Politics
Judge rules Milwaukee County school library fund carve-out unconstitutional
A Wisconsin judge ruled Milwaukee County's exemption from contributing to the state's Common School Fund is unconstitutional in a new court decision.
By Jon Styf · 2026-09-02T22:25:37.393Z
The Center Square – For the second time in a month, a Wisconsin judge has ruled that Milwaukee County’s carve out from contributing to the state’s Common School Fund is unconstitutional.
This time, however, the ruling was not a mistake.
The state’s most recent budget included an exception that allowed Milwaukee County to keep 100% of the proceeds from its motor vehicle fines and forfeiture funds while the rest of the state’s 72 counties are required to send 50% to the Common School fund. The fund sends money to school libraries throughout the state.
Instead, Milwaukee used the funds to pay for 12 district attorney positions.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty brought the lawsuit on behalf of Menomonee Falls resident Christine Stueland.
“Especially right now, every dollar matters,” Stueland said in a statement. “I am so thankful that WILL stood up for what’s right and protected the interests of taxpayers across Wisconsin.”
Judge J. Arthur Melvin previously signed an order ending the allowance and ruling the provision from the last state budget unconstitutional but later stated that he had signed the order in error https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article a56816fa 137b 4ede be58 fc8077af2e2f.html and actually intended to allow the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association to file an amicus brief.
“This decision will end an unconstitutional and costly money grab by Milwaukee County,” WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel said in a statement. “WILL continues to oppose reckless mismanagement and unconstitutional overreach because taxpayers deserve a government that’s efficient, accountable, and operates within the law.”
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article a8dfe7d9 58b4 4ff5 94c8 143eee447c6c.html .