ICYMI: Gov. Evers Signs Historic Budget to Invest in Public Education, Cut Taxes for Wisconsinites

Yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers signed a budget that will continue to support Wisconsin’s economic recovery. The budget invests an additional $685 million in public education, restoring the state’s funding commitment for the first time in two decades. Additionally, the budget includes one of the largest tax cuts in the state’s history — together with previous reductions, Gov. Evers is cutting middle-class income taxes by 15 percent. The budget also makes critical investments in infrastructure, broadband, and health care services.

Gov. Evers said, “I made a promise when I ran for governor—I promised I would cut taxes for middle-class families by 10  percent. Today, I am keeping my word. This morning, I’m providing more than $2 billion in tax relief and cutting taxes for middle-class families at a time when our economy and families need it most.”

See below for coverage highlights on Evers’ signing of the budget in Wisconsin.

WBAY: Evers signs state budget with one of largest tax cuts in state history

Gov. Tony Evers has signed the $87 billion state budget passed by the legislature that includes a large tax cut for the middle class.

The governor is making stops across the state, starting with a visit to Cumberland Elementary School in Whitefish Bay where he is signing the 2021-2023 spending plan.

The budget includes a 10 percent tax cut for the middle class and $2 billion in tax relief.

“I made a promise when I ran for governor—I promised I would cut taxes for middle-class families by 10 percent. Today, I am keeping my word,” Gov. Evers said. “This morning, I’m providing more than $2 billion in tax relief and cutting taxes for middle-class families at a time when our economy and families need it most.”

The budget includes $685 million in school spending. Wisconsin will hit the mark of two-thirds funding for schools for the first time in 20 years.

The budget will allow the state to receive $100 million in federal funds for schools and children.

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Wisconsin State Journal: Tony Evers signs Republican-authored state budget with billions in income tax cuts

Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday said he planned to sign the Republican-authored state budget, heralding the more than $2 billion in income tax cuts that it provides and vowing to provide an additional $100 million in federal money for the state’s schools on top of what the GOP provided.

The budget will bring down the income tax rate from 6.27% to 5.3% for income between about $24,000 and $263,000 a year for individuals, or between $32,000 and $351,000 for married filers. All told, Republicans say the plan would save taxpayers about $2.7 billion over the two-year period.

Talking to reporters at Cumberland Elementary in Whitefish Bay, Evers said though the GOP budget didn’t go far enough in spending on schools, vetoing the budget in full was not an option when thinking about the state’s kids.

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Associated Press: Wisconsin Gov. Evers Signs GOP-Written State Budget With $2 Billion Tax Cut

Gov. Tony Evers signed the Republican-written state budget Thursday, enacting a two-year spending plan that includes a $2 billion income tax cut while making 50 partial vetoes.

Evers, a Democrat who is running for reelection next year, cast the tax cut as a bipartisan effort even though the plan was added to the budget by Republican lawmakers.

“I could have vetoed that,” Evers said at a signing ceremony at a suburban Milwaukee elementary school. “I made a promise to the taxpayers, to the state we would reduce middle class taxes by 10% and we did 15%. It is a bipartisan effort.”

The average person earning $61,000 a year will see an income tax cut of $488 this tax year and $975 over next two years, state Revenue Secretary Peter Barca said.

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WMTV: Evers signs new budget; touts $2 billion tax cut

Gov. Tony Evers signed the new $87 billion biennial state budget , which will fund the government for the next two years, but not before making some changes first.

Appearing at an elementary school in Whitefish Bay Thursday morning, Evers touted the state’s recovery effort from the coronavirus pandemic, an unemployment rate he described as one of the lowest in the nation, and a $2.9 billion budget surplus before going on to say he will sign the budget bill overall, making some line-item vetoes.

Evers used the announcement to highlight a tax cut that his administration says will cut taxes for middle-class families by 10 percent. The governor recounted promising a tax cut for middle income earners, saying, “Today I’m keeping my word. I’m signing one of the largest tax cuts in history.”

“I made a promise when I ran for governor—I promised I would cut taxes for middle-class families by 10 percent. Today, I am keeping my word,” Evers continued. The Evers Administration estimates the legislation will provide approximately $2 billion in individual income tax relief over the next two years and another $1 billion in savings past that.

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