WAUSAU, WI – Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) called on Governor Tony Evers to publicly commit to signing legislation that would repeal his 400-year property tax increase. Senate Bill 389 has already passed the Wisconsin State Senate, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos indicated today that the State Assembly will also pass legislation to repeal the governor’s unprecedented veto.
“Wisconsinites are being crushed by rising property taxes, and the ball is now in Governor Evers’ court,” said Congressman Tiffany. “He can admit his 400-year mistake and lower property taxes for families and seniors, or he can continue forcing taxpayers to pay more just to stay in their homes. As governor, I will repeal this tax hike as one of my first actions and ensure Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn.”
Background:
In 2023, Governor Evers used a partial veto in the state budget to strike digits and a hyphen from a temporary school funding provision, effectively authorizing annual property tax increases through the year 2425. Despite the clear overreach of his veto, the liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the action in April 2025.
As a result, school property taxes rose by 7.8 percent in December, the largest increase since 1992. Meanwhile, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, district-run public schools had $18,592 in per-pupil revenue, an all-time high and more than double the amount in 2000. While everyone agrees schools need adequate funding, declining enrollment, growing administrative staff, and worsening student outcomes point to a clear need for greater accountability.
Rather than fixing his mistake, Governor Evers announced plans today to use $1.3 billion in taxpayer dollars to mask the impact of his 400-year failure while labeling it “property tax relief.” This maneuver merely shifts costs temporarily, while property taxes will continue to rise for the next 400 years.
With Wisconsin already ranking among the top ten states with the highest property taxes, alongside Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, it is also worth noting that nearly every Democrat candidate for governor, including Mandela Barnes, has called to repeal Act 10. This move would further increase property taxes, with estimates showing taxpayers could be forced to pay as much as $2 billion more each year.
