Madison, WI – More than two months after Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed AB 191, a bipartisan bill repealing Wisconsin’s antiquated and inefficient personal property tax, a group of democrat lawmakers and Governor Evers publicly shared LRB-4737, their alleged version of personal property tax repeal. AB 191 Senate lead author Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) released the following statement:
“The Governor’s decision to veto bipartisan legislation repealing Wisconsin’s antiquated personal property tax on July 9 was apparently too much to take for the few members of his party who don’t represent safe, left-wing districts around Madison and Milwaukee. Admitting that taxes hurt businesses and reversing course on the harmful veto, however, is apparently unthinkable without adding poison pill provisions to appease the left and serve as political cover for those not paying attention.
“AB 191 included virtually all changes requested by the Department of Revenue from an original March 25 memo and more requested changes we received only hours before the bill was taken up in the Assembly. Original legislative authors and stakeholders from the Coalition to Repeal were not consulted ahead of today’s bill draft release. This news story has all the hallmarks of political cover and not serious legislating.
“The proof this proposal is political posturing is in what was added to the proposal. LRB-4737 singles out specific industries, like manufactured homes and outdoor advertisers for adverse tax treatment. A permanent annual increase in local government aids was included because, to a democrat, a tax cut must include growing government. A completely unrelated, brand new special interest property tax exemption was added for air carriers.
“For the first time since statehood, as a culmination of a decade of work, Republicans passed a repeal of the personal property tax in AB 191. Governor Evers vetoed it. Now LRB-4737 is being proposed as a political shield to obscure this history.”
