Announcements
IRG Releases Playbook for Income Tax Relief in Divided Government
IRG Releases Playbook for Income Tax Relief in Divided Government Historic Tax Relief for Middle Class, Small Businesses Within Reach Delafield, WI – Today the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released a new policy playbook on income tax relief. It includes...
IRG Turns to the People to Solve Kitchen Table Issues
IRG Turns to the People to Solve Kitchen Table Issues Releases lessons, insights and stories from a year of building bridges into communities across Wisconsin Delafield, WI – After visiting 25 cities, convening 42 listening sessions, and driving 5,367 miles across...
Policy Solution: Teacher Apprenticeships – Tackling the Teacher Shortage
Click here to find a print-ready version of the "Tackling the Teacher Shortage" policy solution. We have a teacher shortage, but we did it to ourselves. College’s costs and complications encumber teachers with debt, don’t prepare them for actual classrooms, and...
Increasing the Bandwidth: IRG’s New Plan to Increase Access to High Speed Internet
Increasing the Bandwidth: IRG’s New Plan to Increase Access to High Speed Internet What IRG Did: Today IRG released a report outlining common sense reforms to Wisconsin’s Broadband Grant Program aimed at increasing internet availability across the state. Underscoring...
How to Save Walker-Era Reforms
New memo explains how to enshrine and protect conservative reforms in the Wisconsin Constitution What IRG Did: On the heels of Tuesday’s election results that shifted the balance of power on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to a new liberal majority, IRG released a memo...
IRG Digital ‘Encyclopedia’ Tool Details Wisconsin’s State Agencies
What IRG Did: The IRG’s Center for Investigative Oversight released a new digital encyclopedia tool that starts the process of cataloging the twenty largest state agencies. The unprecedented digital encyclopedia details the mission, personnel, programs and functions...
IRG Calls for Greater Oversight of DNR Wolf Management Decisions
IRG CALLS FOR GREATER OVERSIGHT OF DNR WOLF MANAGEMENT DECISIONS NEW Investigatory Report follows unilateral DNR decision to eliminate numeric wolf population goal in Wisconsin. Delafield, WI – The Institute for Reforming Government's Center for Investigative...
IRG’s K-12 COVID Relief Audit Massive Update Shows Construction Now Largest Category at 28%
IRG’s K-12 COVID Relief Audit Massive Update Shows Construction Now Largest Category at 28% Just 7% to Mental Health, Major Questions about Milwaukee WHAT HAPPENED Since its January release, the Institute for Reforming Government’s (IRG) K-12 COVID Relief ESSER III...
IRG Releases Memo on Future of Wisconsin Supreme Court
IRG Releases Memo on Future of Wisconsin Supreme Court Breaks down potential impact of a new court composition Delafield, WI – For years, Wisconsin conservatives have held a majority in the state Supreme Court, issuing a number of landmark decisions. In a memo...
IRG’s K-12 COVID Relief Audit Forces Public DPI Response
IRG’s K-12 COVID Relief Audit Forces Public DPI Response IRG Responds to State Supt. Jill Underly on Continued Opacity: “The Only Thing that Matters Is Kids” Delafield, WI - The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) today issued a letter to State Superintendent...
IRG Releases Groundbreaking Report on Common Sense, Patient-Centered Healthcare Solutions for Wisconsin
IRG Releases Groundbreaking Report on Common Sense, Patient-Centered Healthcare Solutions for Wisconsin Focused on driving down costs and improving outcomes Delafield, WI – Today, the Institute for Reforming Government released an unprecedented playbook for...
IRG Releases Report on Modernizing and Decentralizing State Government
Delafield, WI - Today the Institute for Reforming Government released a brand new report – Reimagining Wisconsin Government for the 21st Century – that presents a clear roadmap for modernizing and strengthening state government, removing its inefficiencies, and...
IRG Releases Comprehensive Analysis of Gov. Evers’ 2023-2025 Budget
Delafield, WI – Today, the policy team at the Institute for Reforming Government released its summary analysis on Governor Evers' proposed 2023-2025 budget, highlighting how it impacts families in areas of state spending including on taxes, K-12 and higher education,...
IRG Launches Center for Investigative Oversight
IRG Launches Center for Investigative Oversight Will promote accountability, transparency and conservative governance at state and local level Delafield, WI – Wisconsin is witnessing an alarming trend in executive and bureaucratic failures, as well as claims of...
Anthony LoCoco Joins IRG as Chief Legal Counsel & Director of Oversight
MADISON, WI. – Today, the Institute for Reforming Government announced the hiring of Anthony LoCoco, J.D., to join the team as Chief Legal Counsel & Director of Oversight. LoCoco, a graduate of Harvard Law School and former Deputy Counsel at the Wisconsin...
IRG Releases Transparency Tool for $1.49B in Federal K-12 COVID Relief
IRG Releases Transparency Tool for $1.49B in Federal K-12 COVID Relief Calls on legislature to conduct oversight of spending plans Delafield, WI. – Today, the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released an interactive database for taxpayers to see how Wisconsin...
New Poll Shows Wisconsinites Support Elimination of Income Tax
MADISON, Wis. – A survey of registered Wisconsin voters conducted in December 2022 shows a plurality of voters - across partisan lines - support eliminating the income tax AND that nearly 6 in 10 think that state taxes are too high. The State Policy Network (SPN)’s...
IRG Team Expands Into Fox Valley, Northern and Rural Wisconsin
MADISON, WI. - In 2022, IRG embarked on an ambitious community engagement campaign, driving over 5,200 miles across Wisconsin and holding over 40 listening sessions with community leaders in over 20 cities and towns. As IRG continues carrying out these efforts...
IRG Announces New School Finder Tool for Parents
MADISON, WI. - Today, the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced a new School Finder Tool designed to help parents find a school that fits the needs of their children. By entering your address, the free School Finder Tool - powered by Schoolahoop and...
ICYMI: Senate President Chris Kapenga Supports Elimination of State Income Tax
Last week, Senate President Chris Kapenga called for the elimination of the income tax during an interview on WISN Radio's The Vicki McKenna Show, adding to the momentum that IRG’s proposal to eliminate the income tax has gained across the state. Below are key quotes...
10 Challenges Facing Tony Evers
If the core mission of the Governor, the state’s chief executive officer, is to operationalize the functions of government and manage the bureaucracy, then government in Madison no longer works the way it was intended. Over the last four years, executive branch...
IRG President CJ Szafir Responds to Sen. Alberta Darling’s Retirement
Madison, Wis. – CJ Szafir, President of the Institute for Reforming Government, issued the following statement after State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) announced her retirement from the state legislature after 32 years of public service: Senator Darling has...
20 State Agency Briefings: IRG Completes State Agency 101 Series
Today, IRG is releasing the last of its Wisconsin State Agency 101 Briefings, highlighting everything you need to know about the Department of Transportation, the Department of Children and Families, and the Wisconsin Technical College System. This concludes our...
Policy Solution: Get Right on Reading
Click here to find a print-ready version of the "Get Right on Reading" policy solution. Wisconsin ranked 40th among states in reading when adjusted for race and income. Our state cannot be prosperous without fantastic schools statewide, and our schools cannot reach...
Analysis of DPI 2022 K-12 Test Scores
Last Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released test score data from 2021-2022, the best indicators we have of student learning loss from COVID and school closures. Here are some initial takeaways from Quinton Klabon, IRG’s Senior Research...
New K-12 Data Shows Schools Falling Further Behind
The numbers are in: our students are not rebounding from the Evers administration's school shutdowns. 14,000 fewer Wisconsin children can read well enough for college, a 4% drop. 103,000 kids across the state can't even read at grade level. 9 Milwaukee Public Schools...
IRG’s Agency Budget Request Analysis Finds $7.5 Billion Increase in Government Spending
Click here to view a printable version of our state agency budget analysis. MADISON, WI – Today the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released an analysis of the 2023-2025 budget requests submitted this month by state agencies, finding that the proposed...
The Real State of Wisconsin Schools
Superintendent Underly’s State of Education Address described a world where diversity and equity consultants were schools’ superheroes in lieu of teachers and parents, where the neediest kids got extra help instead of being locked out of their schools, and where...
IRG Expands Again: Two New Cabinet-Level Officials Join Growing Policy Team
MADISON, WI. - Today, the team of experts at the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced the hiring of Elizabeth Evenson as Senior Policy and Operations Advisor. They also announced the addition of Patrick Hughes as Fellow in Corrections and Public Safety....
IRG Announces WI State Agency 101: New Executive Branch Review Series
Holding the Executive Accountable: IRG Launches New Series Aimed at Spotlighting State Agencies and Needed Reforms MADISON, WI – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced today the launch of a new series, Wisconsin State Agency 101, about educating the...
Facing Reality: New IRG Report Highlights Schools Falling Behind
As Wisconsin students head back to the classroom this month, parents face a stark reality: other states handled COVID better and our kids are now way behind. Our top students no longer compare to the nation’s best, and even more troubling, our struggling students face...
IRG Announces Partnership with Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers for President Trump
To Fix Wisconsin’s Broken Healthcare System, IRG Announces Groundbreaking Partnership with Former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers “If the federal government won’t act, IRG will show states the way forward” Madison, WI – Today, exclusive...
Ed Eberle Joins Groups as Director of Environmental Policy and Project Manager
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government is pleased to announce they are adding yet another cabinet-level leader to their team with the hiring of Ed Eberle. With years of experience at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Ed will join the team of...
Alex Ignatowski Joins IRG as Director of State Budget and Gov. Reform
Madison, Wis. — Momentum at the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) continues to grow as the organization announced today the addition of Alex Ignatowski as its Director of State Budget and Government Reform. Alex has a strong background and experience in the...
IRG Hires Senior Research Director Quinton Klabon
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government has hired Quinton Klabon to be Senior Research Director to develop K-12 and higher education policy solutions for Wisconsin. He can be reached at [email protected] Quinton worked for seven years...
IRG Submits Public Comment on Proposed Anti-Charter School Federal Regulations
The letter can be found here and below: Dr. Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education US Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 RE: Docket ID ED-2022-OESE-0006 To Secretary Cardona: For 15 years, there was peace in Washington on the matter...
Jason Church Joins IRG as Community Outreach Fellow
Madison, Wis. — Today, the Institute for Reforming Government announced an expansion of its community outreach efforts with the addition of U.S. Army Veteran Jason Church. Serving as the Community Outreach Fellow, Jason will play a pivotal role in strengthening IRG’s...
IRG Announces Board Expansion
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government is thrilled to announce that Alison Prange, Vice President of External Relations at Ballotpedia, has joined its Board of Directors. The addition of Alison to the board comes at an exciting time of organizational...
IRG Applauds Bold Education Reform Legislation That Empower Parents
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) applauded visionary K-12 education reform bills introduced by Republicans in the Legislature Wednesday, led by Sens. Alberta Darling, Roger Roth, and Reps. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, Bob Wittke, and Rick Gundrum....
Poll Reveals Support for Abolishing Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin residents favor Secretary of State overseeing elections Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) conducted a poll in December 2021 to learn how Wisconsin voters view the state’s current elections oversight system, and to gauge if there is...