Wisconsin Stands Up: 11 Legal Battles Against Federal Overreach - A Perspective from Pryme Solutions (Executive Orders Wisconsin Response)

Gener8tor Art Event, Juneteenth Day, 2024

At Pryme Solutions, located right here in Milwaukee, we believe in staying informed and engaged with the issues that impact our community and the state of Wisconsin. As a member of the Wisconsin Arts Board, appointed by our dedicated State Governor Evers, Pryme Solutions LLC founder LaShawndra Vernon understands the vital role that arts, culture, and community support systems play in the fabric of our state. It is with this understanding that we follow closely Wisconsin's assertive stance against what it perceives as federal overreach in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration. Attorney General Josh Kaul has spearheaded this effort, uniting with other states to challenge executive orders and agency actions that could significantly affect the well-being of Wisconsinites across various sectors.

One such crucial legal battle, filed on April 4, 2025, is Rhode Island v. Trump, which directly impacts the very essence of community support. This case challenges the Closure Executive Order (14238), an order threatening to dismantle vital federal agencies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). For Wisconsin, this jeopardizes funding for our cherished libraries and museums, including essential accessibility improvements at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Natural History Museum, which relies on IMLS grants to serve all our residents. Furthermore, the order imperils programs that empower minority-owned businesses, such as the University of Wisconsin System’s Office of Business & Entrepreneurship (OBE) program, a recipient of a $3,000,000 grant that fuels economic growth within our diverse communities. It's important to note that seventeen dedicated state library department employees in Wisconsin rely on these federal funds to serve our communities. Wisconsin's objective in this crucial lawsuit is clear: to declare the Closure Order unlawful and safeguard these indispensable community services.

Another significant case filed on the same day, April 4, 2025, is Massachusetts v. Kennedy. This legal action challenges the DEI Executive Order (14151), the Gender Ideology Order (14168), the Discrimination Order (14173), and the NIH Withholds/Terminations. This case addresses not only potential overreach but also the adherence to established statutory and regulatory rules. The implications for Wisconsin's renowned research institutions, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UW-Milwaukee), are substantial. In fiscal year 2024 alone, UW-Madison secured over $404 million in NIH funding, and alarmingly, four grants totaling $25,149,959 have already been terminated, with UW-Milwaukee facing the loss of two grants as well. The resulting delays in grant processing threaten the very foundation of ongoing vital research and the training of future generations of scholars. Wisconsin's aim is to compel the federal administration to promptly review and decide on delayed grants and prevent any further detrimental terminations.

The legal challenges extend to the cornerstone of our democracy with California v. Trump, filed on April 3, 2025. This case contests the Elections Executive Order (14248), which carries the potential to disrupt Wisconsin's established vote-by-mail systems and ballot curing processes, raising serious concerns about unwarranted federal interference in our state's administration of elections. Wisconsin's legal pursuit here is to have specific provisions of this executive order declared unlawful, safeguarding our state's autonomy in managing our electoral processes.

On April 1, 2025, Colorado v. Kennedy was initiated, directly addressing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Funding Termination, which has resulted in the cutting of critical public health grants. For Wisconsin, this translates to a potential loss exceeding $235 million, directly threatening essential programs for substance abuse prevention, rural healthcare initiatives, mental health services, and vital infectious disease research. Wisconsin's legal objective is to invalidate these harmful grant terminations and protect the crucial public health services our communities rely upon.

New York v. McMahon, filed on March 13, 2025, tackles the U.S. Department of Education Terminations, an action with the stated goal of dismantling the department itself. This has significant financial implications for Wisconsin's education system, affecting approximately $568 million in federal education funding allocated to our schools. The impact would disproportionately affect schools in our most economically vulnerable districts and the crucial support systems for special education programs. It's important to remember that Wisconsin receives a total of $842 million from the federal government for education, with a substantial $568 million originating from the Department of Education. Wisconsin's legal aim is to ensure the restoration of the full operational capacity of the Department of Education, protecting the educational opportunities of all our students.

Filed on March 6, 2025, Maryland v. U.S. Department of Agriculture challenges the Federal Employee Terminations, involving the mass layoff of probationary federal employees. This action directly impacts approximately 3,000 federal workers residing in Wisconsin, leading to increased unemployment and placing a strain on our state's social services. With a total of around 18,000 federal workers in Wisconsin, the implications of such widespread terminations are deeply felt within our communities. Wisconsin's legal pursuit is to nullify this executive order and protect the livelihoods of these dedicated public servants.

Also filed on March 6, 2025, California v. U.S. Department of Education contests the Teacher Quality Grant Cuts, which eliminate vital funding for teacher development programs. For Wisconsin, this translates to a loss of over $3 million, exacerbating the existing challenges of teacher shortages, particularly in critical areas like special education. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, for instance, had a $3.3 million grant supporting teacher training terminated. Wisconsin's legal objective is to reinstate funding for these essential teacher quality grants, ensuring we can continue to attract and retain dedicated educators for our students.

Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health, filed on February 10, 2025, addresses concerning Spending Cuts to Health Research through the reduction of indirect cost rates for NIH grants. This poses a significant threat to the $513 million in NIH funding that supports critical research at UW-Madison. The proposed cuts could result in an estimated annual reduction of $65 million, directly impacting the groundbreaking research happening right here in our state. Wisconsin's legal goal is to block the implementation of this detrimental rate change, safeguarding the future of vital health research.

New York v. Trump, filed on February 7, 2025, tackles the DOGE Executive Order (14158), concerning the Department of Government Efficiency's expanded access to sensitive Treasury data. This raises serious concerns about the privacy and security of sensitive personal information belonging to the 1,275,000 Wisconsinites receiving social security benefits, the 225,000 veterans potentially receiving federal benefits, and the 18,022 federal employees in our state receiving payments, not to mention the tens of billions of dollars in federal aid our state relies upon. Wisconsin's legal aim is to prevent unauthorized access to this critical financial data.

On January 28, 2025, New York v. Trump was filed, challenging the Federal Grant Freeze, which abruptly paused federal assistance funding. This action has the potential to disrupt funding for essential health, education, and law enforcement programs that Wisconsinites depend on, affecting the estimated $28.2 billion in federal investments allocated to our state. Wisconsin's legal objective is to have this detrimental OMB policy vacated and to ensure the restoration of vital federal funding that supports our communities.

Finally, New Jersey v. Trump, filed on January 21, 2025, contests the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order (14160), an unprecedented attempt to strip citizenship from American-born children based on their parents' status. This action directly harms the sovereign interests of Wisconsin and negatively impacts citizens residing within our state, potentially placing undue strain on our state's government services. Wisconsin's legal pursuit is to invalidate this unconstitutional executive order and firmly protect the fundamental principle of birthright citizenship.

These eleven active legal battles underscore Wisconsin's unwavering commitment to defending the interests of its residents across a wide spectrum of crucial areas. At Pryme Solutions, we believe in the power of informed engagement and will continue to closely monitor these significant developments, providing updates as they unfold, because the outcomes of these cases will shape the future of our state and the well-being of all Wisconsinites.