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GOP legislators want $250 million income tax cut

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At the Capitol, Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature want to use a projected increase in state tax revenue to provide nearly $250 million in reductions to the personal income tax. “This is going to put money in the pockets of low-and-middle-income tax flilers,” said state Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan). It’s going to be direct mony to those folks.

The tax cuts would start in the 2020 tax year. The average income filer would see an additional $105 in tax reduction,” Ballweg said.

The GOP plan includes a nearly $45 million cut to personal property taxes paid by manufacturers, and another $100 million towards paying down state debt. It’s expected to be ready for an Assembly vote next week, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is supportive.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers wants some of those revenues to go to K-12 education. In a statement, his office said Assembly Republicans made it clear today that they would rather break their promise to the people of our state than work together on funding our schools and reducing property taxes in Wisconsin.”

Joint Finance Committee scuttles plans for full Lincoln Hills replacement

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The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance has pulled the plug, on plans to fully replace the state’s troubled Lincoln Hills youth corrections facility in northern Wisconsin.

During committee deliberations on Wednesday, Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said that the plan to create smaller, regional youth jails will be a stopgap. “Lincoln Hills and our current juvenile justice system wasn’t created overnight,” Born said. “We have money in the budget to move forward with it (smaller facilities) if the governor chooses to bring that before the building commission.”

Representative Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) was incensed by the cancellation. “I’ve been working on this issue for years. So I’m not going to apologize for being emotional, for being loud, for being angry.”

Goyke said that time is of the essence to replace Lincoln Hills. “The next budget, the time we would be able to appropriate dollars to build type 1 facilities to bring the closure of Lincoln Hills, is like the day before that facility is to close under the law.”

Under current state law, officials have to close Lincoln Hills by the middle of 2021. Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr said it is very unlikely the youth prison will close on time according to the law. Republicans said local governments in both locations where the full jails were planned, in Milwaukee and Hortonia, objected to the construction of prisons in their communities.

Assembly passes GOP rape test kit bill

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The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a controversial Republican bill, aimed at preventing another backlog of rape test kits. It adds language on immigration and private school vouchers to legislation that’s already passed the state State Senate. Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Ohskosh) lambasted the bill – and Republican leaders – on Tuesday.

“When you do the kinds of things that you’re doing, your goal is to muddy the waters, and to try to play political games in the final two weeks,” Hintz said. “How sick do you have to be to play political games when we’re talking about the testing of rape kits?”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) argued that the additions improve the measure. “Let’s remember that Representative Hintz, his job is to be a bomb thrower, and to exagerate and create division where none should really exist,” Vos said. “We’re choosing to take the things that we put in, which I think are better.”

Vos added that Democrats are “objecting to the bill because of their own personal ideology.” The Assembly bill, just like the earlier Senate legislation, provides for procedures to test the kits. It now requires Senate approval. Hintz said he’d surprised, if the Senate takes it up.

Assembly GOP moving ahead with package to assist Wisconsin farmers

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At the Capitol, Assembly Republicans are moving forward with plans to assist the state’s farmers. It’s something Democratic Governor Tony Evers called for, during his recent State of the State Address.

“We really appreciate that the governor is finally paying attention to rural Wisconsin and those issues, after being in office for over a year, focusing seemingly only on the Madison and Milwaukee areas,” said Assembly Speaker Pro-Tem Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva).

During a Monday press conference, Republicans provided details on the bills they’ll take up. They plan to expand of some of what Evers requested in a special session, as well as introducing measures of their own. A bill from Representative Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) would provide an income tax credit for the property taxes paid on agricultural buildings.

“The reality is when you farm, even though income is down 15 percent from 2013, the bills just keep coming in,” Tranel said. He said the $7500 credit would get farmers some immediate short-term help. “Their number one issue is cash flow.”

Another proposed tax break would allow farmers and other “sole proprietors” to deduct the cost of health insurance from their income taxes. Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) said that would carry a cost of some $9 million. She wasn’t able to say how many farmers would qualify for the tax break.

Anything that passes the Assembly would also need Senate approval in the final weeks of the current legislative session. Senators were expected to caucus on measures on Tuesday.

Evers wants special session on K-12 education funding

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Governor Tony Evers

As the legislative session enters its final weeks, Governor Tony Evers seems to think calling the Republican led Senate and Assembly into special session can be an effective policy tool. He wants to do it again, this time to allocate money from a projected revenue surplus for K-12 education.

“The proposal I’m announcing today will invest $250 million, which includes increased funding for school based mental health services, and special education aid,” Evers said during a press conference at the Capitol on Thursday. He said that new funding would restore the state’s previous “two-thirds commitment” funding formula for public schools, which fell by the wayside more than ten years ago due to state budget constraints.

He also wants to invest $10 million towards sparsity aid for rural districts. Eves said all this is a needed reinvestment. “That reinvestment will help districts get out from under of going to referendum every two years,” Evers said. The governor did not take questions following his remarks.

Senator Scott Fitzgerald

Republican legislative leaders were quick to indicate their lack of support for Evers’ proposals. “Every time the state has surplus revenue, Republicans look for ways to return that money to taxpayers. Democrats keep looking for ways to spend your money,” tweeted Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that when there’s a surplus, Republicans look to return those dollars to the hardworking taxpayers of the state” tweeted Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. “Democrats are fixated on growing the size of government, which they know we won’t do.”

Speaker Robin Vos

State government is expected to see $452 million more in the general fund to end the biennium than previously projected, according to figures released last month by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Evers’ Executive Order directs the legislature to meet in special session next Tuesday, February 11. Lawmakers are not obligated to meet on that date.

‘A partisan operation’ – Vos derides Evers’ approach on youth vaping

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Governor Tony Evers recently proposed a series of measures to combat youth vaping in Wisconsin, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) on Tuesday said the governor’s approach has been partisan.

“He reached out to no one, spoke to no one, worked only with Democrats, and they’re introducing partisan bills,” Vos said. “What was the purpose of that, if you actually wanted to get something across the finish line, as opposed to just kind of posing for holy pictures and then never actually doing the hard work.”

Vos said Republicans are also working on the youth vaping issue. It’s a topic the governor is expected to touch on, in tonight’s State of the State address. “Certainly working in a bipartisan fashion would give him a better chance of success than a partisan operation,” Vos said.

Firefighting foam bill begins efforts to address PFAS

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A bill addressing concerns over dangerous Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances  (PFAS) chemicals is ready for the governor’s signature. Those chemicals are used in a variety of applications, and when used in firefighting foam, they can contaminate ground and surface waters

Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) said PFAS contamination is “the number one issue” his office is dealing with. The bill prohibits use of the foam other than for testing or actual firefighting, as needed

Nygren acknowledges that more work needs to be done, to address the thousands of other PFAS chemicals and compounds currently in use.

Kulp won’t seek reelection in 69th Assembly District

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Rep. Bob Kulp

A Central Wisconsin legislator won’t be seeking re-election next year. Representative Bob Kulp (R-Stratford) announced on Thursday that he will not run for reelection when his term is up in January of 2021.

Kulp has served as representative for the 69th district since 2013 in a special election. “I’ve learned a lot personally, grown in every human way imaginable, but now it’s time to make way for someone new to bring their best to this job,” Kulp said in a statement.

Kulp said he plans to finish his term, which expires in January of 2021.

WSAU

Evers assigns ‘homework’ to legislative leaders

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Governor Tony Evers WRN image

Governor Tony Evers credits his education background, for a letter he sent to legislative leaders on Thursday. “Teacher turned governor, I thought it would be appropriate to assign the legislature some homework before adjourning this spring,” Evers said during a stop in Wausau.

“The people of Wisconsin deserve to have elected officials who show up and get things done, so I’m also asking the Legislature stay in session as long as is necessary to accomplish these important priorities,” said a press release from Evers’ office which announced the homework assignment.

If Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s reaction is any example, it didn’t go over well. In a tweet, Fitzgerald referred to Evers’ letter as “condescending” and “ridiculous.”

Evers identified priorities as capping copay amounts for insulin; closing the state’s “dark store” loophole; improving water quality; and addressing homelessness. He pointed to a bipartisan bill on homelessness and the results of the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality, which on Wednesday unveiled its proposals.

Clean water bills headed to Capitol this week

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A package of bills focused on improving water quality will be introduced in Wisconsin Wednesday. 

Republican State Representative Scott Krug says one big part of the bill will be support for an already successful farm conservation program.

 “Giving folks a chance to locally collaborate on their own watersheds to fix their problems back home, I think is the best bang for our buck.”

Democrat Katrina Shankland says she’s pushing for a state cleanup fund to support best farming practices as well as septic and well remediation.  

“I think if we want for clean water for everyone in Wisconsin, we have to be willing to pay for prevention and enforcement, as well as best practices. And I think the Clean Water Fund is something that we should be able to get behind, but it might take some time.” 

The package of bills comes out of several months worth of public hearings with the state’s Water Quality task force. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos created the task force shortly after Governor Tony Evers declared 2019 as the Year of Clean Water.