Walker Tax Cuts Clear Assembly, Await Governor’s Signature

The tax cuts Gov. Scott Walker proposed almost two months ago cleared the Assembly on Tuesday and now head back to Walker’s desk for his approval.

The tax cuts are very similar to what Walker proposed in January, including about $400 million in property tax relief and a $100 million income tax cut. Earlier this month, the state Senate changed the plan to reduce the state’s structural deficit using money that was otherwise headed to the state’s rainy day fund.

The state Assembly, led by Speaker Robin Vos, concurred with those changes today.

“What a great day today is, because we finally get an opportunity to give the people of Wisconsin their money back,” said Vos.

Democrats tried unsuccessfully to change the plan to eliminate the state’s structural deficit, mostly by blocking changes to Wisconsin’s income tax withholding tables. They also proposed focusing more of the property tax relief on homeowners instead of on businesses, a change that Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca said would be significant.

“People on this side of the aisle care much more deeply than you do about the middle class and the average homeowner,” said Barca.

Still, three Democrats joined all Republicans in supporting Walker’s version of the tax cuts, which passed on a vote of 61-35.