Wisconsin Budget 2023-25
Wisconsin’s biennial budget negotiations concluded on July 5, when Gov. Tony Evers signed the budget the Wisconsin Legislature sent him, after making substantial alterations using his powerful partial veto authority. Wisconsin Examiner reporters bring you the details, breaking down the numbers and examining the proposals for spending the state’s record-breaking surplus. Follow along as we report on the budget process, follow the money and examine what it means for state residents with political stories, graphics, and on-the-ground reporting both inside the Capitol and out in communities around the state.
State Senate Republicans override three Evers vetoes, including two on the budget
After an hour-long exchange of speeches, Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted three times Thursday to override vetoes from Gov. Tony Evers, two of them partial vetoes that Evers made to the 2023-25 state budget. The override votes now go to the state Assembly, where the GOP is just two seats shy of the two-thirds […]
‘It just doesn’t add up’: Why the fees parents pay won’t cover the full cost of child care
Over a four-hour Assembly hearing on legislation relating to child care last week, several witnesses returned again and again to a measure that wasn’t on the table. The official agenda for the Sept. 6 public hearing covered Republican proposals to address the growing crisis in child care in Wisconsin, including a loan program to encourage […]
At Assembly hearing, providers mostly pan GOP child care bills
Six bills that Republicans have released pertaining to the state’s struggling child care services got their first public hearing Wednesday, and among most of the care providers who testified, the reaction ranged from gentle skepticism to sweeping condemnation. The author of five of the bills, Rep. Joy Goeben (R-Hobart) — a former child care provider […]
GOP lawmakers roll out tax cut package, spurn governor’s special session priorities
Republican lawmakers are taking another run at cutting Wisconsin’s second-highest tax bracket after Gov. Tony Evers vetoed their first attempt in July. The proposed tax cut on incomes ranging from under $28,000 to more than $400,000 is one of three items in the $2.9 billion package that GOP legislative leaders rolled out Tuesday. In addition, […]
Wisconsin’s public schools and the war on democracy
It’s an understatement to say that public school advocates are not happy with the state budget Gov. Tony Evers signed. “We’re not here to cheer for crumbs,” Heather DuBois Bourenane, executive director of the Wisconsin Public Education Network, declared at the group’s annual Summer Summit last week. “This budget did not deliver and will not […]
Evers issues special session call to ‘finish your work’ on the state budget
This report has been updated Amid mounting concern about rising child care tuition, shortages of child care workers and providers announcing their centers are closing, Gov. Tony Evers issued a call Tuesday for the Legislature to come back into a special session and “finish your work on the 2023-25 biennial budget, and pass a comprehensive […]
Milwaukee County Board committees advance additional sales tax
Members of the Milwaukee County Board’s finance and personnel committees voted on Monday to advance a resolution that would allow the county to adopt a 0.4% sales tax meant to help the county avoid a fiscal cliff. The personnel committee voted 5-0, while the finance committee voted 4-3 to advance the resolution with Supvs. Steve […]
The Wisconsin state budget is done. Now what?
Wisconsin’s biennial budget battle effectively ended Tuesday when the Milwaukee Common Council voted to raise the city’s sales tax. Getting permission from the state to hike the tax to 2% without going to referendum was the cornerstone of the shared revenue deal struck by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Republican legislative leaders and local officials in […]
Milwaukee Common Council approves additional 2% sales tax, avoiding financial crisis
The Milwaukee Common Council voted 12-3 on Tuesday to approve an additional 2% sales tax that will help the city avoid a financial crisis but that also came attached to several provisions that will limit local control. The revenue from the sales tax, which will go into effect on January 1, 2024, can be used […]
Child care advocates will try again for state money to support providers
The operators of Big Oak Child Care in Madison are contemplating what’s next as child care providers face the loss of $20 million a month in federally funded state aid. In June, that support was cut in half. Early next year it will go away completely. “We have to raise our tuition rates,” says Sarah […]
Republicans fuming after Evers’ vetoes: vow to ‘stand up and fight’
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) vowed that Republicans would “stand up and fight” against Gov. Tony Evers’ partial vetoes of the state budget, saying they were “trickery” and that he would look at trying to assemble the two-thirds majority needed to override Evers’ vetoes and pursue additional tax cuts. The comments by Vos come as […]
Republicans declare defeat, double down on bitterness after Evers line-item vetoes their budget
Normally in politics, public officials try to put a good face on compromise, taking credit for every legislative achievement they can credibly claim. But Wisconsin Republicans are not normal. Instead of taking a victory lap after Gov. Tony Evers signed the state budget they drafted — having summarily tossed out more than 500 items Evers […]
Wisconsin Budget 2023-25
Wisconsin’s biennial budget negotiations concluded on July 5, when Gov. Tony Evers signed the budget the Wisconsin Legislature sent him, after making substantial alterations using his powerful partial veto authority. Wisconsin Examiner reporters bring you the details, breaking down the numbers and examining the proposals for spending the state’s record-breaking surplus. Follow along as we report on the budget process, follow the money and examine what it means for state residents with political stories, graphics, and on-the-ground reporting both inside the Capitol and out in communities around the state.
PATH TO A BUDGET
Gov. Evers’ proposal
On Feb. 15, 2023, Gov. Tony Evers delivered his biennial budget address and released his plan for the state’s next two-year budget.
Budget skepticism
Evers’ proposed budget increased spending by 23%, cut income taxes by 10% for four out of five Wisconsin taxpayers and included a record increase for public education, $2.6 billion, which the governor touted as “the largest increase in K-12 schools and education in state history.” Transportation, broadband, child care, health care and PFAS cleanup were among the other priorities that received increased funding in Evers’ budget.
Republican legislative leaders were quick to express skepticism about Evers’ plan. While they said there were some areas where they anticipate a bipartisan deal can be made, the leaders of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee said they intended to start from scratch and build their own version of the budget, rather than working from Evers’ plan.
The Joint Finance Committee
The Joint Finance Committee heard from agency heads and other experts throughout the spring and early summer. When the committee finished its work, the Legislature voted on a spending plan and sent it to Evers for his signature or veto. The Wisconsin governor also had the power to partially veto legislation. In the last budget negotiation, Evers managed to increase spending on schools using his partial veto pen. The deadline for completing the new budget was July 1.
Evers signed the budget with partial vetoes
Wisconsin’s biennial budget negotiations concluded on July 5, when Gov. Tony Evers signed the budget the Wisconsin Legislature sent him, after making substantial alterations using his powerful partial veto authority.