The governor is indicating he is willing to look at changes to his tax cut proposal.
Senate Republicans have been slow to warm up to Governor Scott Walker’s proposed $504 million income and property tax cut plan, largely because of concerns it could increase the size of the state’s structural deficit in the next biennium. Walker says he’s willing to consider tweaks, if the goal of returning money to taxpayers remains intact.
Still, Walker says he does not expect there to be a substantial difference between the Senate and Assembly in the final version of the bill. He also offered few details about what kinds of numbers he would be willing to consider when talking to reporters in Madison Wednesday.
The Assembly is moving ahead with portions of the plan by holding hearings this week at the Capitol, while there has been almost no movement in the state Senate. Walker downplayed the lack of action from that chamber, saying the “Assembly is just ready to go” and he thinks the Senate will “get there as well,” but just wants more time to look at the plan.
Even though the Assembly held hearings on the tax cuts and a job training program this week, those bills still need to go before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee before they can receive a vote. There have been no indications yet on when that committee could schedule its own hearings on Walker’s proposal.