On Tuesday Vice President Mike Pence and Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited the Wisconsin State Capitol to celebrate National School Choice Week. This was the first time a sitting President or Vice President has visited our state Capitol and I am excited I was able to take part in this historic event.
Wisconsin instituted school choice thirty years ago. It began with seven schools and 300 students and over the past three decades the program has grown to include more than 40,000 students. School choice is something I have advocated for since my first term in office – I believe parents should be able to choose the right school for their children. Studies show that students who attend a choice or charter school are more likely to graduate high school and graduate from college and I will continue to support school choice in our state.
New Revenue
Recently the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a statement saying the state’s general fund is expected to be $452 million more than previously projected for the biennium. Revenues for the state were $818 million higher than expected.
When I was sworn in as a Representative the rainy day fund was at roughly $16.5 million. Now, with careful budgeting and eliminating wasteful spending the rainy day fund has continued to grow and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau predicts the rainy day fund will be at $1 billion in 2021.
Tax Assistance Programs
The Department of Revenue (DOR) has partnered with the IRS to offer the following programs to help with tax preparation.
The first is VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Those with an income of $56,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers are generally qualified for tax preparation assistance.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) offers free tax help for those 60 years of age and older and specialize in questions about pensions and retirement related issues. This program is operated in conjunction with the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation.
Last year these two programs filed over 68,000 tax returns for Wisconsin residents. Click here to learn more.
