The latest Marquette University Law School Poll reveals that voters are FAR more concerned with sky-high property tax rates than they are with supposedly under-funded public schools.
Wisconsinites are fed up with property taxes, and the latest Marquette University Law School poll just handed Republicans a roadmap to make this one of the defining issues heading into November.
Democrats have spent considerable time trying to tell voters that property tax increases are caused by Republicans. They claim if Republicans simply stopped “underfunding” public schools, districts wouldn’t be forced to go to referendum. Instead, they are making a push to “fully-fund” public schools, but what does that mean?
The short version? Use your income tax dollars to pay for schools to prevent your property taxes from increasing. Even shorter? Taxpayers get screwed. Shifting the education tax burden from property tax to income tax revenue allows Democrats to avoid the annual sticker shock hit and replace it with the slow burn of monthly deductions from your direct deposit that seem less shocking.
It is not the worst message Democrats could have gone with, but it has a fatal flaw. This is the same playbook Democrats have been using for years. The message has always been more money with no reforms. Despite Wisconsin’s declining enrollment, there is no concerted push by Democrats to make reforms to rightsize public education.
But the numbers don’t lie, and the public isn’t buying the spin.
According to the latest Marquette Law Poll, voters are more concerned with property taxes compared to public education by a wide margin. However, there is a wrinkle to consider that does not make the property tax political football a guaranteed winning issue.
Governor Tony Evers’ infamous 400-year partial veto has caused political waves and controversy since it was first enacted, yet he said he has “no regrets” about the move. Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany, have used it as a cornerstone wedge issue that paints Democrats as the architects of the current property tax increases and 400 years of additional increases. However, the latest data shows that voters are not quite connecting the dots between high property taxes and the 400-year veto as the culprit—leaving a small window for Democrats.
Slightly better news for Democrats shows that voters are again split between choosing instant rebate checks or increased state aid to prevent property increases. What pollsters probably did not tell individuals was that “state aid” is just more of your tax money. This question, although inherently flawed, does show that Democrats do have a messaging path to explaining away property tax increases.
Despite this good news for Democrats, defending the status quo is always hard. Republicans have a simpler, more popular message: Put the money back in taxpayers’ pockets right now. And here’s the kicker—the issue is literally on the ballot in November. A constitutional amendment to rein in the governor’s partial veto power is going before voters, and the public is already overwhelmingly against the status quo.
That’s a mandate waiting to happen and Democrats understand that. How do we know? Well, a bit of speculation can go a long way. Senate Joint Resolution 116 was the resolution that put this question on the ballot. Conveniently, three vulnerable Democrat representatives were notably absent from this vote. Running in a close race having voted against this legislation could have been a very bad look if this is the central issue come November. Or perhaps it was a coincidence—you decide.
As November approaches, Democrats will increasingly attempt to message this away—talking about “school funding” and “kids” while ignoring the fact that Wisconsin already spends an incredible amount on education and property taxes keep climbing. They’re hoping voters will forget whose veto pen contributed to this mess.
But here’s the truth: This isn’t a total slam-dunk yet. The Marquette data shows the opening is there—wide open—if Republicans message it aggressively and relentlessly. Hammer the numbers. Highlight the veto power grab. Offer real relief instead of more spending. Tie it directly to the Democratic agenda that’s been driving up the tax bills and you have a winning formula.
