Gov. Evers Optimistic State Budget Is on Track
Despite federal funding uncertainty and differing with legislators on tax cuts.
Gov. Tony Evers visits UW-Eau Claire on March 10, 2025. Rich Kremer/WPR
Gov. Tony Evers says he’s “hoping” the next state budget will be completed on time, even as the state of federal funding remains largely unknown.
But his remarks during a Tuesday appearance on WisconsinEye’s Newsmakers program echoed comments made by key Republican lawmakers, suggesting that deliberations are getting stuck on tax cut proposals.
The Democratic governor and Republicans who control the Legislature’s budget committee are frequently at odds over political priorities, and budget season typically begins with GOP lawmakers striking hundreds of Evers proposals and rewriting the document.
Evers said he’s confident negotiations will still progress.
“People have been working on our side and their side to come up with some things that we know are important to the people of Wisconsin and reach some compromise,” Evers said. “I think this still can happen.”
But at the heart of this season’s dispute is how to orchestrate a tax cut, which Republicans have said is among their top priorities and something they want to pass separately from the budget. Evers said he will only approve a tax cut if it’s part of the overall budget and prioritizes middle-class families.
Both sides are also responding to updated state revenue estimates, national inflation and uncertainty out of Washington as Congress debates President Donald Trump’s landmark tax and immigration bill.
Last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau projected that the state will take in about $335 million less in tax revenue over the next few years than previously expected. The revised estimates will still leave the state with a projected $4.3 billion surplus to start the next budget cycle.
“It’s somewhat of a downer, but we can handle it. I’m not concerned about it. I’m just concerned about not seeing anything from their side,” Evers said, referring to Republican drafts.
Last week, the GOP co-chairs of the budget committee, Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, released a statement urging caution after the updated tax revenue projections.
“While we are not surprised by these new estimates, we remain cautious as we work to craft a budget that invests in our priorities, funds our obligations, and puts the State of Wisconsin in a strong fiscal position for the future,” they said. “We are calling on Governor Evers to take these revenue re-estimates seriously. Come to the table with legislative leaders and work with us to craft a reasonable budget that works for Wisconsin.”
Speaking during a panel at the Wisconsin Republican Convention on Saturday, Born said he and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, had been debating when the state would pass its budget.
“We’ll stay tuned to see how that turns out,” he joked.
Born referred to Evers as a “terrible governor,” and said negotiations would hinge on tax cut priorities.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said Senate Republicans have shared their preferred tax plan with the governor and that they are looking to shift around existing tax brackets. Born said the Assembly proposal would cut taxes for retirees.
On Tuesday, Evers said he also wants to cut taxes, but “it can’t be just about taxes.”
“The thing that concerns me is that a budget … includes what taxes are going to be bigger or smaller, and so those things work together,” he said.
Gov. Tony Evers is optimistic state budget is on track despite federal funding uncertainty was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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