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 of Wisconsin’s 20 largest state agencies. Most critically, it highlights the major problems in these state agencies, exposing potential opportunities for oversight.
Click here to read the Digital Encyclopedia on the Executive Branch
Why It Matters: Wisconsin’s executive branch has approximately 30 state agencies that enforce over 160,000 regulations, employs 71,306 government employees, and will spend over $87 billion in the 2021-2023 budget. The growth of the administrative state in Wisconsin has been staggering, stifling businesses, interfering with classrooms, and taking away freedoms in the process.
In order for the public and lawmakers to conduct effective oversight on the executive branch, a deep, thorough understanding is required of the administrative state. Agency departments detailed include:
- Administration
- Health Services
- Public Instruction
- University of Wisconsin System
- Technical College System
- Natural Resources
- DATCP
- Corrections
- Transportation
- Workforce Development
- Revenue
- DSPS
- WEDC
- Tourism
- Veteran Affairs
- Financial Institutions
- Children and Families
- Public Service Commission
- OCI
- Justice
What’s Next? As the state legislature ramps up its oversight efforts and debates the state budget, this will be a valuable tool to increase education and awareness of how the Wisconsin executive branch works.
Future updates to our digital encyclopedia will include: details on spending growth, employee growth, legal and constitutional analysis, and documenting areas that are wasteful and impede private sector growth.
Have questions? Reach out to IRG’s Director of State Budget and Government Reform Alex Ignatowski at [email protected].