Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting 2025-27 Executive and Capital Budget Investments Supporting Wisconsin’s Veterans and Their Families

Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting plans from his 2025-27 Executive and Capital Budget to support Wisconsin’s 300,000 veterans.

The governor’s message comes as, throughout the week, Gov. Evers and Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Bond, have been traveling across the state visiting veteran service organizations and promoting key projects in his Executive and Capital Budgets to serve Wisconsin’s veterans.

Building on efforts throughout his administration, last month, Gov. Evers released his 2025-27 Executive Budget, which outlines several investments and proposals aimed supporting Wisconsin’s veterans and their families. From expanding access to healthcare and affordable housing to increasing property tax relief for veterans, the governor’s budget:

• Expands the Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit, providing millions in tax relief for veterans and their families;
• Directs $21.9 million to Wisconsin veterans homes to maintain the high quality of care veterans deserve and have earned through their service;
• Invests $5 million to support programs providing critical mental health services for veterans;
• Invests $2 million in the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program that helps homeless veterans with job training, education, counseling, and rehabilitation;
• Directs over $1 million to expand the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program; and
• Recommends a five percent increase for county and Tribal veterans service offices.

Last week, the governor also released his 2025-27 Capital Budget, which includes investments that similarly honor Wisconsin’s Veterans with more than $137 million in essential upgrades to Wisconsin veterans’ homes and $6.2 million to set the stage for the future Wisconsin Veterans Museum upgrade and expansion. The 2025-27 Capital Budget Agency Requests and Governor’s Recommendations can be found here.

The governor’s travel this week comes in the wake of recent actions by the Trump Administration to baselessly and illegally fire tens of thousands of federal workers, including nearly 6,000 of our veterans, reportedly more than any other President in American history, and threaten to strip funding for resources veterans and their families rely on each and every day. Gov. Evers earlier this month blasted President Trump and the Trump Administration for their continued attacks on veterans after new reports indicated the administration plans to cut as many as 80,000 jobs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—a move that is likely to impact veterans’ care and services across the country. Days later, Gov. Evers approved Wisconsin joining a multi-state lawsuit against President Trump and the Trump Administration for large-scale, reckless firings that have thrown tens of thousands of Americans across the country into chaos after being indiscriminately fired for no fault of their own. Gov. Evers’ statement on that lawsuit in response to these illegal actions by the Trump Administration is available here.

Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.

This week, I’m traveling across our state, meeting with veterans and veteran organizations to talk about new efforts to support them in our state budget.

As governor, it’s important to me that we protect, defend, and support the veterans who’ve protected, defended, and supported us. It’s why my budget includes key initiatives aimed at supporting Wisconsin’s 300,000 veterans and their families once they return to civilian life.

We’re proposing investments to lower out-of-pocket costs, expand access to healthcare and mental health services, support stable housing and substance use recovery, make job training and continuing education more affordable, and help veterans access earned benefits, among other key priorities.

I’m proposing to expand Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit to help veterans and their families keep more money in their pockets.

That will provide $66 million of tax relief to veterans with disabilities and $23 million in tax relief for veterans who are renters.

We’re also making critical investments in mental health services and suicide prevention with a $5 million investment in community-based and emergency crisis mental health services.

And while here in Wisconsin, we’re proud to be ranked fourth in the nation for successfully helping connect veterans with available jobs, we know there is always more work to do.

My budget will continue to invest in programs that help veterans with job training, education, counseling, and recovery.

With so much uncertainty and chaos happening in Washington and federal actions that are impacting our veterans’ lives and livelihoods, it’s more important than ever that we take care of our veterans here in Wisconsin.

And I urge the Legislature to join me by supporting this important work and supporting my budget initiatives to help support our veterans and their families.

Thank you.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.