MADISON, WI (WRN) – Republican leaders of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee took a victory lap Thursday, prior to final action on their two year state budget.
Representative Mark Born says it represents a major improvement on what was sent them, by Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
“We knew that Governor Evers sent us a budget that was reckless. It focused on massive spending, major tax increases and expansion of welfare.”
The cornerstone of the Republican plan is a massive tax cut. Senator Howard Marklein…
“Three-point-five billion dollars. We also eliminate what I consider to be a very unfair tax on our small businesses, the personal property tax.”
The tax cuts – actually about 3-point-4 billion – would save the the typical family about 12-hundred dollars a year, although Democrats were quick to point out that higher income households would fare even better.
Republicans also say their budget would result in the state again covering two-thirds of the costs of K-12 education, and meet the federal government’s “maintenance of effort” requirement to qualify for more than two billion dollars in the last two COVID stimulus packages.
The Assembly and Senate could vote on this budget as early as the week after next. Governor Evers can reject or modify parts of their plan using his veto authority.
