Announcements
NEW: Findings from IRG Listening Tour and new Poll— a ground-level look at the issues Wisconsinites care about most
NEW: Findings from IRG Listening Tour and New Poll— a ground-level look at the issues Wisconsinites care about most Key lessons and insights gathered from four months of listening across Wisconsin. Delafield, Wis. – What common challenges are on Wisconsinites’ minds...
Empty Schools, Empty Wallets: How ESSER Pandemic Aid Led to More School Referenda
Empty Schools, Empty Wallets: How ESSER Pandemic Aid Led to More School Referenda New IRG analysis reveals hiring sprees and poor financial decisions as Wisconsin schools fall behind national leaders Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government released a...
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court Reverses, Consolidates Power Through New Court Management Order
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court Reverses, Consolidates Power Through New Court Management Order Progressive majority reshapes internal court governance to cement its control of the judicial branch Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government’s Court...
IRG Expands Oversight and Legal Work with Hire of Kevin Zielinski as Associate Counsel
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced that Kevin Zielinski has joined the organization as Associate Counsel for Legal Reform & Oversight, expanding the IRG team to 9.5 employees. WHY IT MATTERS: In this role, Kevin will support...
DPI Rates 0 Districts 1 Star, Half of All Schools 4 or 5 Stars on New School Report Cards
DPI Rates 0 Districts 1 Star, Half of All Schools 4 or 5 Stars on New School Report Cards DPI’s rankings make report cards mostly meaningless Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement following the release of 2025...
IRG Court Watch: Options for Structural Reforms for our Courts
IRG Court Watch: Options for Structural Reforms for our Courts Voters Open to Reform after Multi-Million Dollar, Partisan Judicial Elections Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government’s (IRG)‘s Court Watch initiative released a report, Structural Reform...
IRG CIO Submits Request to DPI Seeking Teacher Licensing and Misconduct Scandal Public Records
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government’s (IRG) Center for Investigative Oversight (CIO) submitted a public records request to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), seeking to uncover details surrounding the Department’s handling of...
IRG: New School Choice Enrollment Numbers Show Growth Slowing Statewide
IRG: New School Choice Enrollment Numbers Show Growth Slowing Statewide Baby bust rears its head in school enrollment numbers Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement following the Department of Public...
IRG Report: Federal Bureaucrats Are Quietly Shaping Wisconsin Policy
IRG Report: Federal Bureaucrats Are Quietly Shaping Wisconsin Policy Guidance documents bypass legislature and voters, change state policy Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released a new report on Wednesday detailing how federal...
Test Scores Changes Backfire on Education Establishment
Test Scores Changes Backfire on Education Establishment Test score changes display widening gaps Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement following the release of Forward Exam and ACT test scores on Thursday...
IRG: The Real State of Education
IRG: The Real State of Education Wisconsin Students are Left Behind Despite Record Investment in Schools Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement outlining the real State of Education in Wisconsin ahead of...
IRG Court Watch Celebrates Constitution Day
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement honoring Constitution Day and the document that has guided our nation with the principles of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility for more...
WILL & IRG File Suit to Allow IRG to Disclose Request for Investigation Brought Against Judge
WILL & IRG File Suit to Allow IRG to Disclose Request for Investigation Brought Against Judge Wisconsin Law Bars Release of Denied Requests, Violates First Amendment The News: The Institute for Reforming Government, represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law...
New, Flawed Rating Changes Cover Up for Underperforming Schools, Again
New, Flawed Rating Changes Cover Up for Underperforming Schools, Again IRG uncovers changes that hide low-performing districts from parents Delafield, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) issued a statement after the Wisconsin DPI again changed its 1–5...
IRG Announces New Leadership
IRG Announces New Leadership Alison Prange to serve as the next Chair of the Board of Directors THE NEWS The Board of Directors for the Institute for Reforming Government has elected Alison Prange to serve as the next Chair of the Board. Alison Prange was appointed...
IRG Court Watch Report: Wisconsin Supreme Court Term in Review
IRG Court Watch Report: Wisconsin Supreme Court Term in Review Court Delivers Progressive Wins in Wisconsin for the First Time in Over a Decade Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government’s (IRG) Court Watch released a report detailing the Wisconsin...
IRG Announces Chief Operating Officer
THE NEWS The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) has promoted Chris Reader to Chief Operating Officer. In this expanded role, Chris will manage the day-to-day operations of IRG, overseeing its team and project portfolio. Reader has also been named the Executive...
IRG Poll: Wisconsin Has a New State Budget; Voters Want Specific Solutions Next
IRG Poll: Wisconsin Has a New State Budget; Voters Want Specific Solutions Next High approval ratings may give politicians comfort, but won’t pay the bills Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) is continuing its public polling project with...
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court Concentrates Even More Power in the Evers Administration
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court Concentrates Even More Power in the Evers Administration Ruling in Evers v. Marklein takes away ability of legislature’s JCRAR Committee to suspend administrative rules Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG)...
Court Watch: Karofsky Court Leans Into Partisan Rhetoric In Abortion Decision
Court Watch: Karofsky Court Leans Into Partisan Rhetoric In Abortion Decision Court uses rarely used doctrine to achieve preferred policy outcome Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement following the Wisconsin...
IRG’s Work Bridging the Political Divide and Digging into the Impact of the Immigration Crisis in Wisconsin Named as Finalists for National Awards
IRG’s Work Bridging the Political Divide and Digging into the Impact of the Immigration Crisis in Wisconsin Named as Finalists for National Awards State Policy Network Recognizes IRG as a finalist for the Bob Williams Award for Most Influential Research and...
Court Watch: Unanimous SCOWIS Declares Gov. Evers’s Partial Veto Unconstitutional in Literacy Case
Court Watch: Unanimous SCOWIS Declares Gov. Evers’s Partial Veto Unconstitutional in Literacy Case Court’s Ruling Allows IRG-Backed Reading Reforms to Move Forward Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement...
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Courts Hands a Win to Bureaucracy
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Courts Hands a Win to Bureaucracy Liberal Majority Holds That Bureaucrats Can Make Important Policy Determinations Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement following the Wisconsin...
Court Watch: United States Supreme Court Slaps Down Wisconsin State Supreme Court in Religious Liberty Case
Court Watch: United States Supreme Court Slaps Down Wisconsin State Supreme Court in Religious Liberty Case SCOTUS overturned SCOWIS 9-0 in Opinion Authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the...
Court Watch: Judicial Immunity in Wisconsin Has Limitations Attached to the Role of a Judge
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released a “Court Watch” primer on Wednesday, detailing the bounds of judicial immunity. The primer outlines Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan’s alleged conduct to prevent federal immigration officials...
Why Are They Hiding? IRG Calls For Legislative Oversight as Milwaukee Public Schools Once Again Risks Funding Penalties
Why Are They Hiding?: IRG Calls For Legislative Oversight as Milwaukee Public Schools Once Again Risks Funding Penalties DPI Remains Unable to Hold MPS Accountable, MPS Continues to Miss Basic Financial Reporting Deadlines Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming...
IRG Court Watch: Dugan Suspension Supported by the Law and Precedent
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is in court today, following charges from her alleged obstruction of the arrest of an illegal immigrant by federal officials. The Institute for Reforming Government’s Court Watch released the following primer outlining how the law...
IRG Report: Teacher Apprenticeships – Wisconsin Has Fallen Behind
IRG Report: Teacher Apprenticeships - Wisconsin Has Fallen Behind A proven, bipartisan solution to the teacher shortage is working in 47 states—but Wisconsin’s pilot program has failed to produce results Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG)...
WI Supreme Court Veto Decision in LeMieux v. Evers Gives Blank Check to Gov. Evers
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement in response to the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision upholding Gov. Tony Evers’ unprecedented line-item veto enshrining a budgetary increase for 400 years: THE QUOTE: ...
NEW IRG Poll: Voters Decided Election on Abortion, Musk & Trump’s Agenda
NEW IRG Poll: Voters Decided Election on Abortion, Musk & Trump’s Agenda Despite all the emphasis on crime, voters were focused elsewhere Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) is continuing its public polling project with Napolitan News...
Court Watch: Text, History, and Tradition versus Values and Feelings
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer on Friday, detailing how different judicial philosophies reach legal outcomes. The primer outlines how some judges rely on text, history, and tradition and how others...
Public Records Reveal How Supt. Underly’s DPI Set Stage for MPS Finance Crisis
Delafield, Wis. – New public records released Thursday by the Institute for Reforming Government’s (IRG) Center for Investigative Oversight reveal how the Department of Public Instruction’s lenient enforcement of Milwaukee Public Schools’ 2024 finance deadlines set up...
Court Watch: Playing Politics in Least Political Branch
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer on Tuesday, detailing how the least political branch is becoming political under a progressive majority. The primer outlines how the progressive majority is attempting...
Court Watch: The Wisconsin Supreme Court Can Protect or Damage Family Values and Freedom for People of Faith
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer on Tuesday, detailing recent decisions from the Wisconsin Supreme Court pertaining to religion. The primer outlines how the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decisions can...
Court Watch: The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Backstop Against Bureaucrat Overreach
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer detailing how the Wisconsin Supreme Court is the last check on the Administrative State on Monday. The primer outlines important cases where the Wisconsin Supreme...
Court Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court Could Undermine Act 10’s Public Education Success
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer on Thursday detailing how Act 10 helped local school boards transform schools and rewarded high-performing teachers. The primer outlines the devastating effects that...
IRG Poll: Poll Shows Kinser Has Opportunity to Remake Education in Wisconsin
IRG Poll: Poll Shows Kinser Has Opportunity to Remake Education in Wisconsin Wide Lead For Kinser When Voters Learn Where Kinser Stands on the Issues Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) is continuing its public polling project with...
IRG Response to DPI Report: Massive Teacher Turnover Shows Failure of Status Quo, Urgent Need for Teacher Apprenticeships
IRG Response to DPI Report: Massive Teacher Turnover Shows Failure of Status Quo, Urgent Need for Teacher Apprenticeships One in five Wisconsin public school teachers quit before their third year Delafield, Wis. – A new report released on Monday from the Department of...
The Institute for Reforming Government Announces Court Watch Initiative
The Institute for Reforming Government Announces Court Watch Initiative Gov. Walker, Rep. Tiffany, and Meg Ellefson praise IRG Court Watch, Citing Need for Oversight Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced its Court Watch Initiative...
Court Watch: Will the Supreme Court Make Wisconsin “Alabama North” Again?
Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released another “Court Watch” primer on Monday detailing where the Wisconsin Supreme Court was and could be headed on civil law reform. The primer outlines how Wisconsin’s economy and business climate...