MADISON, Wis – On May 13th, 2026, the Wisconsin Assembly voted on a deal announced by retiring leaders Governor Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to use roughly $1.8 billion of the state surplus for short-term education funding and property tax relief.

State Representative Karen DeSanto (D-Baraboo) released the following statement following adjournment, criticizing the proposal’s failure to provide real solutions to address the ongoing crises facing Wisconsinites:

“This deal is a small band-aid for the very real problems facing Wisconsinites. The proposal has been advertised as a resolution to issues related to public education funding, property tax increases, and rising costs for Wisconsinites, but in reality, is a backroom deal which provides no real long-term solutions and leaves our state in financial risk for the future.

“Our public schools are struggling and they need support now. Republican leadership has stripped public education of sufficient funding for over the last decade, leaving them forced to continually cut financial corners to stay open. Yet, this deal does not change the fact that schools are relying on referendums just to operate, it only postpones them. The proposal would have put us in a structural deficit of $2.9 billion by 2029, leaving no financial ability to invest in these necessary changes to education funding systems down the road. 

“This bill is a slap in the face to Wisconsin taxpayers who need real support. For the median value home in Wisconsin, property taxpayers see total savings of $107 for 2027 – nowhere near real property tax relief our constituents need. Additionally, the potential “rebate” checks would leave out nearly 1.4 million people, including those on social security and low incomes.

“While compromise was the word of the day, there were other options on the table, like AB 1176, which would have effectively and responsibly addressed these concerns, yet never saw the light of day. A closed-door political ploy is no compromise. As my colleague Rep. Andraca eloquently stated on the floor, ‘You don’t get a prize for boarding up a window that you broke in the first place.’ It is now time to come together to work toward the real structural changes that our state needs.”