MADISON, Dec 3, 2021 — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin President John Mielke issued the following statement regarding Gov. Evers’ veto of Senate Bill 125, which would have provided a tuition tax break for apprenticeship, similar to tuition tax breaks for bachelor’s and associate degree students in Wisconsin:
“Wisconsin is suffering from a significant shortage of skilled construction workers that can only be addressed by using an “all of the above” approach to get more folks into the state’s world class apprenticeship programs. According to Governor Evers’ own Department of Revenue, as many as 14,000 Wisconsin apprentices would have been able to take advantage of this bipartisan tax deduction. By vetoing SB 125, Governor Evers refused to treat apprentices the same as students pursuing bachelor’s and associate degrees for income tax deduction purposes. While we are disappointed, ABC looks forward to continuing to work with elected officials, regardless of party affiliation, to get more people into the skilled construction trades.”
