Highlights From Wisconsin's Budget

Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 -- 12:01 PM

(Wisconsin Radio Network) The state budget includes $1.3 billion in tax cuts.

According to the Wisconsin Radio Network, the tax cuts were a signature part of the budget compromise between Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican leaders in the legislature.

The state’s second-lowest tax bracket is expanded to include single filers and heads of household earning up to $50,480 and jointly filing married couples earning up to $67,300.

Evers signed the budget early last Thursday morning following a marathon legislative session. His office estimates state taxpayers will see an average savings of $180, with most of the reductions going to filers with incomes of less than $20,000.

The next state budget gives Wisconsin’s K-12 schools some breathing room. The compromise provides the state’s 467 public school districts with an increase of some $500 million in special education funding and $30 million for mental health services.

Districts statewide will have increased revenue limits, allowing them to increase spending by $1.4 billion more than the last budget cycle. That would come in the form of property tax increases which could mean more referendums.

The state budget funds some high-priority projects for the Universities of Wisconsin. The 2025-27 budget, allocates $194.5 million for phase two of UW La-Crosse’s Prairie Springs Science Center and to demolish the 60-year-old Crowley Hall, and $189.3 million to renovate the health sciences center at UW-Milwaukee.

Other capital funding will allow UW-Stevens Point to establish a business school and add to UW-Stout’s recreation complex. UW-Madison gets $5 million to plan for eventual demolition and replacement of the 1960’s era Mosse Humanities building.

The state budget includes money to plan for eventual closure of the Green Bay prison. The 2025-27 budget includes $15 million dollars for the Department of Corrections to plan for closing the maximum-security prison in Allouez, which was built in 1898.

But Evers used his line-item veto to delete a Republican authored provision to close the prison by 2029. Evers said there was no “meaningful or concrete plan” for that to occur.

Allouez Village President Jim Rafter said in a statement that residents are frustrated and deserve certainty about when GBCI will close.

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