Helping Farmers

Gov. Tony Evers spent a good portion of his recent State of the State address expressing the need to assist farmers before calling on the Legislature to convene this week for a special session to pass his $8.5 million package of bills aimed at improving Wisconsin's struggling agriculture industry.

While it's nice that the governor is finally showing an interest in helping people outside of Milwaukee and Madison, a special session – for many reasons – is not the right way to do it.

First, it's not the role of the governor to write legislation. That is the responsibility of the state Legislature.

By holding a special session, we are also not being given the chance to properly vet and evaluate the proposed bills through the normal legislative process. That means no public hearings, which also robs you of your chance to let us know how you feel about the bills.

Plus, it doesn't give us any time to consult with stakeholders to see if the legislation will help farmers and if it is something they actually want. As for myself, I had concerns about the bills right away when I saw they required the addition of more than 20 state positions. At first blush, it would appear the legislative package is more interested in expanding bureaucracy than investing in rural communities.

But until I can have more time to review the proposals and ask the farmers and conservation groups in my district for their views, I just don't feel comfortable committing to a vote. I know many of my fellow lawmakers feel the exact same way. We shouldn't be forced to pass legislation just so we can learn what's in it. That is why Assembly and Senate leadership decided not to have the Legislature take part in the special session this week.

I spent my entire career as a large animal veterinarian working very closely with farm families and I understand as well as anyone the challenges they face. The sad reality, however, is that we are limited in what we can do on the state level to lessen their financial struggles. I want to help wherever we can, but, as political leaders, we must resist the temptation to spend money just so we can say we are “doing something."

There is a perception among many citizens that floor sessions are an opportunity to discuss issues and arrive at solutions. I can tell you that, in reality, floor sessions typically are characterized by political theatrics and grandstanding in front of television cameras. They are not a good venue for meaningful debate. Where we make real progress is meeting outside of session with interest groups and other legislators so we can determine if compromises need to be made and, if so, where.

I look forward to these bills going through the normal legislative process so my colleagues and I can gain a better knowledge of the governor's proposals, thereby allowing us to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of all Wisconsinites.

Additional Tax Revenue 

I am pleased to share with you that, due to careful budgeting and fiscal reforms, Wisconsin’s tax burden has fallen yet again, and we are also projected to have a significant budget surplus.

For the eighth year in a row, the tax burden has fallen for Wisconsin taxpayers. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Wisconsinites are spending 10.3 percent of their personal income on state and local taxes. This is the lowest tax burden since 1970.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau also recently announced that tax revenues are projected to be $818 million higher than previously expected. State law requires that nearly $410 million from that increased revenue be deposited into our state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, leaving us with about $400 million available.

The "rainy day fund" now stands at its highest level in our state's history. Even though we are experiencing the longest economic expansion on record as a country, it is smart and responsible to be prepared for when the next recession hits.

I am proud that one of the main reasons for this unexpected boost in tax revenue is the Legislature's budget that was signed into law this past summer. The biennial budget that was proposed by Gov. Tony Evers called for $83.4 billion in spending, but we were able to reduce that total by $2.4 billion.

As you can expect, numerous ideas have been proposed for how the surplus should be spent and there has been no shortage of opinions presented to my office. I think it is important to remember that we are in this position because we have been careful in our spending and it is not the time to change that course. Many believe that if we overcharged taxpayers, we should return the surplus back to them. Reducing income taxes and cutting property taxes are ideas that are being discussed.

We made progress in addressing our road needs in this budget, but there is much that still needs to be done and, in my opinion, we paid for too much of it through bonding. I would be supportive of paying off some of that debt with the extra money available.

We have heard from people who would like us to put more toward education. Given that we had historic increases in educational spending in the last two budgets, I think it is more appropriate that we reassess our position during the 2021 budget process and address our needs then. Educational funding should be seen as a well-thought-out and targeted plan, rather than just throwing money at it when times are good and pulling it back when things are tight.

It’s important to note that these numbers are an estimate and the amount could change before the end of the budget cycle in June 2021. Once we a get better understanding of the exact figures, we can then determine the best use for these funds. Whether it’s putting it away for a rainy day, reducing taxes and debt or investing more into infrastructure, this is a win for all of Wisconsin.

Listening Session Reminder 

I would like to remind everyone that I will be holding several listening sessions throughout the 1st Assembly District on Monday.

The locations and times are as follows:

Sturgeon Bay Session
From 1o to 11 a.m.
Door County Public Library - Jane Green Room
107 S. Fourth Ave., Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Sister Bay Session
From 1 to 2 p.m.
Sister Bay Village Hall
1063 N. Bayshore Drive, Sister Bay, WI 54234

Luxemburg Session
From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Luxemburg Village Hall
206 Maple St., Luxemburg, WI 54217

If you cannot attend any of these listening sessions, you can still share your thoughts with me by contacting my office at (608) 266-5350 or Rep.Kitchens@legis.wi.gov.

Upcoming District Events

What: Fish Creek Winter Festival
Where: Clark Park, corner of Maple and Spruce streets, Fish Creek
When: Saturday, Feb. 1, starting at 10 a.m.
Details: "Wacky winter-themed carnival games (10am-3pm) for all ages, music, raffles, chili cook-off (11am), food, beverages, fireworks (5:45pm), stumpf fiddle contest, and more. Visit visitfishcreek.com for more information."

What: Great Waffle Breakfast
Where: Baileys Harbor Town Hall, 2392 County Highway F, Baileys Harbor
When: Saturday, Feb. 1, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Details: "Join the staff and volunteers of The Ridges for the Great Waffle Breakfast. Enjoy waffles of all shapes and sizes, topped with Door County maple syrup, homemade cherry topping and whipped cream. $8/adults. $5/child 12 & under."

What: Groundhog Day Parade
Where: Throughout Ellison Bay
When: Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m.
Details: "1:15pm. Parade participants gather at Nicolet Bank. Build a float, decorate your car, walk your dog, or just cheer from the sidelines. 2pm. Parade starts. Groundhog Stew follows at Mink River Basin. Free."