MADISON – The Republican leader of the state Assembly and Democratic governor want lawmakers to come back to Madison to revive a bill voted down in May that would provide tax relief and new funding for schools. But it’s unlikely the state Senate will agree.
Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein told WISN 12 on Monday that her chamber won’t come back into session to take up the package that died in the state Senate in May when all Senate Democrats and three Senate Republicans voted against it.
She said she came to that conclusion after speaking with Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, who controls the chamber’s schedule.
“I talked to Sen. LeMahieu, I think on Friday, and asked him if there is a chance, and he said, ‘Absolutely not.’ So I believe that’s his answer,” she told WISN. Hesselbein said Senate Democrats are open to talking about a revised “compromise” bill.
Hesselbein’s comments come after a Marquette University Law School poll show 80% of Wisconsin adults surveyed want lawmakers to pass the bill that would have provided rebate checks to income taxpayers, eliminate taxes on overtime and tips, and route more funding to schools in an effort to lower property taxes and cover more special education costs.
The deal was negotiated for months between LeMahieu, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
“It didn’t,” Hesselbein told the Journal Sentinel on May 26, when asked whether the polling changed her mind on Senate Democrats’ position. “We went into this just really worried about our financial future for the state of Wisconsin.”
Senate Democrats said they opposed the bill because of a projected structural deficit the spending would cause in 2029 if the state experienced no economic growth, which hasn’t happened since the 2008 Great Recession.
The deal was estimated to tap $1.8 billion of the state’s projected $2.5 billion surplus. It would not have dipped into the state’s separate rainy day fund of more than $2 billion.
Vos told WISN 12 on Sunday his chamber is ready to come back to vote on the bill. It passed the state Assembly 61-35 before dying in the state Senate.
“I still think we can get it done,” Vos said. “I think that we should go back in. I’ve asked the governor’s office to try to have us get another attempt to do it.”
“Look, we can’t even get people in Wisconsin to agree what day of the week it is, and if 80% of the people say this deal should have passed, let’s give them some confidence that government can actually get things done to help real people in real time, and let’s come back and do it in June,” Vos said.
A spokeswoman for Evers told the Journal Sentinel that Evers “believes the will of the people is the law of the land, and it’s clear Democrats, Independents, and Republicans across our state agree that lawmakers should use a small portion of the state surplus to invest in our kids and schools, help working families afford rising costs, and lower property taxes.”
“The governor stands ready to call a special session if the lawmakers who voted against the bipartisan plan he negotiated with Republican leaders are willing to reconsider their decision and will support taking up a surplus proposal before the election — and he remains hopeful they will do so,” Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said.
An aide to LeMahieu did not immediately respond to the Journal Sentinel to confirm the Senate’s plans to stay adjourned.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers, Vos want new vote on tax deal. Senate signals it won’t agree.
Reporting by Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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