(The Center Square) – The Republican lawmakers who will write Wisconsin’s next state budget say they need to hold the line on spending as much as they can.
Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said the latest revenue estimates for the state show a need for “cautious budgeting.”
“The cost-to-continue remains high and our [tax] collections are down slightly compared to January estimates, therefore we must continue the success of Republican budgets of the past in order to ensure that we can meet our ongoing obligations,” the two said in a statement.
Marklein and Born, and their budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance, have already held several budget hearings, and they even stripped non-budgetary policy issues from Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal.
But they have not made any spending decisions yet.
The two said they were waiting for the May revenue estimates from the Legislative Finance Bureau. The LFB released those numbers Thursday.
“Based on our review of collections data and the economic forecast, general fund taxes will be higher than previous estimates by $22 million in 2024-25, and lower than the previous estimates by $321 million in 2025-26 and $36 million in 2026-27,” the LFB wrote. “The three-year decrease is $335 million.”
The LFB report shows Wisconsin will not lose money. The state expects to bring in more money for each year of the new, two-year state budget. The estimates, however, say there will be less new money than previously expected.
“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,” Born and Marklein said. “We are calling on Gov. 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.”
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu on Thursday said Evers needs to meet with top Republicans by the end of next week if he wants to see a new state budget on time.
