NEWS ANALYSIS: Public school funding and tax relief killed in a bipartisan ambush

A bipartisan deal struck between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders to spend $1.8 billion of Wisconsin’s projected budget surplus failed in the Senate last week after days of criticism that put both Evers and GOP leaders at odds with members of their own parties.

The fallout has become a blame game over who is responsible for the deal’s failure:

Republicans blamed Democrats for not being willing to provide assistance to Wisconsinites.

Senate Democrats blamed Republicans and Evers for not involving them in negotiations and described the bill as “reckless” and “irresponsible” spending.

Several Assembly Democrats criticized the deal for not providing long-term structural changes to education funding or property taxes.

Evers blamed both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the likely GOP nominee in the governor’s race. Tiffany called the proposal a “backroom relief deal” that “fails to deliver lasting relief to Wisconsin taxpayers.”

The Democratic gubernatorial candidates split on whether the bill was a good idea.

The underlying reason for all of the statements, social media posts and comments debating the surplus spending is that future control of the Capitol hangs in the balance come November, said Anthony Chergosky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

“It’s very interesting that this agreement was struck by three politicians who will not be in office when the upcoming budget process is taking place,” he said.

Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, who are not seeking reelection this year, announced the deal on Monday. It followed months of negotiations that began after state leaders learned of the projected surplus in January. The deal would have directed over $300 million to Wisconsin school districts through special education reimbursement, another $300 million for school districts to lower property taxes and $870 million through income tax rebates for those who filed state income taxes in 2024.

Here are a few lessons we learned from the failed surplus deal debate:

Democrats are increasingly splitting with Evers  Not too long ago, legislative Democrats had to be ready to defend Evers’ vetoes from Republican overrides.

This week, all 15 Senate Democrats and 32 in the Assembly broke with the two-term governor on the surplus deal.

Evers did not hesitate to return criticism to the lawmakers of his party. He told CBS58 that Democrats calling the bill irresponsible was “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Wisconsin’s kids and schools aren’t going to get the investments they desperately need this year because Tom Tiffany and a few Republican and Democratic lawmakers chose to blow up a bipartisan plan to invest in our K-12 schools, lower property taxes, and help working families afford rising costs, all because they’d rather do what’s best for the next election than what’s right for the people of our state,” Evers said.

He added, “So many Wisconsinites feel left behind, frustrated, and disillusioned by politics these days because they think a lot of politicians in the Capitol are only here to serve themselves. And, today, they’re right.”

Wisconsin Watch is a project of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.