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Economic Justice

The 2023-25 State Budget Should Support Wisconsin Families Who Are Struggling to Get By

From Racine to Rice Lake, Wisconsinites work hard to provide for their families. In the wake of the pandemic, the rising cost of goods and services has mahttps://wisconsinbudgetproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Revenue-2-4-13-2023.pdfde it difficult for many to make ends meet. And for too long, certain politicians have created barriers… Read More »The 2023-25 State Budget Should Support Wisconsin Families Who Are Struggling to Get By

Governor’s Proposed Budget Provides Opportunity for Wisconsinites Who are Immigrants

March 16, 2023 Every Wisconsinite deserves to provide for their children and families, regardless of immigration status. Wisconsin is home to a diverse population of immigrants, contributing to our communities’ economic and social fabric. Despite the immense asset this diverse population brings to communities across… Read More »Governor’s Proposed Budget Provides Opportunity for Wisconsinites Who are Immigrants

Protecting Local Control

July 19, 2022 — Over the last decade, Wisconsin legislators have frequently restricted the ability of local communities to adopt policies that protect and empower workers, improve the health of their residents, and make sure housing is safe. These restrictions on local self government have been particularly harmful for people of color and other residents of urban areas.

Eliminating Wisconsin’s Income Tax Would Give Huge Tax Cuts to the Wealthy and Powerful

May 3, 2022 — A plan to eliminate Wisconsin’s income tax would funnel enormous tax cuts into the pockets of the wealthy and powerful, potentially raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes, and make it nearly impossible for Wisconsin to make the kind of investments that make the state a good place to live, do business, and raise a family. It would also widen the already-large gaps in well-being among people of different races, a gap that continues to hamstring Wisconsin’s economy.

Weakening Assistance for Families Would Weaken the Workforce

February 11, 2022 — The COVID pandemic and the recession it caused illustrated the tremendous importance of public benefit programs like BadgerCare, FoodShare, and Unemployment Insurance. Yet a number of Republican legislators are trying to hurriedly pass a package of bills that would weaken the sources of public assistance that have been so critical over the past two years in reducing the pandemic’s harm to workers, families and the economy.

Tax Shift Would Hike Taxes for People with Low Incomes and Give a Big Tax Cut to the Top 1%

February 3, 2022 — A group of conservative business lobbyists have proposed a radical change that would raise taxes on people with the lowest incomes to cover part of the cost of giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful. The plan would result in the largest tax cuts going to white households, with households of color receiving smaller tax cuts or having to pay more in taxes. The enormous cost of the proposal would make it difficult for the state to provide even basic public services that schools, businesses, and families need to thrive. 

At the Start of the New Year, Minimum Wages Went up in 21 States. Wisconsin Wasn’t One of Them.

January 4, 2022 — Low-paid workers across the country are getting raises because 21 states and 35 cities and counties increased their minimum wages around the beginning of the year. Those raises will lift workers out of poverty, help struggling families make ends meet, and make it easier for workers to achieve financial security. Unfortunately, Wisconsin workers won’t get any of those benefits, as Wisconsin lawmakers have refused to increase the state’s minimum wage for more than a decade.

Tax Changes in Budget Bill Thwart Efforts to Advance Equity

September 9, 2021 — For Wisconsin’s economy to thrive, the state needs to invest in the building blocks of shared prosperity, including high-quality early education and schools, affordable higher education, healthy workers, and strong communities. The Governor’s budget proposed making significant investments in those areas, including investments that would improve racial equity, but the final budget approved by the Legislature looks far different.

Wisconsin Legislature Shows Budget Priorities by Voting Against Expanding Health Care, and For a Tax Cut for the Wealthy

May 13, 2021 — Last week the legislature’s budget committee removed a provision from the state budget that would have provided health insurance to almost 100,000 Wisconsin residents with low incomes, and would save the state more than a billion dollars in tax revenue over the next two years. On the same day, the committee preserved a tax cut that funnels millions of dollars into the pockets of a small group of the extremely wealthy who have rigged the system for their own benefit. This combination of actions demonstrates the legislature’s priorities so far in the budget process: making it more difficult for people with low incomes to meet their basic needs, while refusing to accept proposed changes that would require big corporations and the top 1% to pay their fair share. 

16411641Eliminating Wisconsin’s Income Tax Would Give Huge Tax Cuts to the Wealthy and Powerful 16211621Weakening Assistance for Families Would Weaken the Workforce 16471647Tax Changes in Budget Bill Thwart Efforts to Advance Equity