(The Center Square) – Wisconsin is projected to have a $2.7 billion surplus by the end of the current two-year budget cycle is complete and now lawmakers will wait until next year with a new Legislature, leadership and governor before determining what will happen with that surplus.
The plan to send $300 or $600 refund checks to individual tax filers and those who filed jointly failed in the Wisconsin Senate by an 18-15 vote, leading lawmakers to respond to constituents Thursday on why they did or didn’t support the plan.
Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, voted for the surplus bill and said that he supported a plan to give larger refunds of $1,000 to joint filers and $500 to individuals.
“I know that not everyone on my side of the aisle is happy with this deal, and ultimately, the bill failed,” Tomczyk said in a statement. “I am confident that I made the right decision and voted ‘Yes’ on this bill to send money back to the taxpayers and cut their taxes rather than leaving it sitting in Madison. Unfortunately, that is what happened, and Republicans will come together in the next budget to decide how to move forward.”
Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, said before the vote that he was against it.
“We have a one-time budget surplus that should be returned as a one-time refund to the Wisconsin taxpayers who were overcharged,” Kapenga wrote on social media. “That's simple budgeting math every household can understand. But leave it to government to give you only a small portion back, and then spend the difference—not once, but every year into the future – assuming we're too dumb to notice the bait and switch that will end up costing my constituents billions over the course of a decade.”
Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan, noted the compromise was a deal that didn’t include everything he wanted but believed it was a good plan to return some of the surplus to taxpayers.
“I will always fight to cut taxes and return surplus dollars back to the hardworking taxpayers of Wisconsin,” Dallman said. “I ran for this office to attain meaningful government reform and to get stuff done for our citizens. I am incredibly disappointed that due to a few fringe senators from both sides of the aisle, the 39th Assembly District will miss out on more than $3 million in property tax relief.”
Democrats, meanwhile argued that the $300 million in general school aid that would substitute for property tax dollars for one year would not make a large difference, stating that it would amount to less than $9 per month off a mortgage payment that includes taxes and insurance on a median value home worth $312,000.
“I understand that our local schools and property owners are hurting and really need this money,” Rep. Vincent Miresse, D-Stevens Point, said in a statement. “However, for the last 15 years, Republicans have deliberately manufactured the school funding crisis, stolen your pubic tax dollars and put it in the private, voucher schools which has resulted in raising your property taxes to fund the education your kids are entitled to.
“And now, instead of tackling the structural issues in our education funding system, Republicans and the Governor want to put a band-aid on an amputation.”
