MADISON, Wis. — Starting today, Wisconsin families will once again pay the price for Republican lawmakers not doing their job.
Due to Republican state lawmakers ending their record-breakingly lazy 2025-26 legislative session only 3 months into the year without addressing critical state funding needs, starting June 30 25% of child care centers across the state could close, more than 75% of providers plan to raise their prices, and local public lands are in jeopardy as state childcare and land conservation programs officially hit a funding cliff today.
In the most recent state budget process, Republicans led by GOP Sen. Howard Marklein cut over $400 million in childcare funds despite fair warning that doing so could cause the workforce to diminish and costs to rise at a time when Wisconsinites are already dealing with record-high housing, food, and gas prices.
These same Republicans also refused to replenish another fund expiring today: the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund. The fund is a bipartisan program that protects Wisconsin’s natural resources, ensures hunters and anglers have access to public lands, and improves our State Parks. Republicans’ decision to starve the program will gut Wisconsin’s ability to protect and preserve our land, water, and wildlife habitat.
“Most Wisconsinites can agree that our natural resources and state parks are worth protecting, and that no hardworking family should have to choose between having child care or keeping the lights on,” said A Better Wisconsin Together Communications Director Lucy Ripp. “But sadly, Wisconsin Republicans are continuing to prove they are dangerously out of touch with most Wisconsinites.”
