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‘Wisconsin Unemployment Support Group’ Facebook group asks leaders for help

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The “Wisconsin Unemployment Support Group” on Facebook is asking state political leaders for help in securing benefits, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A letter sent to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos requests a special legislative session to be called to deal with the backlog.

Group administrator Chenon Times-Rainwater of West Bernd said she is still waiting, 14 weeks after filing her first application for the benefits. Times-Rainwater of West Bend says Vos was selected because he is in the best position to take the action needed. Additional letters have been sent to Governor Tony Evers and other state officials.

Evers administration to cut state spending by five percent

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Governor Tony Evers said Wednesday that his administration is formulating plans to cut state operating budgets by five percent, or approximately $70 million, due to increased costs and decreasing revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic

“This is a first step,” Evers said. “Cutting the operations budgets by five percent is approximately 70 million dollars in savings, which is important for us as a government going forward.”

Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan said his agency is working out specifics of how the cuts will be implemented. The cuts apply to state agencies, the UW System and technical colleges. A hiring freeze will be maintained, expect for positions related to the state’s pandemic response.

The action is seemingly one of the only things Evers has done right in the eyes of Republican leaders. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called it “a smart, proactive move by the administration.”

“We believe another prudent move might be to freeze the second year of the budget so that Wisconsin can plan accordingly,” Vos said in a statement.

Report: Wisconsin traffic down 40 percent during pandemic

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WRN photo

Coronavirus is driving a drop in traffic on Wisconsin roads. A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum finds that traffic across the state has fallen nearly 40 percent during the outbreak, accelerating a trend that began before the onset of COVID-19.

The biggest drops are in Madison and Milwaukee.

The report says the steep drop in driving will hurt Wisconsin, because the state uses gas tax revenues to pay for road projects and with fewer people driving fewer miles, there will be less gas tax money.

State tax filing deadline extended

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The Wisconsin Department of Revenue is giving taxpayers an additional 90 days to file their state income tax return.  The action matches that announced by the IRS to assist taxpayers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The declaration of a national emergency cleared the way for the filing deadline to be extended to July 15th.  Interest and penalties for taxpayers will be waived and they don’t have to file for an extension to wait until the later to pay up.

About half of all Wisconsin taxpayers won’t be affected because they have already filed their tax returns.

Further compromise on tax cuts & K-12 spending unlikely

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A compromise on tax cuts and K-12 spending between Governor Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders is unlikely. Evers on Wednesday vetoed a Republican-authored tax-cut package that passed just last week, but said he’s open to working on a new bill. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said that’s not going to happen.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (WRN)

“No. The Assembly’s adjourned. He knew that. We all knew that when the Assembly wrapped up their business last week.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) suggested the Democratic governor may not understand how things work. “I’m always willing to sit down and talk about it, but it’s usually before the bill is passed, not afterward, thinking we’re somehow going to negotiate now.”

Evers wants more of a projected $452 million dollars in extra state tax revenue to go to K-12 education, and lowered property taxes.

Vos said that for now, that money is out of reach. “Unfortunately it’s in the state checkbook, so it can’t help to grow the economy,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but I think it’s better to have it sit in the state’s checkbook than to grow the size of government.”

GOP leaders can attempt to override Evers’ veto. But in the Senate, where the bill passed with no Democratic support, they lack enough Republican votes to make that happen.

Evers vetoes Republican-authored tax cut bill

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Democratic Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday vetoed a $250 million dollar, Republican-authored tax-cut package, but offered something of an olive branch in the form of a request to meet with Republican leaders. The legislature passed the fast-tracked tax break last week, less than a week after its introduction.

Vetoing it at a Wauwatosa elementary school, Evers invited GOP leaders to negotiate a package he’d accept. “I’m hopeful that Republicans will come to the table and work with me, so we can get this done for our schools, our kids and our property taxpayers.”

Evers wants more of a projected 452 million dollars in extra state tax revenue to go to K-12 education, and lowered property taxes. “It can be done,” he said. “It’s a win-win for everybody. I don’t care if I get the credit, they can take the credit.” Evers sent a letter to Republican leaders, inviting them to meet with him.

State Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, was first out of the gate with a statement “With his veto pen, he has effectively raised taxes on these earners by an average of $106 per year,” Nygren said, referring to the tax relief for the average state income tax filer.

“This is the second middle-class tax cut that the Governor has vetoed in two years,” Nygren said “The Governor’s sudden fixation on property taxes is ironic given his budget had the largest increase in property taxes in over 10 years. It seems that the Governor has realized he screwed up and now wants a do-over.”

Fast break: GOP tax cuts headed to Evers

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Speaker Robin Vos

Less than a week after it was introduced, the state Assembly has sent a tax cut to Governor Tony Evers. And Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) is eager to see what the Democratic governor does with it. “Whether or not what he said during the campaign, about standing with the middle class is true, or does he stand with the far left of this chamber, which is clearly out of touch with the state of Wisconsin.”

Evers wanted some of a $392-million state revenue surplus spent on K-12 schools, a wish reiterated by Assembly Democrats. “Let’s put the focus back where it belongs. On our schools, on education, on our children, on our families, on the hard working people of Wisconsin,” said Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison).

Representative Marisabel Cabrera (D-Milwaukee) made her first floor speech, and directed her comments at Vos, in Spanish, and then in English. “After all, it is the people who are in charge, not you Mr. Speaker.”

The bill would reduce the average income tax bill by $106, provide a $45 million decrease in personal property taxes paid by businesses, and use $100 million to pay down state debt. Republicans said it was the right move. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: government will never, ever, ever spend your money better than you will,” said Representative Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls).

Thursday was the last Assembly floor action of the legislative session. Vos portrayed the session as a win for his caucus and the state. “Republicans are leading the way in Wisconsin in every way possible,” he said.

Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh)

Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) had a somewhat less rosy view. “This was a session that really began under the cloud of the lame duck, with a new Democratic governor whose powers were undermined before he was even sworn in,” Hintz said, adding that many good proposals never made it to the floor. “Remember, Governor Evers cannot sign laws if bills do not make it to his desk.”

Republicans in the Assembly were not alone in voting for the tax cut plan. Representatives Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska) and Nick Milroy (D- South Range) were yes votes. It got no Democratic votes in the Senate, where Republicans gavelled in early Thursday to vote passage.

While Thursday was the last day of action for the Assembly, the Senate is scheduled to be on the floor in March.

Republican tax cut plan headed to Assembly

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At the Capitol, a $247 million dollar Republican tax cuts package is on the fast track in the Assembly. In the Joint Finance Committee on Monday, Representative Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) called the process “incredibly fast”

“This bill was introduced Friday afternoon, and we’re here on a Monday, and the majority party wants to get it to the governor’s desk by the end of the day Thursday.” The budget panel approved the package on a partisan vote Monday.

Committee co-chair, Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), said it’s happened before – and Democrats did it. “A few of us were involved in the legislature when there was actually a tax increase that former Governor Doyle and Democrats who were in power at the time moved forward without actually any hearing at all.”

The package draws on increased state revenues, to increase the maximum deduction on income taxes, provide a property tax exemption for manufacturers and pay down state debt. It does not include money for K-12 education, which Evers had sought.

The Assembly’s final session day of the floor period is Thursday, and the state Senate is expected to complete its work in March.

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.”

State to collect more in revenue than projected

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

Based upon our analysis, we project the closing, net general fund balance at the end of this biennium (June 30, 2021) to be $620.2 million. This is $451.9 million above the balance that was projected at the time of enactment of the 2019-21 biennial budget, as modified to incorporate the 2018-19 ending balance (2019-20 opening balance) as shown in the Annual Fiscal Report for 2018-19.

The $451.9 million is the net result of: (1) an increase of $818.2 million in estimated tax collections; (2) an increase of $20.0 million in departmental revenues (non-tax receipts deposited into the general fund); (3) a decrease of $22.8 million in net appropriations; and (4) a transfer of $409.1 million to the budget stabilization fund.

Republican heads of the state’s powerful budget committee – Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), and Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) pledged to use the new revenue to “continue to look for ways to protect taxpayers instead of growing government.”

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz says the legislature should put some thought into it. {It) gets a little dangerous when you start making spending or tax cut decisions in a vacuum without an eye for the future,” Hintz said “That’s when government has some regrets.”

He’s hoping to see more funding for a number of the items that were cut from this year’s budget, including spending on youth prisons, aid for the UW-System, and school based mental health care.