WISCONSIN (MacIver Institute) -- As another Wisconsin spring week unfolds and the 2026 elections draw closer, the debates over government regulation, taxes, affordability, and election-year politics are intensifying. This week MacIver highlights how bureaucratic licensing is choking opportunity, why tax breaks are not subsidies, and the growing focus on making Wisconsin more affordable for working families.
Spotlight
Hold Your Horses! You Need a License First
Richard Moore sounds the alarm on the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and its expanding reach through occupational licensing. A new federal lawsuit challenges the agency’s demand that instructors of the popular Masterson Method — a non-invasive horse bodywork technique — must obtain state approval to teach willing students. Moore argues this represents a dangerous shift from regulating actual harm to requiring bureaucratic permission slips for sharing knowledge and earning a living, creating a new “neo-guild” system that stifles entrepreneurship, free speech, and economic freedom.
Deep Dive
Michael Lucas explains the critical economic distinction between true subsidies (government taking from one group to give to another) and tax exemptions or credits. Far from being corporate giveaways, tax breaks often simply reduce harmful distortions caused by high taxation, allowing people and businesses to keep more of what they earn. Lucas dismantles the common rhetoric and makes the case for lower overall tax burdens to benefit both producers and consumers across Wisconsin.
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Coming Soon
Bangstad Enters Race for Wisconsin Governor
Kirk Bangstad said over the weekend that he is running for governor as a Democrat. Bangstad, who has been at the center of the national conversation after he took to social media to criticize the third person who tried to kill President Trump, has long been a major Democratic donor.
You Should Know
The Growing Burden of Behavior and Special Education in Wisconsin Classrooms
Courtney Graves highlights the rising challenges facing Wisconsin public schools as behavioral issues, mental health problems, and special education needs continue to grow. Roughly 14% of K-12 students now have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), driving massive unreimbursed costs for local districts — with some facing millions in shortfalls that lead to property tax referendums.
Governor Evers recently vetoed Republican legislation (A.B. 614) that would have given teachers more authority to remove disruptive students and notify parents, while also rejecting expanded private funding options for special needs students. Courtney's article warns that simply throwing more money at the problem without accountability or classroom management reforms will only increase spending without improving outcomes for students or supporting overburdened teachers.
Quick Click
Tiffany Hammers On Affordability
Tom Tiffany’s continued focus on skyrocketing property taxes, utility rates, and cost-of-living issues draws sharp contrasts with Democratic approaches in the governor’s race.
For Your Commute
MacIver policy analyst Michael Lucas joined Vicki McKenna last week to speak on energy rates in Wisconsin, and the huge corporate interests behind them. Listen to the interview below.
Last Update: May 11, 2026 4:39 pm CDT
