BIPARTISAN COLLABORATION EVIDENT IN DETAILS OF BIENNIAL PRIORITIES
July 2, 2025 (MILWAUKEE) – A bipartisan agreement between Governor Tony Evers, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Speaker Robin Vos on the state budget will support several provisions advocated for by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), including increased funding to K-12 and post-secondary education, helping taxpaying residents and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money and supporting improvements to the criminal justice system in Milwaukee County.
The budget, unveiled Tuesday by the state legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, will now go to the floor of the state assembly and senate for approval before moving to Gov. Evers’ desk for signature.
“For nearly a decade and a half, the state legislature and the executive branch have improved the business climate, helped Wisconsin cultivate a talented workforce and fostered an attractive location for businesses to launch, move and expand,” said MMAC President Dale Kooyenga. “The 2025-27 budget is another good example of policymaking that forges a path forward for the state of Wisconsin.”
Several provisions of the biennial budget were strongly supported by the MMAC, including:
Education funding
- A $1.4 billion increase in spendable aid for K-12 schools statewide.
- Largest increase in the reimbursement K-12 schools receive for special education in Wisconsin history – increasing from 32% to 42% in 2026 and 45% in 2027.
- A $256 million increase in operational funding for the UW system.
- $840 million in capital funding for UW campuses across the state, including more than $260 million for projects at UW-Milwaukee and increased funding for the Marquette University School of Dentistry.
Tax cuts
- Continuing Wisconsin’s downward trajectory in overall tax burden, including a permanent reduction of individual income taxes by $643 million over the biennial period.
- Sales tax elimination on electricity and natural gas bills.
Public safety
- Measures empowering Milwaukee County to build a new courthouse and public safety building.
- An additional 12.5 new positions added to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office to mitigate a backlog of cases.
“We appreciate the relationships we have with the governor and legislators on both sides of the aisle and the effort they made in listening to our members’ priorities,” said Kooyenga. “There is still work to be done, including items in our K-12 education strategy like closing the gap in funding between public, voucher and charter schools. We would also like to see increased tax relief for small businesses. But there are a lot of wins in this budget – wins that will keep our state economically competitive and headed in the right direction.”
