A nonpartisan analysis revealed Tuesday that initiatives pushed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) would add to his state's budget shortfall over time.
The figures released by Wisconsin's Legislative Fiscal Bureau show that Walker's proposals to cut property taxes and install worker training bills stand to add $180 million in costs. Implementation would swing a current surplus to a $725 million deficit for the 2015-2017 calendar period, according to the report.
Late last week, the Associated Press provided background on Walker's property tax plan, which would use a $100 million surplus to generate an average cut of $13 for each home. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the state Legislature budget committee voted unanimously Tuesday to back that course, and the state Senate followed suit with a 28-5 vote. The state Assembly is scheduled to take up the vote Thursday, where it is expected to pass and reach Walker's desk.
Additionally, Walker's worker training initiatives were summed up by his office in late September, consisting of a package of eight bills totaling nearly $15 million in costs.
“It’s what people are asking for, it’s what they deserve,” Walker said last week of the property tax plan, according to the AP.
Some Democrats contend otherwise, with state Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) telling the Journal-Sentinel Tuesday that Walker's tax savings are minimal in scope.
"Let's not be too quick to pat ourselves on the back," Shilling said of the savings that would amount to $33 per household over two years.
View the full report below (via the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau):
Correction: This piece has been updated to clarify that the property tax measure was passed unanimously by the Wisconsin state legislature's budget committee, and not the entire legislature.
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