2/04/2026

N. WISCONSIN - State Rep. Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton) announced new legislation Monday to eliminate the so-called Pink Tax on menstrual collection products in Wisconsin.  Snodgrass said. “Ending the tax on menstrual collection products like tampons, pads, period underwear and menstrual cups has garnered bipartisan support across the country.  Wisconsin is one of 18 states that have not eliminated the 5 percent sales tax on these products.  Governor Evers proposed ending that tax in his 2025-2027 biennial budget, but the Joint Finance Committee removed it to prioritize other tax cuts.

2/04/2026

N. WISCONSIN - Wisconsin lawmakers held a public hearing yesterday to discuss a bill that would launch a two-year pilot program providing free virtual mental health services for students.  The bill would allocate $1.5 million per school year until 2028 to launch virtual therapy services for 50,000 Wisconsin students in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The program would include peer-to-peer support services and access to licensed mental health professionals.  The bill needs to pass in committee before being scheduled for a floor vote.

2/04/2026

N. WISCONSIN / UP – With tax refund season underway will the partial government shutdown affect your refund?  The answer is no at least for now.  The Internal Revenue Service is operating normally during the partial government shutdown.  The IRS said its nearly 75,000 employees will continue working through Saturday.  The agency said staff members are being paid under the Inflation Reduction Act.  However, during last fall’s record-long shutdown, the IRS initially kept all employees working; however, the agency furloughed more than 34,000 employees a week into the impasse.  It is unclear what will happen after Saturday if the partial government shutdown continues.