Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said he would like to push one more tax cut through the Legislature.
Fitzgerald said he thinks revenue estimates will be high enough to allow for a tax cut before the Legislature adjourns in March or April. He didn’t offer specifics on how the cut would be structured.
“I think we’re going to be able to do it,” Fitzgerald said. “I think it will put families in a much better position in Wisconsin.”
Fitzgerald discussed state issues and his bid for Congress on the Sunday “UpFront” program, produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.
He said he doesn’t see “any momentum” for a gun bill Evers and legislative Democrats proposed. That legislation would allow a judge to seize people’s firearms for up to a year if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
Fitzgerald said Evers wants gun confiscation.
In response to a reporter’s question at a Thursday news conference, Evers said he would consider a mandatory gun buyback program, but that he was primarily focused on red flag laws and universal background checks.
“I think there’s some Democrat members of the Legislature (who) are very nervous right now about how far Gov. Evers is and how extreme he has become on this overall issue,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald also said a plan by Milwaukee city and county to hold a spring referendum on a 1-percent sales tax increase is “dead on arrival.” The city and county need permission from state lawmakers to hold the vote.
“The Legislature’s just not going to go along with this right now,” he said.
Fitzgerald last week said he will seek the 5th Congressional District seat opening next year with the retirement of Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner.
“UpFront” host Adrienne Pedersen asked Fitzgerald, who was an early supporter of Donald Trump in Wisconsin, if there was anything on which he disagreed with the president.
“Nothing that comes to mind right now,” he said.
Fitzgerald credited Trump with a “roaring” economy in Wisconsin, “which is why I think he’s going to be reelected in Wisconsin.”
Pedersen also asked Fitzgerald if he was concerned about the impact Trump’s tariffs have had on Wisconsin farmers and manufacturers.
“When I talk to farmers, what they say is ‘We’re with the president,'” Fitzgerald said.
“(Trump’s) on the offense, he continues to push, China is now responding to that, and I think the farmers are going to hang in there with him because of that,” Fitzgerald said.
Also on the program, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski said a new task force on retirement security will look for “pragmatic solutions” to help Wisconsin residents better prepare for retirement.
“When the typical working household has less than $3,000 saved in retirement, the governor and I believe that we need to do something to make sure Wisconsinites feel secure when they retire,” Godlewski said.
She said the task force will work to better understand the barriers that individuals or businesses face when it comes to retirement savings, and look at best practices in other states.
“Wisconsin has been falling behind,” she said.
See more from the program:
http://www.wisn.com/upfront
