Bill to fund WisconsinEye advances to state Senate

Updated: Feb. 10, 2026

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- A bill to fund the website that allows streaming of Wisconsin state government meetings has unanimously passed the state Assembly and is off to the state Senate. 

WisconsinEye is up and running after it was paused for about seven weeks due to a lack of funding. 

Assembly Bill 974 would take $10 million originally meant to match funds for the public affairs network and place it in a trust fund. Interest from that fund would be used to finance the network's operations. 

Governor Tony Evers has not shared how he plans to vote on the bill if it makes it to his desk. 

Posted: Feb. 3, 2026

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- A website that lets you stream video of state government meetings is once again live -- at least for now. 

WisconsinEye, which operates like our state's version of C-Span, is up and running through the rest of this month. 

Lawmakers on the Assembly's state affairs committee advanced a plan Tuesday, that creates a new trust fund for WisconsinEye. 

The interest from that $10 million investment would help fund WisEye's operations; then, the nonprofit would be responsible for coming up with the rest of its budget. That amounts to about $600,000 a year in fundraising. 

Board Chair Mark O'Connell says that won't be easy. 

"We don't tug at the heartstrings of really anyone," O'Connell said. "We don't tug a tear out of anyone's eye when we say, 'could you give us money so we can publish the affairs of state government?'"

WisconsinEye went off the air back in December. It has enough funding to operate through the end of February.