Wisconsin GOP gov nominee proposes returning $3B surplus to taxpayers; Dem avoids tax question

Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany proposed tax breaks and ways to return the state’s more than $3 billion surplus, while Democratic nominee David Crowley avoided specifics and spoke more in generalities during the pair’s lone debate last week.

“We need to make sure that we have a fair tax system, a simpler tax system, that allows people to get ahead,” Crowley said, but would not directly state if he planned to add a new tax bracket for high-earners when directly asked by moderator Matt Smith of WISN.

“The current tax system that we’re under, which happens to be what Congressman Tom Tiffany helped create under the Scott Walker era, is not working for local municipalities. It’s not working for anybody,” Crowley said.

Tiffany, meanwhile, described a 10% cut in income tax for families that make $150,000 or less, ending taxes on tips and overtime and ending the school levy limit increase while increasing state funding for schools stating that schools, roads and healthcare should be the state spending priorities.

“I will not be raising taxes on the good people of Wisconsin,” Tiffany said.

Tiffany said that there is sufficient money to fund education, transportation and infrastructure, and healthcare, and the state will prioritize the three.

A recent report said that removing the tax on tips and overtime would have a $2.7 billion impact on state tax collections over the next 10 years.

Crowley said that his focus will be increasing spending on education, child care and healthcare with the surplus but did not give specifics.

“When it comes to the surplus, it’s about making sure that you’re not only listening to the communities in need but you’re working with the state Legislature,” Crowley said.

Tiffany said that his plan to return the surplus is through cutting long-term taxes, not checks to taxpayers.

“We should return it in long-term tax relief,” Tiffany said. “I would prefer not to do it as a one-time check because people don’t plan their futures based on one-time checks. They want to have certainty that they’re going to be able to have this for the future.”