MARSHFIELD, Wis (WSAU) — The proposed 2017-2019 state budget would generally be good for business and commerce in the state.
That’s according to Jason Culotta, Senior Director of Government Relations for the group Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, who made a stop at Marshfield’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday with State Representative Bob Kulp to explain and talk about the proposed state budget.
Culotta said property tax cuts, investments in school tech. ed. and apprenticeship programs, and a proposed simplification of construction industry sales tax, are just a few of the things in the budget that bode well for business.
“When it comes to elements included in the budget, continued property tax relief is a positive. The education investment is helpful when it comes to dual enrollment, apprenticeships, tech. ed., things of that nature,” Culotta explained.
“One of the issues I’m excited about is to simplify sales tax reporting for construction contractors. Wisconsin has a very complicated sales tax system, and it’s really a pretty easy fix, not very costly to the state coffers, and it should save a lot of people a lot of time.”
Also in the proposed budget is more than $500 million for a “per pupil” funding increase for K-12 education.
“The Governor’s budget makes a substantial increase in K-12 spending. Depending on how many kids you have in your district, you get $200 per kid in the first year of the budget, and you get that $200 plus another $204 increase in the second year, Culotta explained. “So it’s a substantial, pretty healthy injection for a lot of school districts.”
State Representative Bob Kulp was also on hand for the forum, and said he wants to keep additional money for K-12 funding in the budget, and that he opposes the governor’s proposed college tuition freeze and possible 5% tuition reduction.
When it comes to funding transportation, Kulp doesn’t want to see large registration fee increases, and Kulp also reported that he’s working on a bill to phase phase out the state’s personal property tax, possibly through a series of incremental tax credits.
Up next in the state budget process are a series of six public hearings around the state conducted by the Joint Finance Committee over the next three weeks, and executive session voting on the budget will start the first week of May.
The budget bill could to go to the full state legislature around the middle of June, with final approval coming by around the end of June.
