MADISON – Imagine for a moment that someone knocked on your door and said, “I want to help pay for your children to attend the school that best meets their learning needs – public, private, or otherwise. I’m not asking the state for any new taxes. I’m not asking it to cut a single existing program. And when it’s over, the state’s budget will be exactly the same and schools will get more money.”
Naturally, you’d ask, “So what’s the catch? Who pays for it?”
And they’d answer: “Donors pay upfront, the federal government reimburses them through tax credits, and the state simply allows the transaction to happen.” It’s a win, win, win, win – for the kid, for the private donor, for the state budget, and the schools.
This extraordinary offer actually did knock on Wisconsin’s door as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – and this morning, Governor Tony Evers slammed the door in its face.
The new federal law created a program that awards federal tax credits for people donating to organizations that grant educational scholarships to children in their home state. It costs states nothing to participate in the program. All states have to do to let their children benefit from life-changing scholarships is say, “we opt in,” and meet some basic reporting requirements.
For the Legislature, doing this was a no-brainer. Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) and I quickly drafted companion bills, and the legislature passed Assembly Bill 602 (AB 602). But this morning, the governor vetoed it.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for young students and their families. The sheer scale and impact of the program would have been historic. Students in households 300% or below the area median income would have qualified for the scholarships – that’s more than 80% of our K-12 students.
If just 15% of Wisconsinites with a tax liability donated and claimed the full tax credit, the state could raise nearly a quarter of a billion dollars for scholarships that create opportunities for children, regardless of their ZIP code or whether they attend a public, private, or charter school. You read that right: almost $250 million more for schools – without raising taxes. We could have offered another option for the student who dreads going to school every morning, giving them a chance to feel safe, confident, and hopeful about their future again.
We could have connected students who learn better in smaller groups, or have sensory issues, or need more individualized attention, with classrooms designed for how they actually learn.
We could have empowered students seeking career, technical, or trade-focused education, or strong arts, music, or STEM programs, or other advanced coursework not available locally.
The list goes on. There is a school for every child – but not every family can afford to get their child through the door. This program would have offered that chance.
This was a missed opportunity for Wisconsin. It was a rare chance to align fiscal responsibility and tax relief with better outcomes for kids.
Wisconsinites understand that. 73% of likely voters support opting into the program, including two-thirds of Democrats. Tragically, Governor Evers is not among them. And it’s kids, families, and schools in Wisconsin who will lose out.
See, his decision doesn’t stop the program from moving forward nationwide. Beginning in 2027, Wisconsin taxpayers will still be able to claim the federal tax credit by donating to scholarship organizations in other states.
In other words, the governor’s veto doesn’t stop federal taxpayers from claiming the tax credit – it just makes sure Wisconsin kids and schools won’t benefit from it.
That’s not standing up for public education. It’s turning our backs on families who needed more options, and exporting our hope, dollars, and opportunity across state lines.
Perhaps what’s most unfortunate overall: this opportunity has a January 1, 2027 expiration date. We can’t just wait for a new governor. Gov. Evers has conclusively left Wisconsin kids out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
