Good evening, everyone. The state of our state is strong, but not for the reasons you heard earlier tonight. The state of our state is strong in spite of the governor, not because of him.
Thanks to strong Republican majorities in the legislature, Wisconsin families have only seen one example of what state government could look like with full Democrat control: Governor Evers’ disastrous 400-year veto that is driving property taxes through the roof. If the Democrats were in charge in Madison, Wisconsin would be a very different place. Jobs would flee to other states after they repeal the Manufacturers and Agriculture Tax Credit. Our increasingly mobile workforce would leave for states with lower income tax rates. And popular reforms like Voter ID and the REINS Act would have been repealed a long time ago. Thankfully, that’s not reality. And thanks to the state legislature, the state of our state is strong.
Since 2011, we’ve cut your taxes by a cumulative $42 billion. That’s more than $7,500 for each person in Wisconsin that they have left in their pockets to address rising costs. Even after these historic tax cuts, the state continues to have strong surpluses. Right now, Wisconsin has a projected $2.5 billion surplus. Tax cuts are an important way the state government can do what’s best for Wisconsin families, but we also need to invest in core priorities, like healthcare, education, and transportation.
Earlier this session, the Senate passed two important bills that will increase access to affordable healthcare.
The first proposal extends Medicaid eligibility for postpartum mothers from 60 days to a full year after giving birth. The second ensures insurance coverage for supplemental breast cancer screenings for women with heightened cancer risk. That’s on top of the $7.8 billion increase the state budget provided our healthcare system, including support for hospitals, long-term care, and mental health facilities. Those investments won’t solve every challenge facing our healthcare system, but they’ll make a meaningful impact across our state.
For schools, the bipartisan biennial budget provided record-high funding, including the largest increase in state-support for special education. Roads are a critical part of Wisconsin manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism, so we invested more than $1 billion in transportation, including $303 million for local roads and bridges.
Tonight, Wisconsin stands at a crossroads. As families across the state feel the impact of rising costs, the state government has a $2.5 billion surplus. You know what, let me repeat that. As you and your family are struggling to pay for groceries, housing, and utilities, the state government has $2.5 billion of your money sitting in Madison. We want to give it back to you.
Speaker Vos and I sent a proposal to Governor Evers to return a portion of the surplus to taxpayers through a $1,000 rebate check. This would come on top of the $1.5 billion in tax cuts for the middle class and retirees we already passed last summer. Our plan would use the remaining surplus to strengthen our commitment to special education above what we promised in the budget and dedicate $500 million to limit the property tax impact of the governor’s 400-year veto.
I love Wisconsin. I’ve chosen to live here most of my life. I have owned a small business for 20 years. I want to make Wisconsin even stronger. We can make our state stronger by lowering property taxes, supporting schools, and returning the surplus to the people who created it: you, the taxpayers.
The legislature is ready, it is up to Governor Evers to make this compromise a reality. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the great state of Wisconsin.
Video: https://youtu.be/ZzhZ7f4GWgM
