Dane & Milwaukee Counties face 2026 budget shortfalls (UNDATED)
Wisconsin’s two largest counties face budget shortfalls next year. Wisconsin Act 12 gave Milwaukee County authority for a new 0.4% sales tax implemented last year which provided a brief surplus. Now, faced with a $46.7 million budget deficit for 2026, the county is planning major spending cuts for the first time in years. That’s likely to include cutting raises for county employees and across-the-board departmental spending cuts. In Dane County a projected $31 million budget deficit for next year has County Executive Melissa Agard asking departments to submit budgets with a 4% base reduction and to refrain from requesting new staff positions or major capital projects.
Bradyn’s Law ready for Assembly vote (MADISON)
At the Capitol, legislation known as Bradyn’s Law has passed the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. Representative Brent Jacobson of Mosinee says it keeps state law current with dangers teens face online amid a rise in sextortion — soliciting intimate images from victims and threatening to release them if they don’t pay up. The bill, named after a Wisconsin teen who took his own life after falling prey to sextortion, designates the offense as a class B felony punishable by up to 60 years in prison. It’s now ready to be scheduled for a vote by the full Assembly.
Man pleads not guilty in shooting that seriously injured his brother (STEVENS POINT)
A Portage County man accused of shooting his brother during an argument pleads not guilty to attempted homicide. Justin Wojtalewicz (wo-tayla-witz) entered the plea for that count and several others including aggravated battery, recklessly endangering safety, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Investigators say he shot Ryan Wojtalewicz in the leg, causing serious injuries. The 42-year-old was arrested at the scene and has been held on a one-million-dollar bond and will face a week-long trial in mid-August. There’s been no update on Ryan’s condition since the March incident, at the time doctors said his leg could require amputation.
Lawmakers hear testimony on expanding vet benefits to Laos soldiers (MADISON)
Lawmakers at the Capitol hear testimony on a bill to provide veterans benefits for those who served in Laos in support of the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Deputy Secretary Joey Hoey says the bill would make it so the department could more readily and easily work with this group of veterans who served alongside U.S. forces. Many Hmong-Lao soldiers and their families were forced to flee their homes after the Vietnam war and resettle throughout the U.S., including in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is home to the third largest Hmong population in the United States.
DHS highlights how federal cuts would impact SNAP program (UNDATED)
The Department of Health Services is highlighting how federal SNAP changes caused by President Trump “Big, Beautiful” bill will impact Wisconsinites. Wisconsin Medicaid Director Bill Hanna says those enrolled in the program are already living on the margin and small dollar changes will force them to make very difficult life choices between choosing health care or choosing food. Hanna says the cuts would cost Wisconsin approximately $314 million every year and put 90,000 state residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits.
There’s plenty to see this summer in Southern Wisconsin, says Tourism Sec Sayers (MADISON)
You don’t have to make a long trek to find natural wonders this summer. Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers says there are plenty of places to visit in southern Wisconsin. One of those places is Taliesin, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spring Green. It was the home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You could also visit places like Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan to see fantastic sand dunes and the beautiful Lake Michigan Coast, or the many sections of the Kettle Moraine State Park in southeast Wisconsin. Find your trip online at Travel Wisconsin dot Com.