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7h ago

Bipartisan Assembly Plan Would Revive WisconsinEye With $10 Million Trust, Targeting February Return

Interest from a reworked fund would cover part of the budget, leaving the nonprofit to raise the remainder.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, announce a bipartisan bill to fund WisconsinEye, the state's public affairs network, at a press conference in the Wisconsin State Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2025. Anya van Wagtendonk/WPR
A WisconsinEye camera does not broadcast a meeting of the Wisconsin Assembly in Madison, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, after the network shut down due to a lack of funding, leaving Wisconsin as the only state that does not make audio or video of its legislative session days public. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
A sign outside of the Wisconsin Assembly chamber reminds visitors of a prohibition on livestreaming or taking video of lawmakers' debate on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

Overview

  • Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Minority Leader Greta Neubauer unveiled a tentative bill to move previously designated matching funds into a trust whose interest would support WisconsinEye.
  • The proposal drops the formal match requirement and adds transparency and reporting provisions, with leaders saying WisconsinEye would still fundraise to meet its roughly $900,000 annual needs.
  • Lawmakers aim to sign a short-term contract for coverage of the Assembly’s February floor period, signaling a potential restart of broadcasts next month.
  • Senate consideration remains uncertain, with Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu seeking more detail on WisconsinEye’s finances before committing support.
  • In WisconsinEye’s absence, the Senate ran a limited livestream without an archive, the Supreme Court plans to livestream February oral arguments, recording rules at the Capitol have been enforced, and a GoFundMe had raised about $49,000 of a $250,000 goal as of Jan. 22.