Every year, the Wisconsin Policy Forum puts out dozens of reports on issues facing Wisconsinites. 2023 was a big year for the Forum. They created 54 reports and interactive tools, then picked out the top five findings of the year that made an impact on Wisconsinites.
As with every report they release, Forum President Rob Henken says the goal of these findings is to reach people in charge of state policies.
"If we’re going to put the work into doing a research product we want the issue to be relevant and we hope that the report’s findings will be accessed and at least thought about by policy makers," he explains.
1. Millions of Wisconsinites have easy access to marijuana.
"What we found is that 3 out of every 10 Wisconsin residents above the age of 21 were living within an hours drive of a legal marijuana dispensary and about half of all such Wisconsinites, within 75 minutes." This fact can be found in the full report: Changing Midwest Marijuana Landscape Impacts Wisconsin.
2. Wisconsin is at rock bottom in supporting its state parks.
"Among the 50 states, when you look at it per visit... the national average in terms of the 50 states is... about $3 per visit to a state park. Wisconsin is number 50 among the 50 and we are spending... only $1.08 per visit," says Henken. This fact can be found in the full report: This Land is Your Land.
3. The economics of early childhood education don’t work.
"One of the problems is that it's not an entirely free market in this case and there are certain state requirements that are driving up costs, that many of us would argue are justifiable because of the safety needs and the desire to promote high-quality when it comes to early childhood care," says Henken. "And so those costs are driven up in many different ways and yet the market will not bear the types of charges that would enable childcare workers to be paid more." This fact can be found in the full report: Not Mere Child's Play.
4. Arrests plummet in the city of Milwaukee.
"Arrests in calendar year 22 were 36.8% lower for these more serious part 1 crimes in 2022 than they had been in 2018; and a whopping 61% lower for these less serious part 2 crimes." This fact can be found in the full report: Under Pressure.
5. Statewide teacher turnover is surging.
"[Turnover rates were]15.8% in 2022-2023. So you think about that: If an individual school is on average losing 16% of its teacher workforce every year, that's a big challenge," says Henken. This fact can be found in the full report: Revolving Classroom Doors.
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