Wisconsin’s Senate Majority Leader wants to try again to get a deal done with Governor Tony Evers.
Before the end of the legislative session, State Senator Devin LeMahieu and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos were able to create a bill package with Governor Evers that would eliminate the tax on tips and overtime, provide rebate checks, and fund special education.
While the bill passed the Wisconsin Assembly, it failed in the Wisconsin Senate by a 15-18 vote, with all Democrats and three Republicans voting no.
During an appearance on WOMT’s Be My Guest program, Sen. LeMahieu says that the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau audited tax receipts for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
He stated, “We ended up with $450 million extra dollars than we projected.”
Sen. LeMahieu says he’s contacted the Republican state senators who voted no to see if they might change their minds with a larger state surplus.
“A lot of the argument was, well, it puts us in a structural deficit going forward,” he noted. “So, if we have no new revenue coming forward, we could face a deficit. But, revenue continues to increase in Wisconsin, like we just saw. And when you have a surplus, I think it’s important to give it back.”
The Oostburg Republican also hopes Governor Evers will want to sign the bill package.
“I think he would be because he’s the former DPI secretary,” he noted. “We all care about education, but his main passion is education.”
It’s not clear whether the Wisconsin Senate would be called into a special session or wait until January, when elected officials return to Madison.
