Wisconsin Watch

Celebrating an exceptional year with Wisconsin Watch ?? My one-year anniversary coincided with election day, a big day for the news industry. But the past year has deepened my appreciation for the role local news plays in shaping Wisconsin communities. It’s about more than covering elections and holding leaders accountable or doom and gloom—it’s about telling the stories that connect us as Wisconsinites and finding solutions. At Wisconsin Watch, we dig into the issues that affect our communities: clean water, education, public health, economic challenges, and the everyday triumphs and struggles of people across the state. Our work holds a mirror to Wisconsin, reflecting not just the challenges but also the solutions that bring us closer together. Local journalism is essential to our democracy, but it’s also the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard. I’m proud to contribute to this mission and to continue shining a light on the stories that matter most to the Badger State. Here’s to another year of reporting for Wisconsin, with Wisconsin, and about Wisconsin. ???? Special shout out to Lauren Fuhrmann Richard E. Brown George Stanley #WisconsinWatch #LocalJournalism #InvestigativeReporting #LocalNews

At Wisconsin Watch, we're more than just a news organization. We're a powerful force for truth and accountability in Wisconsin, a state with a rich history of civic engagement. Our readers are passionate about their communities and turn to us for in-depth investigative journalism that gets results.

As state aid for schools has fallen far behind inflation over the last 15 years, more and more districts are turning to referendums, asking residents to agree to additional funding through a direct vote. Operational referendums ask for a recurring tax hike to cover everyday costs like utilities, routine maintenance and staff salaries. Capital referendums are one-time asks for big projects like a new school. On Nov. 5, almost half of Wisconsin’s 421 school districts went to referendum, asking for a record total of nearly $6 billion from taxpayers. Voters ultimately approved $4.4 billion in additional taxes. What’s the long-term solution?

Wisconsin Watch represents catalyzing change and our award-winning investigative journalists foster a community passionate about civil participation, economic development, and holding power accountable.

Get Wisconsin news you need straight to your inbox. ??? Forward: A look ahead at the week in Wisconsin government and politics from our statehouse team. ?? The Wednesday Report: Your weekly guide to Wisconsin Watch's top stories, including partner reports and behind-the-scenes insights. ??? Wisconsin Weekly: A Friday roundup of the week's top headlines from around the state by trusted news outlets. Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/g46h-Eiy

Wisconsin Watch will work with TMJ4 News and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to investigate Milwaukee County’s ‘Brady list,’ which contains the names of law enforcement officers charged with crimes or misconduct. Brady lists exist because of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case dating back to 1964. In criminal cases, it requires prosecutors to disclose if officers have a history of past crimes, dishonesty, bias, or other integrity concerns. “This isn't a story where we're trying to do gotcha journalism or anything like that; this really is about transparency and telling Milwaukee residents what they should know about the credibility of their police officers.” - Jim Malewitz, Managing Editor at Wisconsin Watch If you have a tip related to the Brady list or police misconduct, email [email protected].

??: What Wisconsin’s democracy looked like on Election Day Photos by Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch and Julius Shieh / Wisconsin Watch

It's only mid-afternoon on this Election Day, but our team at Wisconsin Watch has already published a wide range of dispatches across from across Wisconsin. We've heard from folks like Milwaukee's Ray Mendoza, who cherishes his restored voting right — a right he had lost while incarcerated. And we've met voters like Sharon and Dylan Chmura-Moore in Oshkosh, who have brought their children to the polls since the kids were babies. If you live in Wisconsin or are Wisconsin-curious, follow along here. https://lnkd.in/gyP3y8Sm

Wisconsin’s swing-state status has driven the presidential candidates to visit the state often ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024, election — and it has driven Wisconsin Watch to fact-check many of the claims they’ve made here.

Tomorrow is about more than the presidential election! ??? In Wisconsin, there are scores of other races on the ballots, including contests for U.S. Senate, eight U.S. House seats, 99 state Assembly seats, 16 state Senate seats, some county offices and even an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution. Our voter guide is a simple, straightforward way to find key info on the candidates and more: https://bit.ly/4dpFtyn