Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Taxes

Evers to veto Republican tax cuts

By

State Assembly Republicans on Tuesday passed a package of tax cuts totaling nearly $3 billion. “The governor after his line item veto, the average tax cut was about $36,” said Oostburg Republican Terry Katsma. “This proposal that we have here today is going to result in an average tax cut of about $770. We need to return this money back to the taxpayers.”

The bill would reduce the third-highest tax bracket to 4.4% from 5.3%, and also expand an existing break on retirement income. Governor Tony Evers has already promised a veto, warning the cuts could “break the bank” for future state budgets.

Lawmakers also approved a proposal to amend the state constitution to require approval from a two-thirds majority of each chamber of the Legislature in order to raise taxes.

Evers partial vetoes of state budget include new K-12 funding for 400 years

By

Democrat Governor Tony Evers has used the line-item veto to give Wisconsin school districts their largest base revenue increase in history. 

“I have also used my broad veto authority to provide school districts with predictable long-term increases for the foreseeable future.”

The governor cut words and hyphens from a provision on revenue increases in the Republican-authored state budget to put a 325 dollar per year per pupil increase into revenue limits for schools for the next 400 years. He also eliminated a Republican proposal to remove the state’s top tax bracket and put back over 180 positions at the UW-System. Republicans say Evers is being irresponsible with taxpayer money, and creating unsustainable programs. 

Evers says all of these vetoes were necessary. “They sent the budget back to my desk without making critical investments in key areas that they know and have acknowledged are essential to the success of our state.”

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos voiced his disappointment on Wednesday. “Vetoing tax cuts on the top two brackets provides hardly any tax relief for truly middle-class families. His decision also creates another economic disadvantage for Wisconsin, leaving our top bracket higher than most of our neighboring states, including Illinois.”

 

State Assembly debates state budget after Senate approves it Wednesday night

By

State Assembly Democrats made one final plea for more funding in the state budget as the chamber debated the bill on Thursday.

Democrat minority leader Greta Neubauer says Republicans can still fund social programs. 

“There is still time for our Republican colleagues to realize the error they are committing by failing to work with us and Governor Evers on a budget that delivers real lasting solutions.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says Republicans are sending most of the projected 7 billion dollar tax surplus back to taxpayers. 

“Almost half of the dollars that were overtaken from the citizens of Wisconsin back to them in income and property tax cuts.”

But Republicans have cut some of Governor Tony Evers’s major pledges in the budget, including multiple cuts for the UW-System. Evers has threatened a total veto if that money isn’t put back.

Legislative Joint Finance committee finishes proposed state budget with over $4 billion in tax cuts

By

Heading into the final budget session on Thursday, Republicans on the legislative joint finance committee say they’ve delivered over 4 billion dollars in tax cuts.

Co-chair Republican Representative Mark Born says the cuts should come as no surprise. 

“That’s some great news with the continued tax relief properly returning the money that we over-collected from the taxpayers of Wisconsin.”

Committee co-chair Senator Howard Marklein says it’s important to return money to residents. “We invested historic amounts of money in our core priorities, while also providing for a historic tax cut, the largest tax cut in history.”

But Democrats say that the budget does more harm than good. Assemblyman Evan Goyke from Milwaukee says that the budget as it stands is a disservice to Wisconsin’s youth as the population continues to age. 

“I don’t see in the budget any initiatives that will catch the attention of young people to either come here or to stay here.”

Senator La Tonya Johnson of Milwaukee says cuts to childcare programs will harm the state. 

“If we do not have reliable quality childcare, our parents cannot go to work.”

Once Joint Finance is done with the budget, it will head to the Legislature for approval, and then to Governor Tony Evers, who can sign it, veto it, or use the line-item veto to modify it.

Evers signs historic shared revenue deal

By

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed an historic shared revenue deal. At a Wausau fire station Tuesday, the governor explained stagnant state funding has put local governments in a bind.

“So with shared revenue being held stagnant for the last decade local partners in every corner of the state have been forced to make impossible decisions about what essential services to fund.”

The law provides an additional $247.9 million in state aid to counties and municipalities. “Today means our local partners might finally be able to make ends meet.”

The Democratic governor acknowledged the bipartisan nature of the bill and acknowledged the work of its Republican co-authors. State Senate Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Representative Tony Kurz (R-Wonewoc) were present for the signing but were not among the speakers.

The deal also prevents a financial crisis by allowing elected leaders to vote on local sales taxes in Milwaukee, but also places restrictions and requirements on what the city and county may do with new sales tax revenues. “Obviously the folks from the city of Milwaukee had some really difficult things to answer to regarding . . . requirements that they have to do,” Evers said. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and County Executive David Crowley attended the bill signing.   

Evers defended provisions of the shared revenue deal which provide additional state funding for private “choice” schools in Wisconsin. “We added a little bit more money in order to get this deal across the finish line,” the governor said. “But the idea that somehow voucher schools and independent charters haven’t been receiving money and all of a sudden they are this time, that’s just not true.”OR

The governor has been sharply criticized by the state’s largest teachers union, public education advocates and some Democrats in the legislature who believe he caved in. Republicans are calling it the largest expansion of choice schools in state history. Vouchers will now total $9,499 per student for K-8 and $11,993 per student for high school. The deal also adds $1 billion to the budget for public K-12 schools. 

 

 

     

Shared revenue deal approved by Wisconsin Legislature

By

Both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature on Wednesday approved an historic compromise to overhaul state funding for local governments. The shared revenue bill will provide an additional $275 million to counties and municipalities. It’s now ready for Governor Tony Evers’ signature. Evers negotiated the deal with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.

Key provisions of the measure would allow the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County raise local sales taxes with two-thirds votes by the city’s common council and the county board. Those revenue would be used to pay down pension debt and preserve police staffing.

There are also requirements of, and restrictions on, how the city can allocate the additional revenue generated. Milwaukee will be prohibited from using sales tax revenue to fund diversity, equity and inclusion or “The Hop” streetcar. The city’s police and fire commissions will lose oversight authority, and Milwaukee Public Schools will be required to hire police officers.

During Assembly debate, those provisions were criticized by Milwaukee Democrats. “I’m going to fight like hell to get these policies off our books because codifying laws that attack minority communities and attacking local control is not reasonable,” said Representative Dora Drake.          

Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde addressed Speaker Robin Vos. “This is not a good deal Mr. Speaker. But know this. Your days of futile power are coming to an end Milwaukee is strong our leaders are strong.”

Drake and Moore Omokunde voted no. And Representative Jessie Rodriguez, an Oak Creek Republican and one of the bill’s original sponsors, couldn’t support it after tax increase referendums were removed.     

“It conveys the message that legislators don’t value the public’s input or even worse that we don’t trust their judgment when it comes to critical decisions that impact their community’s financial future,” Rodriguez said.

“I do want to see the pensions for the city in the county of Milwaukee going to the state going forward, and I do want to see shared revenue being tied to inflation for the entire state,” said Milwaukee Representative Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, one of 12 Democrats to vote yes. 

Representative Christine Sinicki of Milwaukee objected to the restrictions placed on the city, but also voted yes. “I am disappointed that the governor agreed to these policies. He along with all of us were forced into a corner on this. There were threats made. You were going to pull Milwaukee out of the deal if we didn’t come to an agreement.”

The bill passed Assembly 68-26 with 21 Democrats and five Republicans voting against it. The measure also received six votes from Democrats as it passed the state Senate 21-15.

Evers says he won’t sign budget with massive cut to UW System

By

Governor Tony Evers said Wednesday that he won’t sign a state budget that includes a big cut to the UW System. The $32 million cut from Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature is equivalent to what the UW had projected for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said at the Capitol that taxpayer money should not be going to what he calls “a new religion for people on the left,” adding that “they no longer go to church on Sunday, but boy, are they trying to make sure that everybody is evangelized on campus, that there’s only one acceptable viewpoint.”

“If you want to raise money in the private sector, if you want to have a bake sale or put money into your own ideology you have every right to do that because we live in America,” Vos said. “But it’s not the right to use taxpayer dollars to try to push one ideology over another.”

During a stop at a Monroe dairy plant, Evers was asked whether he’ll sign a budget with the massive cut to the UW. “No. $32 million is a ridiculous effort on his part,” Evers said, referring to the Assembly leader. “To cut at this point in time the University of Wisconsin System when we have a $7 billion surplus is irrational. Tying that to diversity issues frankly is equally bad.”

Evers said he hopes the UW cut will be changed before work on the budget is completed.

    

Dems say some cities left behind in shared revenue deal

By

Democrats in the legislature say some medium sized Wisconsin cities are getting short-charged in the shared revenue sales tax bill.

“The deal that has been negotiated certainly moves us in a better direction. The 20% minimum increase certainly is helpful to many communities including some that I represent,” state Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) said on Monday. “But there are some folks who still get left behind including the city of Janesville.”

Spreitzer said medium sized cities including Janesville, Waukesha and Eau Claire are getting left behind, and will only see relatively minor increases in the amount of shared revenue they receive from the state.

“We’re just trying to be sure that we are listening to the, to those midsize cities,” said Senator Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire). “This is like the doughnut hole.”

An amendment from Spreitzer and Senator Jeff Smith to address the issue was was rejected in a committee vote on Monday. The Joint Finance Committee will exec on shared revenue legislation on Tuesday.

Evers and Republican leaders reach shared revenue deal

By

Republican leaders and Democratic Governor Tony Evers have reached a deal on a shared revenue bill. It will increase state funding for local governments and schools. Critically, it allows Milwaukee area leaders to raise sales taxes without a referendum, in order to pay down pension obligations.

The bill also includes historic increases in voucher payments for choice schools, and increased funding for K-12 public schools.

It also repeals the personal property tax. Republican leaders expect to pass it and send it to Governor Evers for h

Shared revenue bill passes Assembly but remains in doubt

By

At the Capitol, Assembly Republicans have passed their shared revenue bill on Wednesday. But Democrats say the measure falls short, and it’s unclear whether Governor Tony Evers and the state Senate are on board.

At a press conference prior to Wednesday’s floor vote on the amended legislation, Speaker Robin Vos was clear that this is take it or leave it. Vos sad the final bill was the result of months of “good faith” negotiations. He said the amended version will provide a guaranteed 15% increase in state shared revenue for every community in Wisconsin.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer said Republicans haven’t done their due diligence on the measure, calling it “not ready for primetime.” An Evers spokesperson said he hasn’t signed off on any amendment to the bill, which devotes 20 percent of future state state sales tax revenue to local units of government.

On Thursday, state Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told the Associated Press that caucus would likely strip out a provision that would require approval from voters in Milwaukee to raise local sales taxes. Vos said could kill the bill that the Assembly passed.