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The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 triggered riots all across the country. In Wisconsin, the worst violence broke out in Madison. After pillaging state street, looters swarmed an unattended police cruiser. They busted its windows and headlights, spray painted it, set it on fire and stole two assault rifles out of it. Believe it or now, they recorded it all on their phones. Naturally police detectives scoped up the videos and used them to solve those crimes. The videos are vulgar, brutal, and shameless - and seemingly had no impact on the liberal judges in Dane county who handled the cases. Fortunately, it was just a matter of time before the MacIver institute found those videos through an open records request. We organized them into a 25-minute documentary – so you can see the malice behind the state street riots up close for yourself, and come to your own conclusions about the justice system in Wisconsin’s liberal stronghold. Watch it now, at https://www.maciverinstitute.com/2023/03/one-night-in-madison-film/

Happy Act 10 Day everyone, the only true holiday that celebrates you, the Wisconsin taxpayer. It has been 12 years since Governor Scott Walker signed common sense collective bargaining reform into law here in Wisconsin and to date, this one tiny change, asking government employees at the state and local level to pay a small amount, minuscule really, towards their health insurance and retirement benefits has resulted in almost 17 billion dollars in savings. $17 billion dollars! That’s over $3,700.00 for every adult in the state. Now, some will ask, how can that be? $17 billion, there is no way? Remember that prior to Governor Walker, the vast majority of government workers in Wisconsin paid zero, nothing, nada for their plantinium benefits. Nothing. Now that they pay something, even a small amount, the savings to taxpayers really adds up.

Deep within the morass of Governor Evers' Budget lies his plan to give your hard-earned tax dollars to sports teams and other private businesses. Everyone has heard already about the Governor’s proposal to hand over $290 million for the Brewers so they can make improvements to American Family field. Not sure what all of the money we have spent on tickets, or all the money we were forced to hand over in the higher sales tax - what all of that was spent on but luckily for us taxpayers, it seems that the handout to the Brewers is dead, at least for now. But you probably haven’t heard that Evers also wants to spend millions of your tax dollars on the semi-pro hockey team in Janesville and the yet to play semi-pro soccer team here in Milwaukee. In total, Governor Evers wants to give over $60 million tax dollars to quote “Non-state” agencies, private businesses and entities that apparently cannot survive or compete without help from taxpayers around the state. Luckily, Evers is very generous with your money.

National school choice expert Corey Deangelis joins us on this edition of the MacIver Newsmakers Podcast to share all the good news about the school choice program around the country and what needs to happen in Wisconsin.

On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal broke the news that the U.S. Energy Department has issued a report stating that the coronavirus likely spread to the public because of an accident at a lab in China. Oh really??!! It wasn’t that long ago that if you brought up the mere possibility that perhaps the covid virus could have started in, you know, the Wuhan Institute for Virology, it’s in the name, you were ridiculed as a conspiracy theorist and racist by Dr. Fauci and his hacks, you were censored and silenced by government bureaucrats and their Big Tech lackeys, and you were relentlessly attacked as a foreign agent spreading misinformation by the corrupt corporate media. The next question that needs an answer - why did the US Government, US Government employees and US media companies go to such great lengths to protect the Chinese Communist Government? As the kids say, it's all about the Benjamins.

While we warned you that Governor Evers was likely to introduce a state budget that was devoid of any common sense and a pathetic partisan hoax, even we were shocked at what he proposed last week. Despite sitting on a $7 billion surplus - again, its not really a surplus, it means you the taxpayer have been overtaxed - despite sitting on that $7 billion dollar surplus, Evers has proposed increasing taxes again by over $1.5 billion dollars and increasing total spending in the next budget by a mind-blowing $14 billion dollars, state spending will total almost $104 billion dollars. That means if Governor Evers gets his way, government spending will increase by roughly 36% in just a few short years. Quick question for you, has your paycheck increased 36% in the last few years so you can pay higher taxes for all this reckless spending? I didn’t think so.

Gov. Evers presented his budget plan on Feb. 15th that included $1.6 billion in new taxes, a 16% increase in overall spending, and dozens of policy items that only appeal to the most extreme liberals. In short, it was not a serious proposal. It was merely a political statement, and ensured there was no opportunity for negotiations with the Republican-led legislature. Consequently, Evers cut himself out of the budget-writing process. Republicans, predictably, rejected the entire document, which means Evers lost any ability to negotiate over the items that truly matter to him and his supporters. JFC Co-chair Rep. Mark Born talked to the MacIver Institute about how that affects the budget process, and how the Republican-led legislature plans to proceed. Evers still has a line-item veto, but he has no control over what the legislature hands him.

Governor Tony Evers is set to introduce his 2023 2025 state budget this week and early indications suggest that it will be a spending tsunami. Despite having a $7 billion dollar surplus - it is not accurate to call it a surplus, it really means you the taxpayer have been overtaxed by $7 billion dollars - despite state government bursting at the seams with an extra $7 billion of your tax dollars, the Governor still wants to increase taxes by hundreds of millions on hard-working Wisconsinites. The Gov’s perpetual attempts to dramatically increase taxes and punish those of us who actually pay taxes, even when he is sitting on a mountain of cash, tells you how unserious he is when he claims to be a champion of working families and what an absolute joke his budget proposal will be. Let’s hope the Legislature throws out the Evers budget and builds a budget that puts you the taxpayer first.

With the state anticipating a $6.5 billion budget surplus, lawmakers have plans for a major overhaul of Wisconsin’s income tax structure. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu says the senate is currently working on plans for a phased-in 3.5% flat tax. Although championed by conservatives, the flat tax is not party specific. Wisconsin’s democrat stronghold neighbors, Illinois and Michigan, both have a flat tax. Reliably Republican Indiana also has a flat tax, and Iowa is currently phasing one in. Grover Norquist told the MacIver Institute early this week that voters of all stripes strongly support flat taxes. In 2020, Illinois voters overwhelmingly cast ballots for Joe Biden and to keep their flat tax in place. The MacIver Institute has promoted a “Glide Path to a 3% Flat Income Tax” for over five years. LeMahieu says he believes the Assembly is also working on a flat tax plan, but doesn’t know any details yet. With the state collecting $6.5 billion more from taxpayers than it needs, the legislature certainly has plenty of options on how to finally make this important policy a reality in Wisconsin.

There is a new report out that details how federal covid grants are being spent by schools and Wisconsin, once again, is receiving national attention for all the wrong reasons. School Boards were supposed to use their billions in Covid funding to open our schools safely, keep the schools open and finally, fix the learning loss that many of our children experienced when they were forced to do virtual learning. The Whitewater School District decided to use their Covid educational funds to...you guessed it…install artificial turf for the football and softball teams. You cannot make this stuff up, even if you tried. The Whitewater School District is spending $1.6 million out of their total funding for turf and just $400,000 will go towards learning loss. It is shameful what the educational establishment is doing to our children. It is an even bigger tragedy that we parents are letting them do it to our children.

Grover Norquist joined the MacIver Institute’s Newsmakers Podcast to explain why the flat tax is so popular with voters, and why conservatives shouldn’t be so down about the future of the country.

Dec. 6, 2022 New Twitter CEO Elon Musk made public last week internal documents that show how President Biden, his team and other political operatives worked to quash the Hunter Biden laptop story just before the election. Hunter’s laptop contained images and documents outlining his illegal behavior and the Biden family's illicit business dealings with questionable actors in foreign countries. Partisan officials at the FBI apparently had regular meetings with social media giants where the government, think about this for a second, our government set up a system so the government could tell Facebook, Twitter and others what stories they should shadow-ban and make disappear, including it seems the Biden laptop bombshell. The mainstream media then gleefully joined in suppressing the public discussion of the suspicious Biden family deals and the American public knew nothing about it when Biden won election. Just like they planned. Thanks to Musk, now we know.

After another turbulent year highlighting just how deeply divided our country has become, we want to share with you the wisdom of President Abraham Lincoln from his proclamation establishing our country’s first Thanksgiving holiday shortly after the end of the civil war. The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.  In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.  Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.  No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.  I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. Happy Thanksgiving everyone from the MacIver Institute.

The state Department of Public Instruction released this year’s version of the supposed report cards for our school this week. I say supposed because the report cards are literally not worth the paper they are printed on. Consider this: The most recent round of standardized testing, the same standardized testing that you would think the report cards are based on, revealed that 60% of our children are failing in English Language Arts and 58% are failing in math. Don’t forget that Wisconsin has the worst achievement gap in the country. Yet, somehow, magically, according to the education establishment, 95% of our school districts and 84% of our schools are meeting or exceeding expectations. Meeting expectations? Sixty percent of our children are failing in math and English Language Arts and you say are schools are meeting expectations? How can we fix this problem when Governor Evers and Superintendent Underly insist on lying to parents and taxpayers?

James O'Keefe joined Vicki McKenna on her radio show to talk about his upcoming event with the MacIver Institute on Dec. 5th in Milwaukee and about his investigations into what children are exposed to in public schools. Visit maciverinstitute.com for more details.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is in a tight race for reelection and in a desperate attempt to keep his job, Ellison Is now trying to blame the rise in violent crime and murder in his state on… a Wisconsin company. Democrat Ellison is a big proponent of so-called criminal justice reform that pushes the idea that we cannot hold someone accountable for his or her criminal activity because to do so would be racist and unfair to the criminal. Ellison believes in scold-and-release sentencing, bail reform that puts dangerous criminals back into our neighborhoods, and defunding the police. So when two felons with long rap sheets shot up a bar, killing one woman and injuring 14 others, Ellison, rather than admitting his reckless policy ideas were to blame for the carnage, sued a lawful Wisconsin company that provides thousands of jobs to people all over the Midwest. Despicable, even for a politician.

Last Saturday, the first debate between incumbent US Senator Ron Johnson and challenger Mandela Barnes took place in Milwaukee. While most of you did not watch the debate, you can probably guess the approach the mainstream media took in asking questions. With inflation at historic levels demolishing everyone's paycheck and nest egg, violent crime and murder running rampant all over the state, K12 education achievement scores cratering, and the economy on the brink of a recession, the supposedly nonpartisan journalists asked exactly zero questions of the candidates on the issues about which you care most. Zero. It should be pointed out that all of these crises are the result of public policy decisions made by reckless and irresponsible politicians, but you wouldn’t know that if you relied on the media to be fair and impartial... or if you watched their pretentious and biased sermon. Sorry... I mean debate.

It’s been over two years since riots tore apart the city of madison in the name of social justice. More than enough time for those responsible to be brought to real justice. The Maciver Institute checked into that. We found less than 100 individuals who were charged with crimes for participating in the riots. Only 1 looter is in state prison. The feds busted 3 for arson and 2 felons with firearms. They’re in federal prison. However most of the rioters who were caught, got off with a slap on the wrist. Whether they destroyed a public monument, looted a small business, Or brutally beat up Senator Tim Carpenter. The Dane County justice system let them off with little or no punishment at all. This is what justice looks like to the left – and it’s the type of justice they want for all of us.

In his speech from Philadelphia, President Biden called anyone who dares to disagree with him, a clear and present danger to democracy and our country. What a vile and reprehensible charge to make, Mr. President. No, those who disagree with your destructive economic policy that has resulted in historic inflation; or your dangerous scold and release push that puts violent criminals back into our communities; or your unconstitutional plan to have taxpayers pay the private college debt of willing adults... NO, Mr. President, that does not make us domestic terrorists as your administration has previously tried to brand us. We are simply American citizens who will not sit quietly as you and your Administration try to bully us into submission or silence us into compliance when we question your ideas or your leadership. Mr. President, we will always fight for a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

On August 16, 2022, Joe Biden signed the "Inflation Reduction Act" into law. Wisconsin Congressman Scott Fitzgerald isn't the only one skeptical of that title. In this edition of the MacIver Newsmakers Podcast, Fitzgerald explains what consequences the $740 billion law will have on Wisconsin's economy and the average American. The law funds an additional 87,000 IRS agents, who Fitzgerald says will be coming for everyone - not just those making over $400k. Fitzgerald also addresses what it will take to rein in rogue federal agencies like the FBI and the DOJ. “They clearly don’t care that they’ve politicized those agencies and I think there’s going to be fallout over it.” He says members of Congress are talking about the possibility of defunding the FBI.