PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers plans to focus on economic and childhood safety issues in his State of the State address Wednesday night.
Evers released excerpts of the speech Wednesday morning.
The speech begins at 7 p.m. and will be followed by Republican response.
Taxes and unemployment
Wisconsinites, I begin tonight with good news. Thanks to our work cutting taxes, Wisconsinites are keeping more of your hard-earned income today than at any point in the last 50 years. A new Wisconsin Policy Forum report says Wisconsin’s state and local tax burden dropped to a record low in 2024. The state and local taxes Wisconsinites pay as a share of your income is the lowest it has been in over half a century.
Just two decades ago, Wisconsin was in the top five states for our tax burden and the taxes Wisconsinites paid as a share of their income. Today, Wisconsin is in the bottom 16 states in the country. We have seen the largest drop in our tax burden of any state over the last 20 years.
Cutting taxes has been a bipartisan priority over the last six years. I have proposed middle-class tax cuts in every budget I have introduced as governor. And the Legislature sent me back some proposals I agreed with, including one of the largest tax cuts in state history. All told, through the income tax cuts I’ve signed into law, most Wisconsinites have seen a 15 percent income tax cut or more, and folks will see $1.5 billion in tax relief each year, primarily targeted to the middle class.
And we’ve been able to provide real, responsible relief while still paying down our state’s debt, saving where we can, and working across the aisle to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. After 30 consecutive years of our state’s checking account running a deficit, we have ended all five fiscal years that I have been governor with a positive balance.
And, Wisconsin, our workforce has never been stronger. I declared 2024 the Year of the Worker in Wisconsin because I want addressing the workforce challenges that have plagued our state for generations to be a top priority. And here are our results so far.
In 2024, we reported nine counties with the lowest rates of unemployment on record. We had historically low unemployment. And Wisconsin ended last year with seven consecutive months of record-high employment. Wisconsinites are hard workers by nature, and more Wisconsinites are working than ever before.
Kids’ mental health
And let’s start treating our state’s mental health crisis with the urgency it requires. Yes, for everyone of every age. But especially for our kids.
The state of our kids’ mental health continues to be concerning for me, both as a governor and as a grandfather. A kid in crisis may be distracted or disengaged and may not be able to focus on their studies, if they are able to get to school at all. I fought hard to secure $30 million in our last state budget to support school-based mental health services in schools across Wisconsin. But that was just a fraction of what I asked the Legislature to approve.
Tonight, I’m announcing my budget proposal will invest nearly $300 million to provide comprehensive mental health services in schools statewide, including support for peer-to-peer suicide prevention programs and expanded mental health training.
Safety
Kathy and I raised three kids, including twins. We know that, for parents, nothing is more important than our kids’ safety, no matter where they are. So, keeping our kids, families, schools, and communities safe by reducing crime and gun violence should be a top priority for us. […]
Kathy and I also remember working to make ends meet so our kids were not just safe but had food on the table, a warm bed to sleep in, and clothes on their backs. So, a critical part of our work doing what’s best for our kids […] must be supporting the parents and families who raise them.
The plan I’m announcing tonight will support our economy and our workforce, lower out-of-pocket costs for working families and Wisconsinites, and help give folks a little breathing room in their household budgets.
Child care costs
Child care is too darn expensive. We have to make child care more affordable and accessible. This is as much about doing what is best for our kids as it is doing what is best for parents in our workforce and our economy, too.
After years of proposing similar efforts, I was proud last year to sign a bipartisan bill to expand our child and dependent care credit. That bill goes into effect this year, so parents and families, be sure to look out for that when you file your taxes. Over 110,000 Wisconsin taxpayers will see an average benefit of over $650 per filer, totaling nearly $73 million this year alone. That’s great news for Wisconsin’s working families.
Prescription costs
The costs of prescriptions and life-saving medication like insulin are also too darn high. According to a 2023 national survey, more than a quarter of adults in America are having a hard time affording their prescription drugs. It found 30 percent of adults aren’t taking medications as prescribed due to cost.
No Wisconsinite should have to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table or getting their life-saving medication. Accessing healthcare and picking up basic prescriptions or insulin should not break the bank, folks.
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