Democrat — and several legislative leaders. Depending on the circumstances, they each got to know Vos as a partner, adversary, dealmaker or general thorn in the side.

There had been widespread speculation about the powerful speaker’s plans since the current legislative session began. He told his colleagues Thursday he reached his decision last November when he had a mild heart attack.

“Luckily, my doctors say I am perfectly fine, but I do need to reduce my stress,” Vos said. “And let me tell you, this job is stressful.”

There were audible gasps in the chamber when Vos shared his news, and many of his GOP colleagues were wiping away tears. Vos himself became choked up as he talked about what the job had meant to him, and how he’d miss it.

“I am struck by how much this work has shaped me, how honored I am to have played a small part in democracy, and how proud I am that the state of our Legislature is strong,” Vos said, his voice wavering.

The speaker said he would serve out the remainder of his term until a new class of legislators is sworn in next January.

The Supreme Court dealt a blow to President Trump’s trade agenda on Friday, siding against him in a case challenging the legality of tariffs that have shaped global markets and U.S. supply chains.

By a 6–3 vote, the majority concluded that the law cited to justify the import duties “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.” Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the opinion of the court. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

The two cases, which Trump has described as “life or death” for the United States, have forced the Supreme Court to confront how far a president can go in reshaping U.S. trade policy.

The challenges — Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections Inc. — were brought by an educational toy manufacturer and a family-owned wine and spirits importer challenging the legality of Trump’s tariffs.

Both cases turn on a central question: whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) gave the president authority to impose the tariffs, or whether that move crossed constitutional lines. The disputes followed Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, a sweeping package of import duties he said would address trade imbalance and reduce reliance on foreign goods.

The two cases, which Trump has described as “life or death” for the United States, have forced the Supreme Court to confront how far a president can go in reshaping U.S. trade policy.

he Wisconsin REALTORS Association (WRA) has released its January 2026 Real Estate Report, showing new listings fell significantly, leading to tighter inventory statewide.

Compared to a few years ago, there are fewer existing home sales and higher home prices. Existing home sales in Wisconsin fell 3.9% compared to January 2025. The median price rose 7.9% over the past year to $315,000.

Amy Curler, board chair of the WRA, said, “Total listings grew on an annual basis for 28 straight months before declining in January. We suspect this is just a temporary deviation from the trend, and we’re cautiously optimistic that the spring and summer markets will see growing inventories.”

Despite higher house prices, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell 86 basis points from January 2025 to January 2026. This helped lift the Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index by 2.2 percent, which is its highest level since January 2024.

The strongest home sale price increases were seen in the Northeast, with an increase of 11%, and the Southeast with 10%.

In his eighth and final State of the State address Tuesday night, Gov. Tony Evers said Republicans have chronically underfunded Wisconsin schools and blamed them for increased property taxes after negotiations for a tax cut stalled this week.

In comments to reporters after the speech, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said negotiations would continue and he remains “optimistic” about the prospects for a tax and spending deal.

That work likely won’t include approval of a $2.3 billion package that Republicans sent him this week, which included a tax rebate plan.

“Local property taxes go up when the state fails to do its part to meet its obligation,” said Evers, calling for a plan to get “meaningful resources to K-12 schools and provide property tax relief.”

“And it must balance these important obligations a heck of a lot better than the plan Republican leaders sent me this week,” he added.

With the state Assembly due to wrap up business this week, Evers called on lawmakers to stay in Madison and said he’d call a special session of the Legislature in the coming weeks with the goal of banning partisan gerrymandering. The governor has the power to call a special session but no power over how legislators conduct it

After the speech ended, Republican leaders said Evers was claiming credit for victories secured by their party in the Legislature.

In a televised speech, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said Wisconsin is strong “despite the governor, not because of him.”

“If the Democrats were in charge in Madison, Wisconsin would be a very different place. Jobs would flee to other states. … Our increasingly mobile workforce would leave for states with lower income tax rates,” he said. “Thankfully, that’s not reality. And thanks to the state Legislature, the state of our state is strong.”

While median wages in Wisconsin have kept pace with inflation over the last 25 years, many essential household costs have risen much faster than wages and overall inflation.

That’s according to a new report from Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association. It highlights the rising costs for essential expenses like housing and healthcare as the primary constraint on household budgets across the state.

Preliminary estimates show that median household incomes in Wisconsin rose by 90 percent from 2000 to 2025, while overall costs of goods and services measured by the Consumer Price Index have increased by 87 percent during the same period, the report states.

Much of a household’s typical budget is tied up in goods and services that are hard to reduce, substitute or eliminate, like housing, health care, transportation and education, the report notes.

The report looked at cost increases across a variety of goods and services, broken down by essential costs and discretionary, or nonessential, costs. Most of the essential costs examined outpaced median incomes, while most discretionary costs decreased over the last 25 years.

The biggest increase among essential costs came from hospital services, which have increased by 274 percent since 2000, the report found.

Those hospital costs include inpatient and outpatient care, and represent the price that’s paid by consumers and by insurance companies toward hospital services.

An administrative law judge has ordered some changes but upheld key state permits for Enbridge’s $450 million plan to reroute an oil and gas pipeline around the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

In her decision, Administrative Law Judge Angela Chaput-Foy wrote the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources met state requirements and permitting standards when it issued a wetland and waterway permit, stormwater permit and water quality certification for the Line 5 reroute.

“While the Band expresses concern regarding potential impacts, they have failed to provide evidence demonstrating that the authorized activities will, in fact, violate state water quality standards,” Foy wrote. “The fears that they express are fears; they lack evidence showing that these changes will occur and impact water quality.”

Foy went on to say that environmental groups also failed to show that more baseline data should be required to certify the project meets state water quality standards. Even so, Foy ordered four modifications to Enbridge’s wetlands permit.

Those changes affect monitoring of wetland restoration after construction. They also require more work to assess the risk of artesian aquifer breaches. Enbridge must also clarify it’s obtained a permit for taking a threatened plant in Wisconsin, as well as obtain a separate permit for stabilizing banks within waterways.

Rob Lee, an attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates said in a statement there’s a “strong” case for appealing the decision. The group is weighing next steps.

The Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have announced massive changes to the nation’s environmental policy, moving to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding results on which the United States of America’s current emissions regulations are based. President Trump and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin maintain that this is the single largest deregulation action in American history.

Back in 2009, EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson signed two distinct findings related to the endangerment brought by and causes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The Obama administration and the EPA moved to limit these specific gases based on the results of the Endangerment Finding study, rolling out tighter emissions regulations for new vehicle fleets and powertrains. Detractors have argued that the EPA does not possess regulatory authority, and that Congress must be involved in establishing emissions rules.

The EPA under Zeldin first proposed rescinding the findings altogether back in July 2025, and has already rolled back tailpipe emissions regulations established by his political predecessors. With this new action, Trump and Zeldin have terminated green emissions standards imposed from 2012 onward, with no plans to impose them beyond 2027. Zeldin announced that the EPA will be advising automakers to kill start-stop technology, which he referred to as the “Obama Switch” during the press conference. (It is important to note that start-stop technology has never been mandated by the government.)