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 March 1, 2019
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My Thoughts on the Executive Budget

Last night, Governor Tony Evers offered his vision of a 2019-21 state spending plan.  Frankly, it’s a whopper.  I’m very disappointed.  Instead of offering ideas for finding common ground, the Governor has proposed a liberal wish list that he knows Republicans could never support.

Let’s talk about just a few of the most egregious examples.  First, Governor Evers wants to spend far more than Wisconsin can afford; he is proposing at least $6 billion in new spending.  (We’re still trying to add it all up… but that’s more than a $1,000 spending hike for every man, woman and child in Wisconsin.)  Not only does he want illegal immigrants to be able to receive drivers’ licenses; he also wants you to pay for them to receive in-state resident tuition rates at our universities.  He proposes putting Wisconsin on a path to full legalization of marijuana and undoing important reforms such as Right to Work protections and prevailing wage repeal.  After we have worked so hard for the past eight years to hold the line on property taxes, Governor Evers proposes new property tax hikes.  It’s not enough merely to freeze school choice programs at their current level; he wants to eliminate the income tax deduction for families who send their kids to private school.

I don’t think Wisconsin should go back to the bad old days of 2009.  Our next step in the Legislature is to allow our nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau to do a careful review of the Governor’s entire proposal.  Then, we’ll host a series of public hearings (mainly in April) as we construct a plan that keeps Wisconsin moving in the responsible direction we’ve been moving over the past eight years.

As always, I encourage you to follow my updates on social media or contact my office directly with your questions. I hope you have a great weekend!

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Advocates with Americans For Prosperity Visit the Capitol

On Thursday a group of local and state volunteers from Americans for Prosperity visited the Capitol to advocate on behalf of school choice. We had a very productive conversation about how important school choice is for the students of Wisconsin, and I assured them that this is an issue that I am passionate about and has my full support. Thanks for visiting!


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ABATE Legislative Day

ABATE of Wisconsin had their legislative day on Thursday. A group of about 30 advocates from the Sheboygan area visited the Capitol to discuss issues affecting the motorcycle riders of Wisconsin.

Among the issues we discussed were creation of a new class of cycle and regulation of autonomous vehicles. These are issues that can affect motorcyclists throughout the state and I thank ABATE for bringing these issues to my attention.


DNR Stamp Design Contest

Wisconsin artists can have their artwork featured on the 2020 Wisconsin wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp.

The DNR is holding a contest until July 15th, 2019, where Wisconsin residents can submit artwork to be placed on next years version of these stamps.

Funds derived from the sale of these stamps contribute to restoration and management efforts on wildlife habitat throughout the state.


Office of Rep. Terry Katsma
State Capitol, Room 306 East
PO Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708

Toll-Free (888) 529-0026 or (608) 266-0656
Rep.Katsma@legis.wisconsin.gov |