State of Wisconsin Archives: on Tax Reform


Tony Evers: Provided a 10% tax cut for Wisconsin families

Finally, I delivered on my campaign promise for a 10-percent tax cut for Wisconsin families. The People's Budget, together with Assembly Bill 251, provided more than $500 million in tax relief for working, middle-class families. That's money back in your pockets, folks.
Source: 2020 State of the State address on Wisconsin voting record Jan 22, 2020

Scott Walker: Allow pass-through companies option to reduce tax burden

Legislative Summary: SB883: This bill allows pass-through entities to elect to be taxed at the entity level for purposes of the state's income and franchise taxes. Under current law, pass-through entities are generally not subject to the income or franchise tax at the entity level. Rather, any item of income, loss, or deduction flows through to their shareholders who are then subject to tax.

Analysis by The Capital Times: This bill primarily deals with transportation issues and state highway funding. It also includes provisions that benefit certain companies, including partnerships and limited liability corporations, by effectively allowing them to reduce their tax burdens by choosing how they are taxed under state law.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 18-15-0 on Dec/4/18; Passed Assembly 58-26-15 on Dec/4/18; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Dec/14/18

Source: The Capital Times on Wisconsin voting record SB884 Dec 14, 2018

Scott Fitzgerald: Allow pass-through companies option to reduce tax burden

Legislative Summary: SB883: This bill allows pass-through entities to elect to be taxed at the entity level for purposes of the state's income and franchise taxes. Under current law, pass-through entities are generally not subject to the income or franchise tax at the entity level. Rather, any item of income, loss, or deduction flows through to their shareholders who are then subject to tax.

Analysis by The Capital Times: This bill primarily deals with transportation issues and state highway funding. It also includes provisions that benefit certain companies, including partnerships and limited liability corporations, by effectively allowing them to reduce their tax burdens by choosing how they are taxed under state law.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 18-15-0 on Dec/4/18; State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald voted YES; Passed Assembly 58-26-15 on Dec/4/18; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Dec/14/18

Source: The Capital Times on Wisconsin voting record SB884 Dec 4, 2018

Tom Tiffany: Allow pass-through companies option to reduce tax burden

Legislative Summary: SB883: This bill allows pass-through entities to elect to be taxed at the entity level for purposes of the state's income and franchise taxes. Under current law, pass-through entities are generally not subject to the income or franchise tax at the entity level. Rather, any item of income, loss, or deduction flows through to their shareholders who are then subject to tax.

Analysis by The Capital Times: This bill primarily deals with transportation issues and state highway funding. It also includes provisions that benefit certain companies, including partnerships and limited liability corporations, by effectively allowing them to reduce their tax burdens by choosing how they are taxed under state law.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 18-15-0 on Dec/4/18; State Sen. Tom Tiffany voted YES; Passed Assembly 58-26-15 on Dec/4/18; Signed by Governor Scott Walker on Dec/14/18

Source: The Capital Times on Wisconsin voting record SB884 Dec 4, 2018

Leah Vukmir: It's garbage that Trump tax cuts only benefited the wealthy

Q: Support President Trump's tax cuts?

Tammy Baldwin (D): No. Overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy & major corporations.

Leah Vukmir (R): "Tired of garbage talking points that these tax cuts will only benefit the wealthy."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Scott Walker: Cut $8 billion in taxes, mostly for higher earners

Q: Increase taxes to pay for public services?

Tony Evers (D): Yes. Open to raising taxes on wealthy to pay for public services.

Scott Walker (R): No. Has cut $8 billion during two terms. Cuts skewed toward higher earners.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Tammy Baldwin: Trump tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy

Q: Support President Trump's tax cuts?

Tammy Baldwin (D): No. Overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy & major corporations.

Leah Vukmir (R): "Tired of garbage talking points that these tax cuts will only benefit the wealthy."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Tony Evers: Raise taxes on wealthy to pay for public services

Q: Increase taxes to pay for public services?

Tony Evers (D): Yes. Open to raising taxes on wealthy to pay for public services.

Scott Walker (R): No. Has cut $8 billion during two terms. Cuts skewed toward higher earners.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Phil Anderson: Lower taxes for everyone

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Higher taxes on the wealthy"?

A: I'll fight to repeal the state income tax, crony capitalism like the Foxconn deal, and lower taxes for everyone.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate May 18, 2018

Kelda Helen Roys: Support a progressive tax structure

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Higher taxes on the wealthy"?

A: Strongly Support a progressive tax structure

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate May 5, 2018

Leah Vukmir: Lower tax rates for everyone

Leah supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. To pay for all their spending, Congress has created a complicated federal tax code. Thousands of pages long and burdensome for many Americans, Leah believes we must streamline the tax code by eliminating loopholes and deductions, while lowering tax rates for all Americans.
Source: 2018 Wisconsin Senatorial website LeahVukmir.com Oct 15, 2017

Tammy Baldwin: Tax plan that rewards hard work

Sen. Baldwin and Sen. Booker have announced a tax reform plan. "Tax reform needs to reward hard work, raise incomes and help working families keep more of what they earn. Too many people are being left behind by Washington and The Stronger Way Act starts helping them get ahead," said Baldwin in a statement. "The Stronger Way Act offers tax reform to reward work and a new partnership to invest in local jobs programs that will help raise incomes for working families."

The Baldwin-Booker plan would also expand the EITC to workers without dependent children as a way to boost income for workers and to ensure they aren't taxed into poverty. More than 20 million workers without dependent children would be affected by a EITC expansion. The duo estimates that a 30-year-old worker without dependents making roughly $12,500 a year currently receives an EITC of about $180.

Source: ThinkProgress.org on 2022 Wisconsin Senate race Oct 6, 2017

Mike Gallagher: Replace broken tax code with modern and simple one

Unnecessary regulations and taxes are reducing wages, killing Wisconsin jobs, and forcing our businesses overseas. Not only do we need more family-friendly tax rates, but we also need to replace our outdated, broken tax code with one that is more modern and simple. We need to cut the lobbyist-written special interest loopholes and lower rates so working families in Wisconsin can keep more of what they earn. I will fight the career politicians and bureaucrats to cut the ever-growing regulations.
Source: 2016 Wisconsin House campaign website MikeForWisconsin.com Nov 8, 2016

Kathleen Vinehout: $1.7B in business tax breaks should shift to schools

Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout has actually put a number on the cost of all income and property tax cuts, manufacturing credits, and other tax breaks: $1.7 billion. To her, these are giveaways that may not even sway the decisions companies make about where to invest. That investment would do much more for the state's long-term economic health if it went to public schools, she argues.
Source: Christian Science Monitor on 2018 Wisconsin Governor race Nov 3, 2016

Bob Harlow: 10% increase for those making more than $1 million

Q: What are some of the things you hope to do as Congressman?

A: I would stand by a 10 percent increase in the tax of Americans making more than $1 million a year in what would result in a highest marginal tax rate of 40 percent for that bracket. In the 1950s under Eisenhower, it was 91 percent. Another thing is to raise $1 billion to send 20,000 students to public colleges and universities with free tuition, room and board.

Source: Stanford Daily on 2018 Wisconsin governor debate Apr 5, 2016

Scott Walker: Reduce property, income and production tax burden

Tonight, I am proud to say that property and income taxes are down from where they were when we took office. We didn't just slow the rate of increase; we actually reduced the tax burden from where it was five years ago. We also helped farmers and manufacturers in our state with a production tax credit that is phased in through this year. This helps some of our most important industries.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Wisconsin legislature Jan 19, 2016

Scott Walker: Reduced property taxes by $141 in 4 years; more coming

I am proud to say property taxes on a typical home were $141 lower in December of 2014 than they were four years ago. That's right; property taxes are literally lower than they were in 2010. How many Governors can say that?

If property taxes had grown over the past four years at the rate they did between 2006 and 2010, a typical homeowner would have paid $385 more in property taxes this past December. Over the last four years combined, the cumulative difference is more than $800. That's real money.

We heard you loud and clear. Thanks for all of the nice notes and emails and calls to tell us how your property taxes went down. My pledge to you is that property taxes four years from now will be lower than they were in 2014. We reduced income and employer taxes, too. And we started taking less out of paychecks for withholding last April, so you could keep more of your hard-earned money.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Wisconsin Legislature Jan 13, 2015

Glenn Grothman: Tirelessly pursue lowering property and income taxes

Senator Glenn Grothman is an outspoken leader in the Wisconsin Legislature on advocating and implementing tax cuts across the board. Glenn believes the only way to grow the economy is to give more money back to the hard-working taxpayers.

One of Glenn's greatest legislative accomplishments is the Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit. This credit will essentially make manufacturing and agriculture, the foundation of Wisconsin's economy, tax free. This is one of the most significant pro-jobs tax change that the state legislature has enacted.

Glenn has also tirelessly pursued lowering the property and income taxes. He was proud to vote for $2 billion of tax relief in the last two legislative sessions. His goal in Congress is to lower income taxes across the board to provide relief for over-taxed families throughout the 6th Congressional District.

Source: 2014 Wisconsin House campaign website, GlennGrothman.com May 31, 2014

Tammy Baldwin: Get rid of loopholes for outsourcing and capital gains

Asked about specific spending cuts each would make, Baldwin said she would "get rid of deductions and loopholes that encourage outsourcing of U.S. jobs and the ability to write off moving expenses for those taking overseas jobs." She would also eliminate the ability of "Hedge Fund managers to get their tax rates at 15 percent."
Source: Madison Agri-View on 2012 Wisconsin Senate debates Oct 4, 2012

Tommy Thompson: Limit federal revenue to 18.5% of GDP; and 15% flat tax form

Thompson announced plans to revise the federal tax code. Thompson says he first wants to make George W. Bush's tax cuts permanent. He'd also like to limit federal revenue to 18.5% of the gross domestic product. Thompson would also like to introduce a 15% flat tax form.
Source: WLUK-TV FOX 11 News on 2012 Wisconsin Senate debates Apr 9, 2012

  • The above quotations are from State of Wisconsin Politicians: Archives.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Tax Reform:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021