Giving UW-Madison $14.6 million in taxpayer money to pay players, will sports gambling become legal and gas prices going up were the big topics we covered Friday with economist, Dr. Adam Hoffer.

Hofffer is the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation and began by explaining what excise tax is — or sin taxes, like gambling, alcohol, marijuana. Another one of those excise taxes is gas, and Hoffer explained how Wisconsin’s gas prices could skyrocket because of the war in Iran — if certain Legislators had their way — but the way the state taxes gas now, makes the most sense. 

In the sports world, the Wisconsin state Senate is going to work one or two more days next week, before calling it quits for the rest of 2026. Among the flurry of bills that could get a vote, one would be on legalizing sports gambling, and Hoffer explains how that might work — and how that will immediately trigger lawsuits.

The other bill is a request from UW-Madison for $14.6 million. This money would be for “facilities” but it is a way to offset costs of Division I college now having the option to pay their players up to $20.5 million total a year. Hoffer explains some of the pros and cons for the state, the university and the taxpayer around that bill.

We also look at how the sports gambling bill could help the "paying the players" request.