Democrats Finally Find Free Money They Don’t Want
On Friday, Governor Tony Evers slammed the door on Assembly Bill 602, blocking Wisconsin families from accessing up to $1,700 per student in scholarships for private school tuition or essential public school expenses like tutoring, special education, transportation, and classroom supplies. In other words, Evers vetoed a lifeline for parents who want more than the status quo.
The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the measure to require the governor to notify federal officials by July 1, 2026, of Wisconsin’s participation in the initiative created under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the OBBB. The program allows individuals to donate up to $1,700 to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations and claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit. Scholarship organizations would distribute the funds starting in 2027 with no state spending required.
Supporters described the program as “literally free money” for schools that Democrats routinely call underfunded. By providing up to $1,700 per student, the scholarships could help families offset education costs and supplement resources for both private and public schools. The program permits use of the funds for tuition, tutoring, and specialized services, potentially enabling school districts and families to address targeted educational needs without reducing allocations from Wisconsin’s existing education budget. Republican sponsors argued the bill would expand opportunity for families while injecting new resources into classrooms.
In his veto message, Evers flatly rejected the expansion, calling it the first major federal program to redirect public funds to private tuition through tax incentives. He criticized it for giving private vouchers “carte blanche to run roughshod over public education with no accountability or spending caps. Citing his background as a former teacher, principal, and state superintendent in the state that created the nation’s first private school voucher program, Evers wrote, “Public funds should go to public schools. Period.” He warned the program could cost taxpayers billions nationally, with some estimates reaching $51 billion annually.
Thanks to Evers, Wisconsin now stands alone as the only state refusing to participate. Even blue states like Oregon, Hawaii, and New Mexico are rethinking their opposition. Colorado’s Democrat governor, Jared Polis, called the program a ‘no-brainer.’ Twenty-eight governors have already signed on or are planning to do so. But in Wisconsin, common sense is apparently out of fashion.
The federal program, enacted last summer, is the first national tax-credit scholarship and does not reduce existing federal public school funding. It operates alongside Wisconsin’s existing voucher programs. Evers’ office confirmed in March that he had not changed his position despite the Legislature’s action.
Conservative education advocates and Republican lawmakers criticized the veto as denying Wisconsin students and schools a new potential funding stream. The program’s flexible use of scholarships would have enabled public school districts to fund additional services—for example, tutoring or special education—while providing eligible private school students with tuition assistance, all without increasing state spending. Supporters argued that this flexibility could have delivered tailored educational support for diverse students’ needs across the state.
Evers’ veto leaves Wisconsin outside the federal program, unless overridden by future legislation or a new governor. According to court records and fiscal analyses, participation would entail no direct state cost, but could bring scholarship funds to families and schools.
