Sen. Darling, Rep. Nygren
Republican legislative leaders criticize Governor Tony Evers’ budget as a “liberal wish list” with no chances of passing as proposed. “This really is not the budget for our people,” said state Senator Alberta Darling, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. “We’re on the right track, this budget takes us off that track, and I’m very, very, very disappointed.”
“A lot of the items the governor ticked off I think were kind of the greatest hits of the Democrat Party,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.
In his budget address Thursday night, Evers called for bipartisan efforts to address the needs of Wisconsin residents. That’s being greeted by some skepticism by state Representative John Nygren. “While he talks a good game on working together, there has been no effort with any of the leaders from the Assembly or the Senate, from Governor Evers standpoint to say ‘okay where can we agree,”” Nygren said on WISN Friday morning. The Marinette Republican co-chairs the budget committee with Senator Darling.
Wisconsin Policy Forum Research Director Jason Stein said Evers is proposing tax increases — but also tax cuts. “The governor is proposing tax cuts for low and middle-income earners, and tax increases on upper income earners,” Stein said.
Stein said on net, the governor is proposing about a billion dollars in new taxes. Republican lawmakers, opposed to Evers, will put together their own two-year spending plan. He could use his line item veto on that, or “there is always a possibility, if a small possibility, that he could veto what they come up with,” Stein said, adding that would put the state in “uncharted territory.”