☀️ What a week, huh?!

When the week began, it seemed Gov. Evers and legislative Republicans were nowhere near a deal on the state budget. Meanwhile congressional Republicans were still resisting some of what President Trump was proposing on the federal side.

Within the first 24 hours of the work week, there was a bipartisan agreement on the state budget. Another 24 hours later, momentum picked up for Trump’s bill in the US Senate, followed the next day by the House of Representatives. That led to state lawmakers racing to get their bill passed ahead of Congress, in order to preserve some healthcare funding that Trump’s bill would slash.

I know—wouldn’t it have been easier for Republicans in Congress to maybe not slash healthcare funding so Republicans in Madison wouldn’t need budget tricks to avoid harming Wisconsin families? This was captured comically by US Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a vocal supporter of Trump’s plan, who also sent a letter to Evers urging him to act quickly to take advantage of the budget trick Van Orden was forcing him to use. 

Oh, and in the middle of all of this came a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that threw out an 1849 law that some wanted to treat as a total abortion ban. 

🇺🇸 With breaking news all week about the state budget, the chaos in Congress, and the abortion ruling, you can understand why your humble editor has only one goal this Independence Day weekend: independence from his computer keyboard and ample time in the backyard hammock! I hope your weekend is equally relaxing, safe, and fun. 

Of course, if and when news does break, stay up to date with our weekday newsletter, our social media posts, and our morning radio show.

⏮️ Last Week: After reports that Eric Hovde and Tim Michels might be interested in running for governor in 2026, we wondered if you had a guess about who would be the GOP nominee in 2026. It was not one of our best attempts at piquing your curiosity. Of those who responded, there was a nearly equal distribution of answers between Michels, Hovde, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, some other politician, or some other rich guy. There was a lot of “none of the above” in our inbox.

From William in Frederic: “They will pick the most Trumpy candidate who can substantially fund their own campaign, since Elon may be a little tighter with the bankrolling this time around!”

From Susan: “I don’t care who they run. The people of Wisconsin need to stand up against anyone who would bow to Trump, his administration, and their agenda.” 

⏭️ This Week: Trump’s big bloated boondoggle of a budget bill has never been popular, except perhaps among those who haven’t heard what’s in it. As more people learn about the cuts that will impact their families, their health, and the economy, Trump & Co. will do all they can to provide distractions. (“Look! An immigrant!” “Look! A trans athlete!”)

Will it work? Time for another 2026 prediction:

The party in the White House usually has a setback during midterms. Will it happen again?

🄰 Yes, it will be a big Democratic year, winning control of Congress and maybe the Legislature.

🄱 No, the Republican message machine will successfully build its control of Congress and maybe the governor’s race too.

🄲  No change, Republicans in charge—but at such a small margin that very little will get done in 2027.

🄳 You think there will still be elections in 2026? That’s adorable! 🗳️

To answer this week’s question or to suggest a different answer, hit reply or email me directly at pat@couriernewsroom.com, and we may share it in a future newsletter or on our radio show.

What the…?

Congressman Van Orden later deleted this tweet and claimed the “YES!” was designed to cheer for the bill’s passage, not its actual impact.

Maybe we need a second Question of the Week?

A) Honest mistake. We believe you.

B) Own up to a ghoulish level of disdain you seem to have for struggling families.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul addresses the media at the state Department of Justice headquarters in Madison on July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Todd Richmond) 

Ruling that a bevy of more recent laws regulating abortion supersede a statute from 176 years ago, the liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out an 1849 law that some interpreted as a near-total abortion ban. 

👩‍⚕️ “It was such a relief this morning to get up and discover that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled in our favor,” said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Kristin Lyerly, who’s been practicing in Minnesota while awaiting clarity on Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion law. “It means that I can now provide patient-centered care, comprehensive obstetrical gynecological care for my patients again—and that’s an incredible relief.”

The 4-3 decision brings Wisconsin back to where it was before the far-right justices on the US Supreme Court repealed the abortion protections in Roe v. Wade three years ago.

“It is part of miscarriage management,” Lyerly said. “It is part of infertility treatment. It is part of managing complicated pregnancies. It is something that we just can’t do without. And frankly, we know that people die when they don’t receive this kind of care. This means that Wisconsin is a place that welcomes women, welcomes families, encourages people to come live here, grow your business, and start your family.”

👉🏼 Childcare Crisis – Childcare providers say the new state budget deal falls far short of what’s needed to address a crisis of affordability and staffing. WATCH as provider Corrine Hendrickson explains the lack of security in the new budget plan.

👉🏼 More Uninsured – Just how bad will things get in Wisconsin under the Trump plan? Read my article about Wisconsin Winners, Losers, and Liars on our website. You’ll learn about how it’s estimated that 258,396 people in our state face the loss of their health insurance coverage—148,254 who rely on Medicaid and 110,142 whose coverage is supported by subsidies through the Affordable Care Act. And that’s just the beginning.

👉🏼 Gotta Laugh or You’ll Cry – Remember when Sen. Ron Johnson was dead-set opposed to passing President Trump’s bill because it would add trillions to the deficit? That was way back in… June. As we discussed on the radio show, he and other so-called deficit hawks turned chicken in short order.

Catch our radio show weekdays from 6-9 a.m. on our Facebook and YouTube pages as well as stations across Wisconsin thanks to our friends at Civic Media. If you can’t listen live, listen on-demand as a podcast by subscribing on Spotify.

📱 And stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading today’s update.

Have a great week.