MADISON, Wis. — Thanks to Governor Evers’ steady leadership, Wisconsin now has a projected record-breaking $3.8 billion budget surplus — and Wisconsinites have still received a 15% tax break. While Gov. Evers has proposed getting working families the help they need right now, Republican leaders have indicated they’re going to wait over a year to return taxpayers’ money.
Gov. Evers’ plan directs taxpayer dollars back to Wisconsin families now to help them pay bills and address rising costs. Specifically, the governor has called on the legislature to give a portion of the surplus back to Wisconsinites through the following programs:
- $150 tax rebate for every Wisconsin tax filer and each of their dependents
- Expand the Child and Dependent Care Credit, giving an average of $274 back to more than 100,000 Wisconsinites
- Create a new $100 million Caregiver Tax Credit, benefiting approximately 370,000 tax filers
- Nearly $750 million to improve education quality while keeping property taxes down
In response, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement:
“Governor Tony Evers has proven that doing the right thing pays off. In addition to this record budget surplus, Wisconsin now has the lowest unemployment rate and the lowest number of unemployed people in state history. The governor has put Wisconsinites first with every decision — from quickly directing federal relief money to small businesses to following through on his promise to cut taxes and increase education investments.
“Now, Wisconsin has the opportunity to give even more money back to working families. While Wisconsin’s economy is miles ahead of the rest of the nation, families are still struggling with rising costs. That’s why Governor Evers has called on the legislature to pass his plan to give money back to the people, right now. He knows that the right thing to do is to invest this budget surplus back into the economy and directly into Wisconsinites’ pockets.
“Unfortunately, Republicans have threatened to hold taxpayer dollars hostage for the next year, in the hopes that someone from their political party will be in charge by then. This shouldn’t have anything to do with who is signing the checks or who gets the credit — this is about giving money back to Wisconsin families and continuing to help our economy be one of the best in the nation. If Wisconsinites’ money collects dust for the next year — it’ll be on Republicans to explain why they’ve chosen to put their selfish political agenda above helping families put food on the table.”
