Assembly Dem Leader Greta Neubauer says she opposed Gov. Tony Evers’ $1.8 billion deal with GOP leaders because it would have put the state in an untenable financial position and could have forced funding cuts down the road. 

Neubauer, D-Racine, spoke at a WisPolitics luncheon in Madison Thursday on the heels of the state Senate Wednesday night failing 18-15 to pass the property tax and school funding package as three Republicans joined Dems in voting against it. The bill passed 61-32 in the Assembly with bipartisan support. 

Both Neubauer and Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, opposed the deal, which also proposed rebates for Wisconsinites and exempting cash tips and overtime from state income tax. 

“I wish we could have been having a different conversation and, frankly, been talking about a more responsible proposal to lower costs for working families, invest in our schools, you know, lower property taxes. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the discussion that we were having yesterday,” Neubauer said. 

She said the $1.8 billion price tag would take up too much of the state’s projected $2.5 billion surplus considering various uncertainties. That includes the unclear fate of the state’s hospital assessment, increased costs for Medicaid and a potential recession. She also argued the $300 million for special education reimbursement wasn’t enough.

If enacted, the package would have left the state with a $2.9 billion structural deficit heading into the 2027-29 budget, according to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau analysis of the package put together before last night’s amendments to provide $20 million for disaster relief and expand a tax credit for veterans.

Neubauer said the package would have been a boon for key Dem targets like southwestern Republicans Sen. Howard Marklein and Rep. Todd Novak, saying, “pretty clearly, the Howard Markleins and the Todd Novaks of the world wanted to get this bill done” so they could tell their constituents they were going to send them a check. 

“I just don’t think that that should outweigh the responsibility we have as legislators to do the right thing to actually address the challenges people in Wisconsin are facing, and again, to think about the long term,” Neubauer said. “I do not want to be in a position a year from now where we’re talking about cutting healthcare or cutting schools because we made an irresponsible decision in the now that would have been political.” 

Neubauer in a press gaggle after the event declined to weigh in directly on some of the jabs between Evers and Dem lawmakers this week. Dems have knocked the package as an election year gimmick crafted by three lame ducks, and Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, debated with Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback on X over whether it would help schools. 

“I think we come to work every day trying to do the right thing and obviously tensions got a little high in the Capitol in recent days. But I’m not really interested in getting into, you know, the back-and-forth or the blame game,” she said. 

Also at the luncheon, Neubauer: 

*Said she doesn’t currently plan to endorse anyone in the Dem guv primary race but didn’t rule it out, saying “it’s always possible.” There are currently 11 Dems in the field looking to succeed Evers in the East Wing. 

*Said she’s more hesitant about Evers’ proposed constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed a provision in the Voting Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. Neubauer said the Legislature will have a role to play in redistricting and that she is open to different options, “but (we) want to make sure that we are recognizing the situation going on nationally and … preserving our ability to respond to that.” 

GOP leaders closed out Evers’ special session on partisan gerrymandering this week. 

*Argued GOP departures in the Assembly and Senate can be attributed in part to the fact that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, aren’t running for reelection. 

“It also has to do with the fact that they are seeing the polling and seeing what’s happening in other states, right? So I think all of those things combined certainly help put us in a better position,” Neubauer said. 

Watch WisconsinEye video here