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Wisconsin Assembly to OK tax cuts, farm aid, later bar hours

Associated Press | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 11 months AGO
by Associated Press
| February 20, 2020 12:05 AM

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A $250 million income tax cut, tax breaks for farmers and a 4 a.m. bar time during the Democratic National Convention are among the final bills the Wisconsin Assembly plans to pass Thursday during its last scheduled session day of the year.

Lawmakers are making a mad dash to finish the session, giving final approval to bills that already passed the Senate or making proposals available for the other chamber to vote on next month. Anything the GOP-controlled Legislature passes must be signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers before becoming law.

The tax cut bill may be headed toward an Evers veto. He hasn't said whether he supports it and has been critical of Republicans for not backing his plan to lower property taxes by investing more state money into schools.

Senate Democrats blocked a vote Wednesday on the measure, forcing the Senate to convene early Thursday to pass it. The Assembly planned to take it up later in the day.

The bill would would deliver an average reduction of $106 for most qualifying filers. Married couples who file jointly would see an average cut of $145; all other filers would see an average reduction of $81. The bill also would reduce taxes for manufacturers by nearly $45 million by exempting their machinery and tools from property taxes and trim state debt by $100 million.

Republicans would pay for the bill by tapping the state's projected $620 million surplus. Evers wants to use the surplus to pump another $250 million into public schools, in part by spending $130 million to reduce property taxes. Republicans have refused to consider the governor's plan, however.

The Assembly was also set to pass a farm aid package that includes elements of what Evers wanted, but goes farther by cutting taxes for farmers by $30 million a year and another $6 million for self-employed people. Evers hasn't said whether he will go along with those tax cuts, which also must win approval from the Senate. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said senators were “picking and choosing” what they like from the farm aid package to vote on in March. He didn't elaborate.

The Assembly also planned to vote on a trio of bills that wold prohibit labeling food as meat, milk or dairy if it doesn't contain those products.

One proposal would ban labeling or selling a product as meat unless it includes animal flesh. Eleven other states already have such a ban. The other two bills would ban labeling a beverage as milk unless it comes from cows, goats or certain other animals and labeling a product as cream, yogurt or cheese unless it includes dairy. Those two proposals would take effect only if 10 other Midwest states approve similar prohibitions by 2031.

None of the bills have passed the Senate yet.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to extend bar time to 4 a.m. statewide during the Democratic National Convention in July. Milwaukee is hosting the gala. Evers has said he would sign the measure into law but Fitzgerald said the idea is losing momentum in the Senate and he's not sure it will pass there in March.

The Assembly also planned to:

Mandate schools teach cursive writing. The Department of Public Instruction estimates public and charter schools would have to spend as much as $7.6 million on student materials such as workbooks and teacher training in at least the first year of the requirement.

—Raise state trooper salaries by 10% retroactive to July 2019 payable in a lump sum, boost troopers' starting salaries by $6,000 annually and adjust the pay scale for all troopers based on seniority. All troopers would also receive a 2% raise for each of the past two years. The Senate approved the bill Wednesday.

—Require police departments to give the public access to most officer body camera footage under Wisconsin's open records law. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday.

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