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Milwaukee County is not paying into the Common School Fund. Is that constitutional?

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Milwaukee County is not paying into the Common School Fund. Is that constitutional?


A provision in the 2025-27 Wisconsin budget allowing Milwaukee County to divert $4.4 million from school libraries to fund district attorney positions is being challenged in court. 

The Common School Fund was established in the Wisconsin Constitution in 1848. The fund is maintained by money generated by counties through traffic fines and forfeitures. 

But a provision in the biennial budget exempted Milwaukee County, instead allowing the county to use that money — $2.2 million per year — to help pay for 12 prosecutors. 

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The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, or WILL, filed a lawsuit this week in Waukesha County Court, calling the move a “flagrant and unconstitutional money grab by Milwaukee County.”

The suit says if the provision stands, the next budget could include more carveouts from the Common School Fund.

Milwaukee County Treasurer David Cullen, who is named in the suit, and other county officials did not respond to requests for comment. 

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WILL is representing Waukesha County resident Christine Stueland, a former Menomonee Falls School District board member who is referred to as a “library user and taxpayer.” 

The suit argues Stueland is directly harmed because her library will have fewer resources. And it contends the state Legislature overstepped its constitutional authority by granting a unique carveout to a single county.

“It’s frustrating to watch politicians in Madison give Milwaukee special treatment while others are shortchanged,” Stueland said in a statement. “If we don’t fight back for fairness and equal treatment for all, it will only get worse.” 

In 2025, the Common School Fund distributed $70 million to school libraries across the state. The biennial budget increased school library aid by $36 million over the biennium. 

The Common School Fund is managed by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, or BCPL. 

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The group has been uneasy about the budget provision since it was passed and has also considered taking action, said Tom German, executive secretary. 

German and the BCPL board believe the provision violates a 1973 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision regarding the fund and the Legislature’s authority. 

The Legislature’s budget committee added the provision during the last executive session of this budget cycle under a “miscellaneous items” section of the motion as part of a budget deal with Gov. Tony Evers.

On Sept. 2, the BCPL board passed a resolution “expressing its serious concerns” with the budget change. 

“BCPL recognizes Milwaukee County’s need for funding the District Attorney’s office, but not at the expense of a constitutionally created and protected trust fund that benefits public education,” the resolution states. “BCPL and the other parties seek a legislative solution that addresses the above concerns prior to commencement of litigation.” 

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Board member and Attorney General Josh Kaul abstained from voting. 

Kaul’s office did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. 

Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback said providing additional assistant district attorney positions for Milwaukee County was part of the negotiations with Republican leaders during the budget process, but the mechanism for funding them were not. 

“The decision to specifically use the Common School Fund was made by Republican lawmakers alone,” Cudaback said. 

Joint Finance Committee chairs Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands manages four funds: the Common School Fund, Normal School Fund, University Fund and Agricultural College Fund.

German said the funds become less consequential if their financial support does not continue to grow.

“The Common School fund has grown over the years to $1.5 billion,” German said. “But the University Fund and the ag college fund did not have a mechanism for growing, and so those funds are roughly the same size as they were 150 years ago. At one time, the University Fund could pay for about half the cost of running the entire system. Now it couldn’t pay for the cost of a (teacher’s assistant).”



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Milwaukee, WI

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

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Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight


MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.

Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.

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“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.

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TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.


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MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close $46M gap

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MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close M gap


Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.

What we know:

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District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.

Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.

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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.

What they’re saying:

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“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”

But some educators say the cuts go too far.

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“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”

Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.

“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”

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By the numbers:

The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:

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  • 70 central office roles
  • 62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
  • 59 assistant principals

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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:

  • 18 students per teacher in K3
  • 20 students per teacher in K4
  • 22 students per teacher in K5

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

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District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.

What’s next:

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Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.

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Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

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Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts


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Just before the pitch clock hits zero, the Milwaukee Brewers released a rundown of channels on cable and satellite for game broadcasts, mere hours before the 1:10 p.m. CT first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26.

The club said channels include 1263 on XFinity, 670 on DirecTV, 1743 on U-Verse, and 319 or 469 on Spectrum. The broadcasts are also listed as available on streaming service Fubo.

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The Brewers are pointing fans to a channel-finding tool on their web site at Brewers.com/watch, though in the moments after the announcement, the channel finder was not yet locating details for Spectrum customers for Milwaukee-area zip codes. A club spokesperson said Major League Baseball was aware of the error and the games would indeed air on Spectrum in Milwaukee.

The built-in Spectrum guide still showed Channel 308 as the “BREW” offering in Milwaukee, with Brewers Live Pregame scheduled to begin at noon CT and baseball at 1 p.m. March 26.

With the February announcement of a switchover from FanDuel Sports Wisconsin to Major League Baseball productions in 2026, MLB negotiations have gone down to the wire with the various providers around Wisconsin. Several teams covered by Main Street Sports, which operated the FanDuel brand, have been in a similar boat this offseason.

Brewers fans aren’t alone in experiencing the late-arriving channel information. Maury Brown of Forbes has been keeping track of all the late-arriving channel announcements for teams around baseball, specifically those that were covered by the Main Street Sports. As of 7 a.m. March 26, the Royals, Rays, Tigers and Braves also still hadn’t released channel listings.

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Streaming customers who used the FanDuel Sports Wisconsin app in previous years can use the new Brewers.TV option to once again watch games. The opener is also one of 10 games simulcast on over-the-air channels this season, including WITI-TV (Channel 6) in Milwaukee.



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