Sen. Keyeski’s Requests for Mental Health, Public Safety, and Rural Arts Funding Included in Governor’s 2025-27 Executive Budget

MADISON – Last week, Governor Tony Evers released his 2025-27 Executive Budget. Senator Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi) requested funding to expand access to mental health facilities and services, establish partnerships between law enforcement and mental health professionals, and to create opportunities for economic growth in rural areas through the arts – all of which were included in the Governor’s budget proposal. Sen. Keyeski released the following statement in response:

“Our state budget is our vision for what we want the future of Wisconsin to look like. My vision for our shared future is a Wisconsin where all people can be healthy, safe, and successful – where our communities have the resources needed to thrive. I am so excited and thankful that Governor Evers included my requests in his budget.

“I want mental health facilities and services more accessible so everyone from kids at school to adults in crisis can get the care they need when they need it most. I also support strengthening our creative economy in rural areas of the state to provide jobs and enhance quality of life. I am proud of these budget provisions, and I believe they will help make Wisconsin an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The Governor’s budget included the following requests from Sen. Keyeski:

Regional Mental Health Facilities

• $7.6 million for regional crisis stabilization facilities to assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
• $20 million for crisis urgent care and observation centers to serve as regional crisis receiving and stabilization facilities

Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Services

• $300 million for comprehensive school-based mental health services, which includes:
  • $83.9 million of per pupil payments;
  • $62.8 million for reimbursements to schools for the cost of adding more mental health professionals to school staff roster, including social workers, school counselors, psychologists, and nurses;
  • $380,000 for training school staff in mental health, bullying prevention, restorative practices, and other evidence-based strategies;
  • $250,000 for peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and an increase to the maximum grant amount for the program

Partnerships Between Local Law Enforcement and Mental Health Professionals

• $2 million for grants to local governments to create collaborative partnership programs between mental health providers and law enforcement
• $800,000 for the Law Enforcement Officer Virtual Behavioral Health Crisis Care Pilot Program to allow law enforcement to connect people in crisis to virtual behavioral health crisis care services

Economic Opportunities in the Arts

• $1 million to create a Rural Wisconsin Creative Economy Grant Program to encourage creative and artistic endeavors in rural Wisconsin

• $453,300 to create an Office of Film & Creative Industry and fund staff positions which would provide centralized support and drive economic growth in Wisconsin’s film and creative sector

• Increase the Arts Board’s funding by 50 cents per capita, equaling $5.9 million, and provide $113,700 to maximize the drawdown of federal funds for supporting nonprofit arts organizations and strengthening the creative economy.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.