Announcements
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 QK@reforminggovernment.org. 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...
IRG Applauds Welfare Reform Legislation to Bolster Wisconsin Workforce
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government issued a statement by Executive Vice President Chris Reader today providing support for efforts by state lawmakers to reform the welfare system in Wisconsin. These bills work to fix gaps in the unemployment...
Tax Reform Coalition: Eliminate State Income Tax for Massive Middle Class and Small Business Tax Relief
CROWE releases economic analysis on how to boost Wisconsin’s economy, help small businesses, encourage people to move to our state, and put money back into pockets of working families. Madison, Wis. — Today a coalition of statewide and national reform groups applauded...
Senior Leadership John Gray, Madison Hartmann and Chandler Swansen Join IRG to Lead Expansion Efforts
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government announced today three key additions to its growing team with backgrounds working for some of Wisconsin’s and America’s most prominent organizations and elected officials. John Gray joins IRG as a policy fellow,...
Institute for Reforming Government Launches New Website Featuring “Tell Your Story” Page
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government today launched its rebranded website with updated features, including a page to “tell your story,” a first-of-its-kind budget dashboard, and pages for its five main policy issue areas. “By launching our rebranded...
IRG, Justice Daniel Kelly Launch Oversight Manual to Help Legislature Hold Executive Branch Accountable
Manual lays out guidance for conducting investigations and hearings, including the use of subpoenas and other investigatory tools, to oversee the implementation of public policy by the executive branch and municipalities. Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming...
IRG Calls for State to Abolish Wisconsin Elections Commission
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government today called for the state to abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and released a detailed policy proposal to guard against bureaucratic, unaccountable electoral oversight. IRG’s policy solution...
IRG Continues Growth, Adds Chris Reader as Executive Vice President
Madison, Wis. — Chris Reader, former senior director of workforce and employment policy at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, has joined the Institute for Reforming Government as its new executive vice president. As IRG senior leadership, Chris will oversee...
IRG Launches State Budget Dashboard
Gives the public the ability to craft their own budget, weigh in on Gov Evers' proposed plan Madison, Wis. — Today, the Institute for Reforming Government launched a new interactive website that allows the general public to build their own state budget. The...
Former Gov. Scott Walker, Congressmen Mike Gallagher and Bryan Steil Headline Millennial Debt Foundation’s Wisconsin ‘Stewardship Series’
Madison, Wis. — The Millennial Debt Foundation’s (MDF) Stewardship Series is heading to Wisconsin to explore the generational, monetary, and national security consequences of Washington’s unsustainable fiscal trajectory. Former Gov. Scott Walker and millennial...
IRG Calls on Governor Evers to Appeal Biden Medicaid Decision
Madison, Wis. — Today, CJ Szafir, president of the Institute for Reforming Government, called on Governor Tony Evers to appeal the Biden administration's decision to block Medicaid work requirements passed by former Gov. Scott Walker. “The Biden Administration’s...
Gov. Evers Should Use Federal Stimulus Money to Issue Refunds to Wisconsin Taxpayers
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government recommends Gov. Evers utilize the $3.4 billion in new federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan to issue refunds back to Wisconsin taxpayers. Wisconsinites know better than the government how to spend...
Michael Brickman Joins IRG as Senior Fellow in Education
Madison, Wis. — Michael Brickman, a former policy official at the U.S. Department of Education and Gov. Walker policy advisor, has joined the Institute for Reforming Government as a senior fellow, focusing on public policy research and analysis in K-12 education,...
IRG President CJ Szafir Warns Evers’ Budget Would Send Wisconsin Backwards
Madison, Wis. — Institute for Reforming Government President CJ Szafir had this to say following Gov. Tony Evers’ Budget address on Tuesday: "Wisconsin cannot afford to go backwards at a time when we are teetering on a recession and global pandemic. Increasing taxes,...
Jim Bender Joins IRG as Government Affairs Representative
Madison, Wis. — Jim Bender, former president of School Choice Wisconsin, is partnering with the Institute for Reforming Government as its Government Affairs representative and will be working at the Capitol on behalf of IRG’s interests. “We are thrilled to have Jim...
Former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly Commends Legislature for Holding Governor Evers Accountable
Madison, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, the senior fellow in constitutional governance at IRG, congratulated lawmakers today after the Senate voted to support a joint resolution that would overturn Gov. Evers’ latest attempt to use...
The Hill: Why work? It’s a question the Supreme Court will answer
By Former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly Can Wisconsin require that able-bodied and childless adults work, or engage in work-related activities, as a condition of receiving BadgerCare benefits? The U.S. Supreme Court likely will answer that question when it...
Empower Wisconsin: Kelly: Evers’ extraordinary powers must end
History and experience teach us that nothing is as attractive to a government official as power. And nothing makes it easier to take and keep than an emergency. Gov. Tony Evers has been giving us a master class on this lesson with his response to the COVID-19...
Justice Kelly Applauds Joint Resolution to Overturn Public Health Emergency by Gov. Evers
Madison, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, the Senior Fellow in Constitutional Governance at the Institute for Reforming Government, applauds a joint resolution signed by Republican lawmakers today that would overturn Gov. Evers’ latest public...
IRG President CJ Szafir testifies in Wisconsin Supreme Court Redistricting Hearing
Madison, Wis. — Institute for Reforming Government President CJ Szafir testified today in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court supporting the petition filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty on behalf of former Speaker Scott Jensen. Szafir explained it was...
Statement from IRG President CJ Szafir on Gov. Evers’ State of the State Address
Madison, Wis. — Institute for Reforming Government President CJ Szafir had this to say following Governor Tony Evers’ State of the State address on Tuesday: “Gov. Evers demonstrated yet again that his agenda of higher taxes and more spending isn’t backed by...
CJ Szafir Statement on Evers’ Administration Revenue Estimates
Madison, Wis. — Today, CJ Szafir, President of the Institute for Reforming Government, issued this statement in regards to the Evers' administration's revenue estimates: "Today's revenue estimates call into question why Governor Evers' agencies would request billions...
Former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly Joins Institute for Reforming Government
Madison, Wis. — The Honorable Daniel Kelly, former Justice on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, will join the Institute for Reforming Government as its Senior Fellow in Constitutional Governance as IRG prepares to further build out its operations. Justice Kelly will...
Op-Ed in Right Wisconsin: Evers’ Agencies Want More Taxes, Spending, and Government
Hold on to your wallet – it’s that time of the year again. Every September of an even year, agencies in Wisconsin state government submit their budget requests for the upcoming gubernatorial proposed budget. This time, agencies are helping Governor Tony Evers prepare...
Op-Ed in Empower Wisconsin: There’s no ‘Biden Rule’ in the Constitution
By CJ Szafir, Institute for Reforming Government There’s no sugarcoating that the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court from the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes at a turbulent time in a turbulent year. With emotions running so high, people would be wise to...
IRG Hires Top Think Tank Executive to Launch Next Wave of Conservative Reform
Madison, Wis. — The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) announced today that it has hired new executive leadership as it begins to launch the next wave of conservative reform, which will include legislative recommendations in the Badger State. CJ Szafir, who was...