MADISON, Wis. – Just weeks before legislative Republicans in Wisconsin pack up and go on a 10-month taxpayer funded vacation, the State Assembly and Senate had a clear opportunity this week to address the record-high property tax increases sweeping across the state. They chose not to.
According to A Better Wisconsin Together Communications Director Lucy Ripp, Republican lawmakers caused this problem, and it’s on them to fix it. Recent reporting confirms that Wisconsinites’ property tax bills are skyrocketing thanks directly to Wisconsin Republicans’ chronic refusal to adequately fund local public schools.
Now, Wisconsin has a $2.5 billion budget surplus, which constituents, Governor Evers, and Democrats alike have urged the Republicans who control our legislature to use in providing much needed relief to Wisconsin families as costs soar.
“After decades of creating and perpetuating the problem, Republican lawmakers now have the time, resources, and responsibility to deliver meaningful property tax relief to constituents,” said Ripp. “Instead, they’ve done nothing, and still plan to end their work only a couple months into the year.”
According to an analysis by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, plans proposed last year by Gov. Evers and legislative Democrats would have all but eliminated the projected property tax increases. Yet, Republicans voted to deny local schools any increase in state general school aid and scaled back desperately needed increases in special education aid.
In just the last two years, Wisconsin school districts have been forced to go to referendums in 96 of the 99 state Assembly districts.
“Republicans’ longstanding and continuing refusal to support public education is unacceptable,” Ripp said. “Wisconsin students, teachers, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to keep paying the price for Republicans’ partisan political antics.”
