Governor Tony Evers is once again misleading Wisconsinites about his tax policies. While he touts his latest budget recommendations as delivering $2 billion in tax relief, the reality is that his plan would impose billions in new tax burdens while temporarily covering up his past budget veto that dramatically increase property taxes through an unusual veto. 

At the heart of his so-called “relief” plan is an attempt to fix his own budget gimmick. In the last budget cycle, Evers wielded his veto pen to create 400 years of automatic property tax increases. Now, he is using $1.2 billion in state spending to reduce property taxes just to backfill that increase for two years—kicking the problem down the road instead of permanently fixing it.

Tax Increases in Evers Budget

Evers’ plan includes a net tax hike of $2.34 billion, which translates to:

• $812 in new taxes per income tax filer
• $392 per person in Wisconsin

His proposal includes:

✅ A new 9.8% income tax bracket—one of the highest in the nation.
✅ A $1.3 billion state income tax increase.
✅ Tax hikes on Wisconsin businesses aimed at manufactures.
✅ Significant Fee increases on hunting and fishing licenses
✅ No taxes on cash tips 

How Did Evers’ 400-Year Veto Work?

Wisconsin governors have the authority to partially veto certain numbers and words in budget bills, allowing them to reshape legislation without outright rejecting it. Evers exploited this power in the 2023-25 state budget by:

✅ Altering a legislative provision that limited annual property tax increases to two years
✅ Striking out specific digits and words to extend these tax hikes for the next 400 years

By using this maneuver, Evers ensured automatic increases in school property tax levies until 2425, bypassing the legislature and locking in long-term tax hikes on Wisconsin property owners.

Why Is Evers Now Trying to Undo His Own Veto?

Now, in his 2025-27 budget proposal, Evers is attempting to temporarily cover up the impact of his 400-year tax hike by using $1.2 billion in state funds to backfill property tax increases for just two years. This does not eliminate the tax increases—only delays them temporarily.

What’s the Impact on Wisconsin Taxpayers?

• Without action, the 400-year automatic tax increases remain in place after this short-term fix expires.
• Evers is claiming this state spending as part of his $2 billion in “tax relief,” even though it merely postpones tax hikes he personally created.
• Meanwhile, his budget still includes $3.2 billion in other tax increases, including higher income taxes and new burdens on Wisconsin employers.

Meanwhile, despite these historic tax increases, Evers’ budget would still wipe out the state’s $4.5 billion surplus and create a $4 billion deficit by increasing state spending 20%, a two-year budget that goes $99 billion to $119 billion.

The Wisconsin’s legislature has the final say. This spring, the Joint Committee on Finance will craft the legislature’s version of the 2025-27 budget. Instead of raising taxes on hardworking families and job creators, Republicans on JFC are promising that they will throw out Evers budget, send him a tac cut package before the budget, and start spending from base. 

Governor Evers may try to sell his plan as a tax cut, but the numbers don’t lie—Wisconsin taxpayers would be paying more, not less.