Gov. Tony Evers released his $119 billion state budget proposal that Republican lawmakers called “dead on arrival” — Jason Stein of the Wisconsin Policy Forum discussed the politics of the spending plan and how it gets worked out between the parties.
Jason Stein
President, Wisconsin Policy Forum

• The governor’s state budget proposal for the 2025-27 biennium calls for more than $3 billion in K-12 funding, $856 for the Universities of Wisconsin, and $60 million for technical colleges, among other spending proposals, as well as $200 billion in tax cuts but with an increase on taxes for incomes above $500,000 for single filers and $1 million for joint filers. A Republican co-chair of the state Legislature’s budget-writing committee called the governor’s proposed budget “reckless.” Stein provided immediate analysis following the budget address by Evers on Feb. 18, and in a follow-up interview said Republicans want more significant income tax cuts given the state’s $4.3 billion surplus.
• Stein: “That’s where the real rub is going to be — the back and forth with the governor, I mean the governor’s proposal would decrease some taxes but raise a number of others, and on net would increase taxes by more than $2 billion. Now, obviously, given that the state has a $4 billion surplus, that’s a nonstarter for Republicans. They will be looking at large income tax cuts, which last time the governor vetoed. I think the thing that will probably keep both sides working with one another is with no budget passing, there would be upward pressure on property taxes around the state, particularly school property taxes, because of provisions that are in current law. So I think both sides are going to really feel some pressure to get a deal, because they don’t really want to see that happen.”

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