Several members of the Wisconsin State Legislature are calling on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to immediately convene a special session to revive work on a bipartisan package of tax relief for families and increased school funding.
The letter, which was first posted to Rep. Todd Novak’s Facebook page and signed by six Republican members of the state assembly, comes just days after a negotiated $1.8 billion deal to spend down part of the state’s projected $2.5 billion surplus collapsed in the Senate during a special session called by Evers himself. The proposal included roughly $850 million in direct rebate payments to taxpayers, elimination of state income taxes on tips and overtime earnings, more than $600 million for K-12 education and special education reimbursement rates, and additional property tax relief through technical college aid.
The Assembly passed the measure with strong Republican support and some Democratic votes, but it died in the Senate when all Democrats and three Republicans voted against it. Vote tallies showed 96 percent of Republicans backed the plan while 82 percent of Democrats opposed it.
Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Diane Hesselbein and Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, quickly signaled opposition, arguing the one-time spending could strain future budgets and force cuts to schools and other services.
Conservative observers note the surplus itself exists because Republican majorities in the Legislature have repeatedly checked Evers’ spending appetite. We here at the Heartland Post reported that Democrats, not Tiffany, killed the deal with near-unanimous opposition, yet party leaders have tried to shift blame to avoid accountability for blocking direct relief to Wisconsin families and schools already facing Evers-driven property tax hikes.
Legislators pressing for a new special session argue there is still time to deliver relief and criticize what they call political gamesmanship and ideological extremes in both parties, which prevented a deal from being reached. The failed deal would have eliminated tax on overtime and tips, sent $300 checks to individuals and $600 to married couples filing jointly, provided additional property tax relief for veterans, and provided the largest-ever increase in special education funding.
