On February 18th, 2025, Governor Evers gave his 2025 - 2027 Biennial Budget Address, the policy and ceremonial beginning of the state’s budget process. The text of his address may be found here and a recording may be found here.
The Wisconsin Arts Board celebrates Governor Evers’ inclusion of the following arts-related items in his 2025 – 2027 Executive Biennial Budget:
Governor Evers’ Arts-Related Budget Priorities
- Funding Increase for the Arts Board
FY 26 = $2,950,000 FY 27 = $,2950,000
The Governor recommends increasing funding for the Arts Board to achieve an estimated $0.68 per capita state support for nonprofit arts organizations, helping to address the organizations' rising costs and generally strengthen the state's creative economy.
This welcome increased investment in arts funding will allow the Arts Board to help the field meet its staffing needs, afford increased material and services costs, and to provide valued programs and services to the people of Wisconsin. NOTE: An increase to $0.68 per capita would rank Wisconsin 38th in per capita spending in the nation, a spot currently held by Iowa.
FY 26 = $34,300 FY 27 = $79,400
The Governor recommends increasing funding for grants to support individuals and organizations engaged in the arts and arts incubators, and to allow the Arts Board to draw down all available federal funds that require a state match.
This funding will ensure that the Arts Board meets the state match requirement for its National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Agreement award.
FY 26 = $1,000,000 FY 27 = $0
The Governor recommends providing one-time funding for a new Rural Wisconsin Creative Economy Grant Program that will support the promotion and development of artistic and cultural creative enterprises in rural Wisconsin.
The Department of Tourism would create a Rural Wisconsin Creative Economy Grant Program. Per Create Wisconsin, this program would provide “state support to economic development and promotional organizations and local government agencies for the purpose of cultural planning and creative economic development programs. Eligible projects will serve the rural creative economy and creative industries through hob and business creation and capacity-building, workforce training and development, community and sector planning, development and engagement, and products or services with artistic, cultural, creative, or aesthetic qualities.”
- Office of Film and Creative Industries
FY 26 = $199,300 FY 27 = $254,000
The Governor recommends providing expenditure and position authority to establish the Office of Film and Creative Industries, which will offer centralized support to, and enhance economic development in, Wisconsin's film and creative sectors. See Shared Revenue and Tax Relief, Item #10 (Film Tax Incentives).
The Office and its three (3) positions will market Wisconsin to the film industry. Important: film tax incentives must be in place for Wisconsin to compete with the states that do have incentives.
- Film Tax Incentives (found in the Department of Revenue section of the Executive Biennial Budget)
FY 26 = $10 million cap FY 27 = $10 million cap
The Governor recommends creating a film production services credit that has both refundable and nonrefundable components and a credit for film production investment in Wisconsin. The film production services credit's nonrefundable component is equal to 25 percent of the amount of wages and salaries a company pays to Wisconsin employees for services rendered related to a film, video, broadcast, advertisement or television production. The refundable portion of the credit provides a 25 percent credit for qualified production expenses related to a film, video, broadcast, advertisement or television production. For the purposes of the credit, production expenses include writing, budgeting, casting, location scouts, set construction
and operation, wardrobes, makeup, clothing accessories, photography, sound recording, sound synchronization, sound mixing, lighting, editing, film processing, film transferring, special effects, visual effects, renting or leasing facilities or equipment, renting or leasing motor vehicles, food, lodging, and any other similar preproduction, production and postproduction expenditure. The film production investment credit provides a transferrable credit for certain physical property investments in Wisconsin related to film productions. The credit is first available for tax year 2026 and the certification of eligible entities will be administered by the state film office with the Department of Tourism. Total credits are capped at $10 million annually. See Department of Tourism, Item #4; and Shared Revenue and Tax Relief, Item #10
The Arts Board welcomes the re-instatement of Wisconsin film tax incentives. There is no question that Wisconsin is an attractive place to film because of its amazing people, as well as its beautiful natural and built environments. Wisconsin must have film incentives to compete in attracting film projects to the state and to encourage Wisconsin filmmakers to live and do their work here. These incentives mean jobs and economic value for our state. It is simple: 75% of something is far better than 100% of nothing.
It is important to note that the Governor’s proposed budget is the opening salvo in the biennial budget process. Everyone who supports this investment must contact their legislators and encourage them to keep the proposal in the Joint Committee on Finance's version of the budget (the next step in the budget process).
What You Can Do
- Thank Governor Evers for including these arts and creative industries priorities in his budget! Send your opinion via the Governor’s website https://appengine.egov.com/apps/wi/governor/voice-an-opinion or send a handwritten note to The Honorable Tony Evers, Governor of Wisconsin, PO Box 7863, Madison, WI 53707.
- Encourage your state senator and state assembly person to support these priorities, and to make sure they are included in the Joint Committee on Finance’s version of the biennial budget.
- Who are my legislators? Find out here:
https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/
- Who are the co-chairs and members of the Joint Committee on Finance? See below.
- Connect with Create Wisconsin and other supporters to find out what more you can do. Reach out to Create Wisconsin’s Executive Director Anne Katz at akatz@createwisconsin.org
- Share this email with those you think might be interested.
Timeline of the State Budget Process
Here is a brief synopsis of the budget process:
September 2024: State agencies provided their budget requests to the governor through the Department of Administration. The governor and Department of Administration Budget Office reviewed the requests.
February 2025: (odd-numbered year) The governor proposes the executive biennial budget.
March 2025: The governor releases the capital budget. The capital budget allocates money for the creation, acquisition, or maintenance of fixed assets such as land, buildings, and equipment.
April – May 2025: The legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance holds hearings in Madison as well as other communities throughout the state and modifies the governor’s biennial budget and capital budget.
June 2023: Assembly and Senate act/vote on the budgets. Forward the final legislative version of the budget to the governor.
July 2023: Governor signs budgets; issues vetoes.
The 2025 – 2027 state biennial budget should be in place at the beginning of the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2025. There have been times when the budget process has gone well beyond July 1. It is important to note that state government does not shut down like the federal government. State agencies continue using the previous year’s budget numbers until the new budget is in place.
2025 Wisconsin State Legislature
State Senate Leaders
Senate President
Mary Felzkowski R-Tomahawk
Senate District 12
Sen.Felzkowski@legis.wisconsin.gov
Majority Leader
Devin LeMahieu R- Oostburg
Senate District 9
Sen.LeMahieu@legis.wisconsin.gov
Minority Leader
Dianne H. Hesselbein D-Middleton
Senate District 27
Sen.Hesselbein@legis.wisconsin.gov
2025 Wisconsin State Legislature
State Assembly Leaders
Speaker of the Assembly
Robin Vos, R-Rochester
Assembly District 33
Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov
Majority Leader
Tyler August, R-Walworth
Assembly District 31
Rep.August@legis.wisconsin.gov
Minority Leader
Greta Neubauer, D-Racine
Assembly District 66
Rep.Neubauer@legis.wisconsin.gov
2025 Wisconsin State Legislature
Joint Committee on Finance Members
Talking Points
2025 – 2027 Biennial Budget
1. Reliable, sufficient funding
The Arts Board surveyed its constituents. Survey respondents knew about Wisconsin’s woeful level of legislative per capita funding for the arts. The need for reliable, sufficient government funding was top of mind for survey respondents and post-survey interviews. Material and labor costs have risen, and earned and contributed income have not risen – in some cases they’ve even declined.
Survey respondents reported that contributed income from individuals and foundations is stressed by the increased number of nonprofit groups seeking assistance, and changes in the funding priorities of the next generation of family funders. Corporate funders are also seeing increased applications and, in some cases, have also changed funding priorities. Add to that the fact that some corporation headquarters are leaving the state, taking local philanthropic decision making with them. State and local government funding is needed to mitigate these negative impacts.
In fact, none of the following areas of needed support are possible without it.
2. Staffing
More funds are needed for staffing. Staffing was a challenge before the COVID-19 shut down. Too few people were working in the nonprofit arts sector, and they were inadequately compensated. The field assumed its workers would give more of themselves because the work “feeds our souls.”
It is no better in 2024. As one person said, regarding their ability to compensate their staff, “We are paying the market rate for our positions… the market rate for 1975!”
The pandemic shut down caused people to reassess their working situations. Many were no longer willing to tolerate an undercompensated (undervalued) job that lacked benefits and required working an excessive number of hours. Skilled artisans and technical experts left the field for jobs with better, more consistent hours, better pay, and benefits. Many organization founders underwrite the small salary they receive with unpaid additional hours, essentially working for free because they want to realize their vision(s). These people were among the most stressed. As one said, “We are one life event away from walking away from our organizations and the field.” And if they walk away, there is often no viable succession plan in place to keep the organization going, despite the community’s need of its services. It is often the deep understanding of the individual lives that would be negatively affected by cessation of services that keeps these founders going against the odds.
A tight labor market puts arts organizations in competition with employers from other sectors, without the resources to compete (money and benefits). The exodus of skilled laborers from arts-related fields between 2020 and 2023 removed artistic skills and institutional knowledge. Many of the new people who replace them are not yet as skilled as those who left. In addition, workers – especially younger workers – looked at the pace and schedules that older workers kept and said no. This means that while we currently might have the same number of people working as before, they are not working the same number of person hours. (Note: this is a healthy development for the workers.) This may lead to additional staff being needed or the burnout of existing staff. More funding is needed for staffing.
3. Wisconsin artists and arts organizations contribute to the economy and community vitality
Wisconsin arts groups have invested in new and reimagined infrastructure through public/private partnerships. Such infrastructure includes the Bradley Symphony Center, home of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; the Associated Bank Theater Center, home of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater; and the Festival Theater in St. Croix Falls. Wisconsin Art Destinations, which are comprised of Wisconsin’s 16 art museums, as well as the Wisconsin Presenters Network are two examples of collective action to bring high quality arts experiences to Wisconsin communities. “Free” experiences such as art and craft fairs and summer concerts in the park add to community vitality. While these activities are free to the public, there are costs for the host organizations.
4. Talent retention and attraction
Wisconsin’s anemic per capita arts funding doesn’t just hurt Wisconsin’s artists and nonprofit arts sector, which is still struggling to fully recover from the COVID-19 shut down. It also hurts Wisconsin’s ability to attract and retain creative entrepreneurs and the highly skilled workforce that Wisconsin needs to compete in the 21st century global economy. These creative people gravitate to states that invest in the things they care about – like the arts - and where they will find all manner of creative people: artists, scientists, mathematicians, technologists, etc.
5. For Your Information
- FY 2025 Per Capita Spending on State Arts Agencies | National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) |.
- This is the form that reports that Wisconsin is currently 48th in the nation in per capita arts funding, which is currently at 18 cents/person.
- Americans for the Arts - Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP 6) for Wisconsin | Americans for the Arts (AFTA)
- Nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences provide $933 million in economic impact to Wisconsin.
- Arts and Culture Production Satellite Account for Wisconsin | Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), US Department of Commerce
- This report measures 35 creative economy industry codes (for profit and nonprofit). In Wisconsin, the economic impact of these creative industries is $11.9 billion, with a B. Nationally, it is $1.1 trillion, with a T.
- From March 2024: “New data released today show arts and cultural industries hit an all-time high in 2022, contributing 4.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or $1.1 trillion, to the U.S. economy.” “However, growth was not sector-wide, with performing arts organizations, non-government museums, and arts-related construction among the arts industries that have yet to reach their pre-pandemic levels of economic value.”
- Wisconsin’s numbers also increased. Wisconsin arts and cultural industries contributed 3% or $11.9 billion to Wisconsin’s economy.
Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce
Creative Economy State Profiles
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies