(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Joint Committee on Finance is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday to eliminate a long list of items from Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal.
The group is then set to introduce an amended budget as it starts proceedings on what will ultimately become the state’s biennial budget.
The list of budget removals includes a list of funding, department creations, tax exemptions and items such as the full expansion of Medicaid in the state.
Democrats in the legislature and progressive groups spoke out against the budget removals that were listed.
The budget deliberations come after a series of listening sessions on the budget across the state.
“Especially with the unprecedented level of chaos and uncertainty created by the Trump-Musk regime, Wisconsinites are looking for support and stability from their state elected officials,” according to a statement from four Democratic committee members including Sens. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, and Kelda Roys, D-Madison, with Reps. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, and Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay. “However, this motion shows that JFC Republicans once again plan to turn their backs on working families by removing broadly popular policy proposals in pursuit of a massive tax giveaway to their ultra wealthy donors.”
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said a starting point has to be a balanced budget with a clear view of the anticipated revenue from tax collections for the two-year budget period.
“It’s going to have to have a tax cut in it, just like I think we’re accepting that there’s gonna have to be some investments that are made so that bipartisan support can be earned,” Vos said.
An analysis from Badger Institute showed that Evers’ proposal would increase Wisconsin state government spending by more than $3 billion a year compared to now through spending the state surplus and increasing taxes by $4.6 billion over two years.
