During his Wednesday evening State of the State address, Governor Scott Walker acknowledged that taxpayers throughout the Badger State are in need of relief.
"When I travel the state, people don't tell me that they want to keep sending more money to Madison," Governor Walker said. "They don't tell me that taxes are too low or even that taxes are just right. Overwhelmingly, people across the state tell me that one of the best ways to fuel the economic recovery is to reduce their tax burden."
Walker went on to outline his plan to chip away at Wisconsinites’ tax burdens by more than half a billion dollars by tapping into the state’s projected surplus of nearly $1 billion. The details, as we know them thus far, are as follows:
- Cut property and income taxes by $504 million over the next 18 months.
- $98.6 million income tax cuts for the lowest income tax bracket (individuals earning up to $10,910 would see their income tax rate fall from 4.4 to 4 percent). This would equate to a $44 to $58 cut per tax filer.
- $406 million property tax cut ($101 for a median-valued home worth $151,000).
In addition to $504 million in property and income tax cuts, Walker’s plan would tweak income tax withholding rates to return an additional $322 million to hard-working families. According to the Governor, a working class family of four would keep an extra $58 per month as a result. That equates to hundreds of extra dollars each year for Wisconsinites who, along with most Americans, are struggling in the current economic climate thanks to rising health care costs and high federal taxes.
The Governor’s proposal should be applauded for its aim to give the state’s working class a boost, but the plan could be improved to spur additional economic growth. Currently, Wisconsin ranks 43rd in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index, as corporations face a 7.9 percent income tax rate and individuals are stuck with five different personal income tax brackets, starting at 4.4 percent and topping out at 7.75 percent. Leaders in Wisconsin should take a look at what North Carolina accomplished last year when lawmakers passed legislation that reduced the corporate income tax rate and collapsed the Tar Heel State’s three personal income tax brackets into a one lower, flat rate, ensuring lower tax rates for all. By focusing on reducing personal and corporate income taxes, North Carolina’s tax cuts were better positioned to foster economic growth than Governor Walker’s plan.
While his proposal is expected to face some opposition in the State Legislature, Governor Walker should be commended for continuing to fight for taxpayers. The Wisconsin grassroots undoubtedly appreciate having a taxpayer advocate in the Governor’s Mansion and if, as some have suggested, he eyes a job opening in DC for 2016, weary taxpayers across the country would certainly applaud a push for lower taxes and smaller government at the federal level.