Wisconsin Budget Project

Did you miss our last post on the Wisconsin state budget? Find that here: https://kidsforward.org/our-take-the-2023-2025-final-state-budget/.

🚨REMINDER: At the end of this month we will be de-activating this page. Don't worry! You can continue to find all of our in-depth budget analysis over at Kids Forward, or sign up for our email list at the bottom of our website: kidsforward.org.

Our Take: The Wisconsin 2023-25 Biennial Budget On July 5, Governor Evers signed the Wisconsin 2023-25 Biennial Budget. How does Wisconsin’s final budget stack up?

Early next year, Wisconsin lawmakers will debate and pass the next state budget. The implications for Wisconsin's children and families are HUGE.

The state budget impacts every facet of daily life - childcare, healthcare, schools, transportation, jobs, and so much more.

Here at the Wisconsin Budget Project, we're gearing up to fight hard for the investments that will ensure all kids and families have the opportunity to thrive. Be sure to like our posts to keep us in your feed and to stay up to date!!

Read more on the new leaders in the Wisconsin legislature:

The new Wisconsin legislative session is around the corner. Here are the leaders in charge of the party agendas. Robin Vos and Devin LeMahieu again lead the Republican caucuses with Sen. Melissa Agard and Rep. Greta Neubauer leading the Democrats.

should be more like... ? If it means more kids in Wisconsin get health care, then yes.

"South Dakota just voted to expand Medicaid," Parke-Sutherland observed. "Many, many red states have voted to expand Medicaid. " http://ow.ly/Lj1150M1BTu

When companies pay decent wages/benefits, children & families can thrive. Milwaukee is already a leader in racial & economic inequality, so it's critical that taxpayer $ spent on economic development benefit the community: ow.ly/L1L250LRloS w/our friends at

Eliminating Wisconsin’s income tax would funnel enormous tax cuts into the pockets of the wealthy and powerful, potentially raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes, and make it nearly impossible for Wisconsin to make the kind of investments that make the state a good place to live, do business, and raise a family. It would also widen the already-large gaps in well-being among people of different races, a gap that continues to hamstring Wisconsin’s economy.

All that hasn’t stopped an influential cabal of lobbyists and lawmakers from trying to do away with Wisconsin’s income tax and with it, the revenue that supports critical public services like education and health care.

Read more.

Eliminating Wisconsin’s Income Tax Would Give Huge Tax Cuts to the Wealthy and Powerful - Wisconsin Budget Project Eliminating Wisconsin’s income tax would funnel enormous tax cuts into the pockets of the wealthy and powerful, potentially raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes, and make it nearly impossible for Wisconsin to make the kind of investments that make the state a good place to live, do busine...

Join the Kids Forward team! Kids Forward is hiring a Policy Director to lead our promotion of policy & budget decisions that reduce long-standing racial and economic inequities and provide all Wisconsin children and families the ability to thrive.
https://kidsforward.org/about-kidsforward/jobs-internships/policy-director/

Kids Forward is hiring a Policy & Engagement Coordinator to lead an initiative to develop a community-reflective, antiracist, & anti-austerity agenda that incorporates the needs of communities of color, low-income workers, & others excluded from power.
https://kidsforward.org/about-kidsforward/jobs-internships/coordinator/

Most parents who filed taxes this year are benefitting from improvements to the Child Tax Credit that help make it easier to make ends meet. These improvements lifted millions of children out of hardship and slashed poverty rates — but the failure of Congress to take action to continue the expanded credit places families at risk of falling behind or into poverty.

Unless Congress acts, this will be the last Tax Day parents benefit from expanded Child Tax Credit - Wisconsin Examiner Most parents filing taxes this year are benefitting from improvements to the Child Tax Credit that help make it easier to make ends meet. These improvements lifted millions of children out of hardship and slashed poverty rates — but the failure of Congress to take action to continue the expanded c...

Billionaires: They're not like us.

This visualization shows just how much one billionaire's wealth strains even our capacity to describe it. For example, for a typical full-time Amazon employee to accumulate as much wealth as Amazon's CEO, they would have had to start working in the Pliocene Epoch, 4.5 million years ago, when hominids had just started walking upright.

9 Ways to Imagine Jeff Bezos’ Wealth A fortune of $172 billion is almost impossible to fathom. For the magazine’s Money Issue, the artist Mona Chalabi came up with some extremely original comparisons.

Tax Day (April 18) is quickly approaching. Thanks to several temporary tax credit expansions, many people — including those who don’t usually file taxes — may qualify for more money in their tax refund than ever before. Read more.

This Tax Day, Many Are Eligible for Larger Refunds Due to Credit Expansions | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Tax Day (April 18) is quickly approaching. Thanks to several temporary tax credit expansions, many people — including those who don’t usually file taxes — may qualify for more money in their...

At the state level many of the Foxconn questions have been answered. But local assistance to Foxconn is still up in the air.

Kathleen Gallagher: Foxconn's stalling on development of Racine County campus could be a ploy to dodge $30 million annual tax bill Kathleen Gallagher: Foxconn has failed to initiate any meaningful work in Wisconsin, and it’s not building out the park it promised to develop.

“On the 12th Anniversary of the ACA, it is clear that the Affordable Care Act and the American Rescue Plan are working to expand access to health care coverage and have been critical to advancing health equity.”
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/12-year-anniversary-affordable-care-act-new-hhs-report-shows-ways-biden-harris-administrations

A tax credit that allows manufacturers to pay nearly nothing in income tax has cost the state almost $3 billion in lost revenue in recent years.

Price Tag of Republicans’ Big Tax Break for Business Approaches $3 Billion The credit does not require proof of job creation and is heavily skewed toward Wisconsin’s wealthiest tax filers.

There is power in numbers when we all work together. Join Kids Forward for The Big Share 2022! Your support will help create systemic change to policies so that no child or family is left behind, especially children & families of color. Because policy matters for every kid.

Make a donation to Kids Forward for The Big Share & you'll be entered into a drawing to win a $100 VISA gift card!
https://www.thebigshare.org/organizations/kids-forward

We need a bipartisan, commonsense approach to removing barriers to work. Instead, some Wisconsin lawmakers are hurriedly trying to pass bills that would weaken the safety net and harm families and communities.

Weakening Assistance for Families Would Weaken the Workforce - Wisconsin Budget Project The COVID pandemic and the recession it caused illustrated the tremendous importance of public benefit programs like BadgerCare, FoodShare, and Unemployment Insurance. Yet a number of Republican legislators are trying to hurriedly pass a package of bills that would weaken the sources of public assis...

Republican state legislators have proposed two bills they claim will strengthen Wisconsin’s workforce, but taking away health care from Wisconsinites struggling to get by will make our state sicker, not stronger.

Bills Scapegoating People on BadgerCare will not Improve the Workforce - Kids Forward Republican state legislators have proposed two bills they claim will strengthen Wisconsin’s workforce, but taking away health care from Wisconsinites struggling to get by will make our state sicker not stronger. These changes will create more barriers that make it harder and more complicated for p...

Republican lawmakers are trying to hurriedly pass a package of bills that would weaken Wisconsin's safety net, a move that would exacerbate racial disparities and do little to bolster the workforce. Tell your legislators we should be strengthening BadgerCare, FoodShare and unemployment benefits, not weakening them.
Link: https://kidsforward.salsalabs.org/2022_safety_net

The COVID pandemic and the recession it caused illustrated the tremendous importance of public benefit programs like BadgerCare, FoodShare, and Unemployment Insurance.

Yet a number of Republican legislators are trying to hurriedly pass a package of bills that would weaken the sources of public assistance that have been so critical over the past two years in reducing the pandemic’s harm to workers, families and the economy.

Read more.

Weakening Assistance for Families Would Weaken the Workforce - Wisconsin Budget Project The COVID pandemic and the recession it caused illustrated the tremendous importance of public benefit programs like BadgerCare, FoodShare, and Unemployment Insurance. Yet a number of Republican legislators are trying to hurriedly pass a package of bills that would weaken the sources of public assis...

“I hope that we all realized that we do not need to lock up so many kids to maintain public safety. The world continued to spin without the “normal rate” of incarceration."
-Advocacy Counsel
Read the report & how we can improve outcomes for our youth. https://www.youthjusticewi.org/reports

Join our Facebook Live event on Thurs, Feb 10th at 7pm CST to get tips to make your health insurance work for you! https://fb.me/e/6bACDec9y

Don’t wait until you’re sick to use your health insurance.
Why? Because right now you can get services to help you stay healthy - routine check-ups, screening tests like mammograms & Paps, blood pressure checks, & more.

This free event is hosted by Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health, Foundation for Black Women's Wellness, Covering Wisconsin, & Kids Forward.

There is a crisis in service work in Milwaukee. Too many workers have to deal with low wages and the grinding stress of poverty despite work.
https://cows.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/1368/2022/02/The-Crisis-in-Milwaukees-Service-Industry.pdf

Our very own Tamarine Cornelius appeared on Here and Now to discuss the impact on Wisconsin families now that the Expanded Child Tax Credit has expired. Catch the conversation here: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ZkKzbpVDjXKv

A group of conservative business lobbyists have proposed a radical change that would raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes to cover part of the cost of giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful.

The plan would result in the largest tax cuts going to white households, with households of color receiving smaller tax cuts or having to pay more in taxes.

The enormous cost of the proposal would make it difficult for the state to provide even basic public services that schools, businesses, and families need to thrive.

Read more on our website.

Tax Shift Would Hike Taxes for People with Low Incomes and Give a Big Tax Cut to the Top 1% - Wisconsin Budget Project A group of conservative business lobbyists have proposed a radical change that would raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes to cover part of the cost of giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful. The plan would result in the largest tax cuts going to white households, with households o...

Governor Evers wants to use the state surplus to send everyone a tax rebate and fund Wisconsin schools. What do you think?

Gov. Tony Evers wants to use newfound state surplus to increase school funding and give $150 to every Wisconsinite The Democratic governor's plan would also increase school spending.

"As employers have reported increased difficulty in filling job openings in the last year, analysts have pointed to a range of obstacles that have kept potential employees from being able to take jobs: the lack of access to affordable child care, transportation and some necessary skills. In the pandemic, fear of exposure to the virus responsible for COVID-19 has also discouraged some jobseekers.

The proposals that lawmakers announced Tuesday at a Capitol press conference did not touch on any of those, however."

Republican bills would curtail benefit programs to boost hiring - Wisconsin Examiner The bills don't cover child care or other issues many blame for discouraging jobseekers, but add restrictions to Medicaid and other programs.

Some Wisconsin lawmakers want to create more red tape for people who are out of a job, instead of passing meaningful policies that would break down barriers to work.

GOP bills could reduce the number of weekly unemployment benefits, penalize those who turn down job offers The package of seven bills, which appear likely to be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, would tie the number of weekly unemployment benefits an individual could receive to the

Families of more than a million Wisconsin children will not be receiving the advance Child Tax Credit payments on January 15.

It will be the first time in six months that families have not
gotten the payment.

With No Action From Congress, Wisconsin Families Miss Out on Benefits from Improved Child Tax Credit - Wisconsin Budget Project The failure of the Senate to pass the Build Back Better act means that the families of more than a million Wisconsin children are going to miss out on the advance Child Tax Credit payments and other improvements to the credit that helped parents make ends meet in the second half of last year. These....

The families of 1.2 million Wisconsin kids will lose out if Congress fails to continue the expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

The expanded CTC lifted 45,000 Wisconsin kids out of poverty last year, enough to fill every seat in American Family Field.

Child Tax Credit’s Extra Help Ends, Just as Covid Surges Anew A pandemic benefit that many progressives hoped to make permanent has lapsed in a congressional standoff. Researchers say it spared many from poverty.

In 2022, millions of workers in other states will reap the benefits of a higher minimum wage, and will be better able to support their families. Wisconsin workers should as well.

At the Start of the New Year, Minimum Wages Went up in 21 States. Wisconsin Wasn’t One of Them. - Wisconsin Budget Project Low-paid workers across the country are getting raises because 21 states and 35 cities and counties increased their minimum wages around the beginning of the year. Those raises will lift workers out of poverty, help struggling families make ends meet, and make it easier for workers to achieve financ...

A group of big business lobbyists is pushing a radical change to Wisconsin’s tax structure — one that would give huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful while shifting the responsibility of paying taxes to people with lower incomes.

Tamarine from the Wisconsin Budget Project lays out the details in this Wisconsin Examiner piece.

Change backed by business group would cut taxes for the top 1% - Wisconsin Examiner Eliminating the state income tax would radically reorder our tax system in favor of the extremely wealthy.

Parents are getting their last expanded Child Tax Credit payment today. Congress needs to take action to pass the Build Back Better package to support families.

Child Tax Credits That Lifted 45K Out of Poverty Here Could Soon Expire More than 1 million children in the state have benefited from the monthly payments, which will stop unless Congress extends them by Dec. 28.

The burden of climate change and pollution falls most heavily on communities of color. The Build Back Better package would take a step in the right direction by cleaning up pollution in underserved communities and reducing greenhouse gases.

The Build Back Better Act Can Advance Environmental Justice Through Implementing Justice40 The House just passed legislation that takes an all-of-government approach to the interconnected crises of climate change, rising inequality, crumbling infrastructure, and ongoing racial injustice.

The Build Back Better bill will make it easier for Wisconsin residents to afford health care, child care, housing, food, education, and other basics necessary to lead happy, healthy lives. We can pay for it by raising taxes on wealthy households and big corporations – the same ones that have used loopholes for years to avoid paying their fair share – and without raising taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000.

Let your Senator know you support Build Back Better, and so should they: http://ow.ly/4UZg50H4Mw2

It’s hard to build a life without a home. But today there isn’t enough funding to help everyone who qualifies for assistance get affordable, stable housing. Congress should boost funding for Housing Choice Vouchers in the Build Back Better package to ensure more Wisconsin residents get the housing assistance they need.

Make your voice heard by telling your Senator to vote for Build Back Better: http://ow.ly/eoy450H4Mpr

All kids deserve a bright future, and the Child Tax Credit can help them achieve it. But the kids who need help the most will lose the CTC if Congress doesn’t act to pass the Build Back Better package. Tell your Senator that Wisconsin families need Build Back Better: http://ow.ly/pymN50H4Mkh

We are excited that the reconciliation bill takes critical steps to address our state’s current maternal health crisis. During pregnancy and in the first year of their baby’s life, new parents need access to regular care to ensure their health and the health of their baby. By setting a new standard of postpartum Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after the end of pregnancy—a long-standing policy recommendation to reduce maternal and infant mortality—we can keep moms and babies healthy.

Federal Build Back Better legislation takes important steps to address racial disparities rooted in this nation’s long history of racism and discrimination, which has created large gaps in both opportunities and outcomes in education, employment, health, and housing.

Build Back Better Reduces Racial Disparities | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The House Build Back Better (BBB) legislation takes important steps to address racial disparities rooted in this nation’s long history of racism and discrimination, which has created large gaps in...

Wisconsin’s use of incarceration to lock up a staggering share of its population of color inflicts serious harm on individuals and communities. New figures show that the racial disparities in Wisconsin’s incarceration rates far exceed disparities at the national level, which themselves are stark.

The result is a system that deepens the divide between Whites and people of color, and uses public resources to do so.

Four Charts that Show the Harm of Racial Disparities in Wisconsin’s Prisons - Wisconsin Budget Project Wisconsin’s use of incarceration to lock up a staggering share of its population of color inflicts serious harm on individuals and communities. New figures show that the racial disparities in Wisconsin’s incarceration rates far exceed disparities at the national level, which themselves are stark...