Swansenreport

Wisconsin Strikes $1.9 Billion Bipartisan Deal: Property Tax Relief, $600 Checks, No Tax on Tips or Overtime
In a rare act of bipartisan cooperation, Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders announced Monday they have reached a nearly $1.9 billion deal to return a portion of Wisconsin’s massive budget surplus directly to taxpayers — with rebate checks, property tax relief, and permanent elimination of state income tax on tips and overtime.
The deal was struck after months of negotiations between Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg). The Legislature’s budget committee is expected to take up the proposal Tuesday, with a full floor vote in both chambers scheduled for Wednesday. Evers anticipates signing the bill as early as next week. LifeZette
Under the agreement, every individual who filed a 2024 Wisconsin income tax return with at least 90 percent Wisconsin-sourced income will receive a $300 rebate check. Married couples filing jointly will receive $600. The checks — totaling more than $850 million — are expected to reach approximately 3 million Wisconsinites, with the governor’s office targeting a November mailing date. Twitchy
The deal also provides $350 million in property tax relief, including $300 million in additional school aids — money that flows through school district revenue limits and directly reduces local property tax levies — and $50 million for the Wisconsin Technical College System. The package increases special education reimbursement to 50 percent of costs, double the rate when Evers took office in 2019, which Evers called a central priority throughout negotiations. Breitbart
The agreement permanently eliminates Wisconsin’s individual income tax on cash tips and overtime pay. The tip provision mirrors the federal No Tax on Tips law but, unlike the federal version, will not expire in 2028. The overtime elimination is estimated to cut income taxes by $328 million over the next two years. Both provisions are permanent under state law regardless of what Congress does at the federal level. Fox News
The deal is funded entirely from Wisconsin’s projected $2.2 billion budget surplus, leaving approximately $400 million in reserve. It also adds more than $20 million for choice, charter, and special needs scholarship programs over the next two years. TMZ
Not everyone is celebrating. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein called the package “expensive” given national economic uncertainty and said bluntly, “From my perspective, there is no deal.” Two Democratic gubernatorial candidates — Sen. Kelda Roys and Rep. Francesca Hong — said they would vote against it. On the right, conservative analyst Will Flanders noted that the deal does not solve the underlying “400-year veto” issue, meaning school district revenue limit authority will continue to grow annually regardless of this agreement. LifeZette
For Swansenreport readers across northern Wisconsin, the bottom line is straightforward: checks in the mail by November, lower property tax bills, and no state tax on your tips or overtime — paid for with money the state already has.
Sources: WPR | Wisconsin Watch | WKOW | WisPolitics | Fox 11 / WLUK