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"I Think It's A Realistic Budget..."
Wisconsin’s governor is calling his nearly $60 billion-a-year state budget proposal “realistic,” and says he’s more worried about federal changes than his plan’s future at the Capitol.
Gov. Tony Evers spoke to the Wisconsin Counties Association on Tuesday. He told local leaders that his budget, which would spend nearly $9 billion more than this year’s budget, is not Dead on Arrival at the statehouse like Republicans have promised.
“A lot of this stuff is, kinda, blowing air. Political air,” the governor said. “We’ll get there. We’ll have a good budget at the end.”
The governor proposed his budget last week. It includes $2 billion in proposed tax cuts, including ending the tax on tips. But his budget also includes at least $3.3 billion in new taxes. And billions more in new spending.
“I think it’s a realistic budget to start with,” Evers told the crowd.
Republicans in Madison, who will actually write the next state budget, have promised to all-but gut Evers’ plan. There are some things that legislative Republicans say they want to keep from the governor’s plan, including the governor’s proposed prison overhaul.
But Evers said his worry is more from the Trump Administration than from lawmakers in Wisconsin.
“We are concerned about the federal government, and what’s going to happen there.” Evers added.
The Trump Administration has issued several executive orders, including one that would have the University of Wisconsin spend more of its research dollars on actual research. Reports say the university has spent 55% of research dollars at UW-Madison on non-research costs.
Building on that, Evers said this budget is “make or break” for the UW System.
The governor has an $856 million increase for the UW in his budget. As well as a nearly $4 billion increase for public schools in the state.
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