State legislature sends a lifeline to WisconsinEye network
WisconsinEye, the state’s version of C-Span, was granted monthly operational support by the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization.
The partial funding amounts to $50,000 per month throughout the remainder of 2026. This will allow citizens across the state ready access to election coverage, legislative committee work, and current issues. The remainder of the operational expenses will be raised by charitable donors and program sponsors. https://wiseye.org/donate/
“We view today’s vote as a strong statement of support by the legislative body as a whole – both houses and both parties – for unfettered citizen access to state government proceedings,” said WisconsinEye president Jon Henkes. “They’ve put action to their words that transparency is essential to our democracy, and we are extremely grateful.”
In late 2025, WisEye was forced to go dark for seven weeks due to lack of funding. After state legislators of both parties publicly stated their support, WisEye was back up and running on a limited basis. The guarantee of the new funding will enable coverage to continue.
WisconsinEye is a non-profit, nonpartisan network that covers Wisconsin state government. It takes you behind the scenes in Madison, whether that's a floor session, a committee meeting, or another civic event. You can watch via live stream or catch the recording later. WisEye has served an invaluable service since 2007, recording more than 16,000 hours of unfiltered, unedited events.
Henkes hopes that when the new legislative session begins in January 2027, the legislature will build on the bipartisan support demonstrated in the previous session.
