by Benjamin Yount
There was one group at Wisconsin’s budget hearing pushing for less. Americans for Prosperity warned Wisconsin lawmakers about spending too much of the state’s record $7.1 billion surplus.
Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin this week waited through hours of requests for more money at the legislature’s public budget hearings to make the simple case to spend less.
AFP’s Megan Novak told The Center Square Wisconsin cannot afford to recklessly spend over $100 billion like Gov. Tony Evers has suggested.
“From tax hikes, to spending increases in every section of the budget to handouts for professional sports teams, Governor Evers’ proposal was a fantasy budget from the start. The Joint Finance Committee was right last time to scrap Governor Evers’ tax and spend wish list budget, and we are glad to see they will be doing the same this time around,” Novak explained.
The Joint Finance Committee, which will actually write Wisconsin’s new two-year spending plan, hosted two budget hearings this week. Both saw a cavalcade of local government leaders, local school leaders, and advocates press lawmakers for more money.
Novak said the Republican-controlled JFC needs to keep a lid on state spending.
“AFP’s grassroots activists showed up at budget hearings across the state to make sure the Joint Finance Committee knows there are hardworking taxpayers out there who support their efforts to return the surplus to the taxpayers, expand education freedom, and stop handouts to out-of-state millionaire sports team owners,” Novak added.
JFC members have been relatively silent about the Brewers’ ballpark finding deal. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said last week that he wants a separate vote on the American Family Field plan, saying he wants to keep it out of the state budget.
Novak also warned lawmakers about spending Wisconsin’s record $7 billion surplus too quickly, or too frivolously.
“Gov. Evers’ proposed budget would recklessly and irresponsibly spend our state’s record surplus, somehow managing to turn a $7 billion surplus into a deficit in two years,” Novak said. “[We] strongly support reining in this proposed out of control spending, and instead focusing the state’s next budget on meaningful tax reform, smart government spending, preventing stadium bailouts for out-of-state millionaires, and education freedom.”
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Benjamin Yount is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Tony Evers” by Tony Evers. Background Photo “Wisconsin Capitol” by QuartierLatin1968. CC BY-SA 3.0.
