Most people know the governor signs or vetoes legislation. Fewer understand the daily machinery of the executive branch: the dozens of agencies the governor appoints leadership for, the administrative rules those agencies write to implement law, and the policy choices embedded in every budget cycle. Maura walked through each of these functions using real examples that illustrate how executive decisions affect women at every level.

The clearest thread was postpartum Medicaid coverage. Governor Evers included expansion from 60 days to 12 months in every one of his four biennial budgets. DHS advocated to legislators for years. By early 2026, Wisconsin was one of only two states that had not extended postpartum coverage. It finally passed this spring, and is now treated as a cost-to-continue in the next budget cycle… not a new proposal.

Session highlights:

• How the biennial budget process works, from agency proposals to the governor’s executive budget to legislative negotiation.
• Why cabinet appointments matter: the governor selects the leadership of every major state agency, shaping priorities across health care, food assistance, mental health services, and facility regulation.
• What administrative rulemaking is and how agencies use it to interpret and implement statutory language with limits on what they can and cannot do.
• How breast pump coverage expanded through Medicaid policy decisions, without new legislation.
• What it means when “Wisconsin joins a lawsuit;” the coordination between the governor’s office, state agencies, and the attorney general.
• How Wisconsin became the first state to issue SNAP benefits during a federal government shutdown, through operational readiness and interagency collaboration.