[Madison, WI] – Tax Hike Tony Evers is changing his tune on his 2018 campaign promise to “raise no taxes.” While he conveniently neglected to mention it in last night’s budget address, Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed budget features a $1 billion tax hike and a rollback of former Gov. Scott Walker’s historic Act 10, which has saved Wisconsin taxpayers $13.9 billion over the past decade and put power in the hands of the people rather than special interest groups.
Of course, this is consistent with the recent behavior of Democrats in Wisconsin. Republicans in the Legislature just put a stop to the Evers administration’s surprise tax grab on struggling small businesses who benefitted from federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, and Gov. Evers still fails to lead the charge on reopening schools despite the scientific consensus. Wisconsinites deserve a governor who fights for Wisconsin families — not big government bureaucrats and special interest groups.
Read more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here or find excerpts below.
Tony Evers proposes rollback of Act 10 in budget that boosts school spending by $1.6 billion and raises $1 billion in taxes
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Patrick Marley and Molly Beck
February 16, 2021
Gov. Tony Evers proposed a $91 billion two-year spending plan Tuesday that seeks to stabilize Wisconsin’s economy as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and sets up a battle with Republican lawmakers by trying to roll back Act 10’s collective bargaining limits, legalize marijuana, increase the minimum wage and raise $1 billion in taxes.
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In one of his boldest moves, Evers called for throwing out much of Act 10, the 2011 law that all but eliminated collective bargaining for most public workers. The idea is sure to be rejected by Republicans, who have been preparing to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Act 10’s passage next month.
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In a similar effort, Evers is seeking to repeal the state’s right-to-work law, which prevents private-sector labor agreements that require workers to pay union fees. Republicans rejected that idea when Evers proposed it in his last budget.
Evers is pushing for raising the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to $8.60 as soon as the budget is signed. It would rise to $10.15 by 2024 and automatically increase at the rate of inflation every year after that. Evers wants a task force to study how to raise the minimum wage to $15.
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Evers would scale back a law that allows manufacturers to avoid having to pay state income taxes. He would keep the tax break in place for small operations, but not larger ones.
His budget would also increase taxes on capital gains for individuals earning $400,000 a year or more.
Republicans rejected similar tax increases on manufacturers and capital gains two years ago and are likely to do the same this time.