After months of meetings, bipartisan budget negotiations between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers have concluded. It’s now up to GOP lawmakers to finalize the next two-year state budget.
Evers agreed on key Republican priorities, including tax cuts for the middle class and retirees. However, Evers stated that Republicans rejected his priorities, which included funding for child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.
“The concept of compromise is simple — everyone gets something they want, and no one gets everything they want,” Evers said in a statement, emphasizing his commitment to securing funding for Wisconsin’s children, a priority he highlighted for 2025 in his State of the State address.
“We’ve spent months trying to have productive conversations with Republican lawmakers to find compromise and pass a state budget that delivers for Wisconsin. I am admittedly disappointed that Republicans aren’t willing to reach consensus and have decided to move forward without bipartisan support,” Evers commented.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Rep. Mark Born, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, acknowledged Evers and his staff in a joint statement, describing the negotiations as “good-faith.”
“Assembly Republicans remain open to discussions with Gov. Evers to find areas of agreement, but after extensive meetings, the two sides remain far apart,” the joint statement concluded.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Sen. Howard Marklein, another Joint Finance Committee co-chair, stated in their own statement that Evers’ proposals were too expensive.
“Both sides worked to find compromise for Wisconsin. However, we’ve reached a point where Evers’ spending priorities exceeded taxpayer affordability,” they mentioned.
In May, Republicans led by the Joint Finance Committee reduced over 600 items from Evers’ initial budget, which included health care policy changes and environmental funding.
Their cuts also eliminated over $288 million in K-12 initiatives, including mental health support, free lunches, and school funding adjustments. More than $128 million in financial aid for the UW System, including the “Bucky’s Promise” scholarship for low-income students, was also cut.
Republicans cut a $480 million proposal to continue the Child Care Counts program, initially funded by federal pandemic support. Without state funding, child care centers face closure this summer. A survey showed that a quarter of centers may shut down, while providers and parents protest for funding.
In a letter to Evers, the Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed group (WECAN) expressed gratitude for his compromise efforts.
“We stand with you against a state budget that sacrifices our children’s health and safety, and ultimately our economy’s well-being,” the group stated. “WECAN looks forward to the plans Rep. Born and Sen. Marklein are working on to resolve the child care crisis.”
Republicans will craft their own budget, requiring Assembly and Senate approval. GOP lawmakers remain committed to a timely budget. The next fiscal period starts July 1, when the governor typically signs a new budget into law.
“We’re hopeful for a responsible, affordable budget addressing major priorities. Many priorities are shared with the governor, and I’m hopeful he’ll sign the budget,” Marklein told reporters on June 5.
—
Read More Wisconsin News
