(The Center Square) – Just days after scuttling Republican-written tax cuts for families and retirees in Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers signed a tax credit that will send more money to parents.
Evers on Monday signed the child and dependent care tax credit. The plan doubles Wisconsin child care tax credit, from 50% of the federal level to 100%. The governor’s signature means families can claim up to $10,000 for one child, and up to $20,000 for a second child.
“The cost of child care is too darn high – making quality child care more affordable across Wisconsin is not just about doing what’s best for our kids, it’s also critical for keeping more folks and parents in our state’s workforce,” Evers said in a statement. “[This law] will go a long way toward defraying yearly family expenses on child care, giving Wisconsinites some breathing room in their household budgets and making sure our kids have the early support and care they need.”
Late Friday, Evers vetoed three other Republican-written tax cut proposals.
“When we deliver tax relief for the people of Wisconsin – just as we have – it should be real relief aimed at helping Wisconsin’s working families afford rising costs, and it should be responsible and sustainable, ensuring we can keep taxes low now and into the future without causing devastating cuts to priorities like public schools and public safety down the road,” Evers said Friday.
Those tax cut proposals would have lowered income taxes for families making less than $150,000 a year and would have eliminated income taxes on the first $75,000 for retirees in Wisconsin.
Republicans said Evers, once again, let those people down.
“Through his veto, Evers has in essence delivered a shocking and shameful message: retirees don’t need to keep more of their own money, they just need more government. I couldn’t be in greater disagreement with the governor’s sentiment and I couldn’t be more disappointed for the residents of Wisconsin,” said Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, said.
“Gov. Evers showed his true hypocrisy by vetoing a tax cut that solely reduced the tax rate on income up to $150,000 for married joint filers. In addition, he vetoed legislation that would have provided significant relief for those on fixed incomes and helped correct marriage penalties in the tax code. Governor Evers’ action is truly disappointing,” Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, added.
The top Republican in the Wisconsin Senate, Devin LeMahieu, said this is the third time that the governor has stopped a Republican-written tax cut in the last two years.
“For the third time this session, Gov. Evers has used his veto pen to raise taxes on single mothers on food stamps.,” LeMahieu said. “Allowing $3 billion in taxpayer money to sit in a bank account in Madison while inflation continues to stretch family budgets is unconscionable.”
