Wisconsin Governor’s plan a better use for tax windfall

It’s back to the drawing board in the effort to figure out what to do with some newfound money. The state of Wisconsin projects a budget surplus of $620 million by next year. That left lawmakers rubbing their hands together with glee over how to spend the windfall. Governor Tony Evers called for using some of the money, about $250 million, to fund public education, and using the rest to reduce property taxes. Republicans balked at that plan, and instead approved a plan to return the money to taxpayers. That plan would return $106 back to qualifying taxpayers. Certainly an argument can be made that this over-collection of taxes is our money and we should get it back. But Evers plan to spend some of the money on schools would also help keep our money in our pockets. It would finally restore state funding of public education to a two-third level. That has long been a goal of both parties. In fact, last year, a Republican commission on school funding recommended Wisconsin returning to a two-thirds funding level. But they didn’t adopt that recommendation when approving the budget, and now don’t want to use the surplus to reach that goal. But without that support, more school districts will turn to referendum to keep their lights on, and that means higher property taxes. Evers plan would avoid that. It funds schools, and reduces property taxes. That should be a win-win that everyone can agree with.