WISCONSIN (MacIver Institute) -- We are off and running with another week of the MacIver Monday Newsletter. Lots to cover as we enter the final three months of 2025 -- where has the time gone?
Spotlight
How to Live Like a King on Welfare in Wisconsin
Just how generous is Wisconsin's welfare safety net? We wanted to find out.
The answer: shocking. A family of four living in Madison making around $64,000 a year qualifies for at least $70,000 worth of public benefits.
Bill Osmulski goes program by program to break down the stunning details in this must-read article.
Deep Dive
Stare Decisis: A Doctrine—and a Court—On Trial
Stare Decisis has been a bedrock legal doctrine in the United States for hundreds of years. But progressive members of the judiciary across the country are acting more and more like lawmakers instead of law interpreters, and stare decisis is more and more at risk.
Richard Moore takes a look at several recent cases across the country and here in Wisconsin to project the future of the Wisconsin high court.
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You Should Know
School Choice Wisconsin: Choice Schools Score Higher than Public Schools
School Choice Wisconsin on Thursday released a comparison of scores from the Forward Exam for elementary school kids, the preACT, and the ACT. And the scores show that choice students do better than similar students in public schools.
The difference is, in many cases, staggering. While Milwaukee choice students scored just 3% better in reading on the Forward Exam in the third grade, that gap was almost 10.5% in the 8th grade. In Math, Milwaukee choice students did 12.7% better than their MPS counterparts in eighth grade. In Racine the eighth grade gap was 8.7% in reading and 12.5% in Math in favor of choice students.
The biggest gaps, however, came for choice students statewide. Compared to other low income kids, choice students were 24% better at reading in the eighth grade than public schoolers, and 13.9% better at math.
Coming Soon
Wisconsin Locks In 115% Medicaid Reimbursement Rate for Hospitals
In the rush to get the state budget signed into law this summer, Gov. Evers and the state legislature increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals to 115%. While the Wisconsin Hospital Association has tried to frame the reimbursement rates as a win for Wisconsinites, the reality is clear: the new assessment rate spells trouble for healthcare costs, particularly for those not on Medicaid.
Quick Click
WEC Promises Appeal of Voter Citizenship Ruling
The legal fight over whether Wisconsin will check the citizenship of people on its voting rolls has likely just begun. The Wisconsin Elections Commission did not formally comment after a Waukesha County judge said the state must cross-check its voter database with the DMV’s database to make sure non-citizens are not voting, but WEC did tell reporters they expect further legal filings.
For Your Commute
Two podcasts for you this week as MacIver takes a closer examination of our college campuses. Give these podcasts a listen and stay tuned for more coverage.
Dr. Tomesh on campus reaction to Charlie Kirk's assassination
Courtney Graves on UW-Madison's environment for conservatives
About MacIver Institute: The MacIver Institute is a Wisconsin-based think tank that promotes free markets, individual freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government. Through research, analysis, and community engagement, we work to advance these principles and positively impact the lives of all Wisconsinites.
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Last Update: Oct 06, 2025 4:03 pm CDT
