A Wisconsin law that restricted public sector union rights for 15 years now confronts dual threats that could dismantle it in 2027, according to a Nov. 11 report from FOX6 News. The Wisconsin Supreme Court announced it will review Act 10 again, while Democrats prepare to take legislative control in January for the first time since Republicans enacted the measure in 2011. The question is whether the court or the incoming legislature will move faster to eliminate the law.
Act 10 cut state and local government costs by nearly $5.2 billion from 2011 through 2017, primarily by shifting benefit costs to workers, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum estimates cited in the report. Before the law passed, governmental employers made up 99% of contributions to the state retirement system, but after Act 10 that share dropped to 52%. The measure also requires workers to pay roughly 12% of their healthcare premiums, compared to much lower rates before 2011. The law limits raises for most government unions to inflation levels and doesn't apply to police and fire unions, though it affects teacher unions and other public employees. It also forces public sector unions to recertify annually and requires a majority of all employees in a bargaining unit to approve the union, meaning non-voters count as no votes.
Incoming Assembly Speaker Greta Neubauer said Democrats will push hard to restore collective bargaining rights. "We support the restoration of rights for the people of Wisconsin, including collective bargaining rights and the rights of workers in the public and private sector," Neubauer told reporters, adding that her caucus will discuss timing with Governor-elect David Crowley. The Wisconsin Supreme Court voted 5-1 to hear the latest challenge, with the five liberal justices in favor and conservative Justice Annette Ziegler dissenting. The current case stems from a 2024 Dane County judge's ruling that struck down portions of Act 10 for violating state equal protection by exempting police and fire unions, though a Wisconsin Appeals Court reversed that decision in July 2026.
Conservatives warn that repealing Act 10 could cost taxpayers more than $2 billion annually, according to Will Flanders of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. The report explains that higher salary and retirement costs would force school districts and local governments to cut programs or staff, though Flanders notes the impact won't happen overnight but will grow gradually as union contracts get renegotiated. Governor-elect Crowley dismissed the cost concerns and said he'll bring together people from both sides to develop a solution, emphasizing that "this administration is about making sure that workers have a seat at the table." The expense increase would come from property taxes at the local level and state budget allocations, creating what Flanders called a "massive hole" for districts and municipalities to fill.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has set December deadlines for parties to submit arguments, while Democrats take control of the legislature on Jan. 4, 2027. Whether judicial review or legislative repeal arrives first remains uncertain, but Act 10's 15-year run appears headed toward its end from at least one direction.