Wisconsin Eye will shut down Dec. 15 without emergency funding

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Wisconsin Eye, the nonprofit organization that has streamed state government proceedings for nearly two decades, will go offline next month without emergency funding.

The organization needs $1 million to continue operations in 2026, according to WisEye President John Henkes. Without meeting that goal, Wisconsin Eye will cease streaming events and take down its archive of 30,000 hours of political history on Dec. 15.

“We spend hundreds of millions of dollars in these last election cycles electing people to office,” Henkes said. “Wisconsin needs a fraction of that to hold them accountable.”

Wisconsin Eye has captured major political moments over 18 years, from presidential campaign visits and Act 10 protests to daily legislative proceedings. The organization describ