The Observatory - Produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Did Gov. Scott Walker add $638 million more in K-12 spending to the current budget?

By Pawan Naidu Published April 21, 2018

“Our governor cut $1.6B from education … now is putting back $638 million. That’s not progress, it’s an insult,” Mahlon Mitchell, Democratic candidate for governor and president of the state firefighters union, said in a tweet. In examining Mitchell’s claims, the Observatory found it is true that the current budget contains about $638 million more in K-12 spending compared to the previous year. But it is not 100 percent accurate to claim that Walker cut education spending by $1.6 billion in his first two-year budget.

Did Milwaukee’s old residency rule lead to lower quality city workers?

By Teodor Teofilov Published April 21, 2018

Republican state senator and U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir posted on Facebook on March 6 that the residency rule in Milwaukee “prevented highly qualified teachers, police officers and firefighters from opting to work in the city” and that “removing these barriers helps Milwaukee retain and attract many valuable workers who were once discouraged by the residency rule.” The Observatory found this claim Unobservable.

Wisconsin jobless rate at historic low, but many face low pay, work two jobs

By Gerald Porter Jr. Published April 19, 2018

In a Jan. 24 blog post, Democratic candidate and Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik said: “Wisconsinites will remember Walker’s failures when they go to work at that second, third or fourth job because their wages are so low that one job won’t cut it.” The Observatory checked this claim and found it to be true.

Vos says armed citizens can defend against shooters; stats show that is rare

By Gerald Porter Jr. Published April 18, 2018

Amidst calls for tighter gun restrictions, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, addressed the notion of self-defense in a February claim, stating, “I certainly believe there are an awful lot of folks who are law-abiding who have done nothing wrong who could probably defend themselves.” The Observatory found his claim mostly false.

Bewley: State economic development spending low in northwest Wisconsin

By Nina Bertelsen Published April 17, 2018

Since its inception in July 2011, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has offered nearly $2 billion worth of financial awards, such as tax credits, loans and grants, to support economic growth in the state. However, State Sen. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland, asserted in a statement on Feb. 9 that WEDC financial awards aren’t equally distributed throughout the state’s regions. When The Observatory ran the math, we found Bewley was right.

Dem. challenger claims Wisconsin wages low under Gov. Scott Walker

By Mason Muerhoff Published April 11, 2018

In response to Gov. Scott Walker’s State of the State address in January, Milwaukee attorney and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Matt Flynn released a statement claiming that “Wisconsin still lags behind the rest of the country in wage growth. Adjusted for inflation, median wages today are lower than they were before (Walker) was elected.” The Observatory rates this claim as Verified.

Does Wisconsin spend more on prisons than on the UW system?

By Pawan Naidu Published March 21, 2018

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mahlon Mitchell claims that the state spends more on its prison system than on the University of Wisconsin. We find his claim to be true.