Increasing Both the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Minimum Wage Would Strengthen Wisconsin’s Families
From www.wisconsinbudgetproject.org. State lawmakers who want to help Wisconsin families recover from the recession should move to boost both the state’s earned income tax credit and its minimum wage. Each policy on its own helps make work pay for families struggling on low wages, but improving them at the same
New Wisconsin Figures Are a Sobering Reminder of the Need for More Prudent Budgets
Structural Deficit in Wisconsin Calculation Jumps to Nearly $1.8 Billion It’s remarkable how quickly Wisconsin’s fiscal picture can turn around, even during a period when the national economy is on the mend. During the campaign season two years ago, GOP incumbents in Wisconsin were making a big deal of the
Budget Shortfall in Wisconsin Shows Downside of Risky Approach to Tax Cuts
From www.wisconsinbudgetproject.org. Last week we learned that state tax revenues in Wisconsin fell far short of projections for the budget year that just ended. The shortfall means that next year the state is likely to face another round of budget cuts — cuts that slow economic growth and reduce investment
Despite Calling Medicaid Expansion Funds Unreliable, Wisconsin Lawmakers Rely on Other ObamaCare Funds
In the Wisconsin debate about whether to accept federal funding for expanding BadgerCare, there has been little attention paid to a significant inconsistency used in the arguments made by many opponents of using those funds. They contend that it would be risky to pay for newly-eligible childless adults with the
The 58,000 Job Question for Wisconsin
New Report Takes Comprehensive Look at Weaknesses, Strengths of Wisconsin’s Labor Market Wisconsin’s economy is adding jobs at a slow pace, wage growth has stalled, and many workers don’t have the security and opportunity they need to get ahead, according to a new Labor Day report released from the Center
Wisconsin State Tax Collections Fall Far Short of Projections
$281 Million Revenue Shortfall in 2013-14 Will Mean a Big Jump in the Structural Deficit Wisconsin lawmakers got bad budget news today, when the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released state tax collection figures showing that revenue collections fell $281 million (2.0%) short of projections during the fiscal year that ended
On Pins and Needles Waiting for New Tax Figures in Wisconsin
For the past month or so I’ve been scratching my head wondering when we would get an update from the WI Department of Revenue on state tax collections during the fiscal year that ended on June 30th. I’m not the only one who has been anxiously awaiting those numbers; four
New Evidence that the Rich Have Prospered while the Poor Got Poorer
We got more evidence last week that rich Americans are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. A new report released August 21st by the Census Bureau shows not only that the top 20% of Americans have been enjoying most of the economic gains over the last decade, but the median
Breaking with Tradition in Wisconsin: What it All Means
Over the past week, the Wisconsin Budget Project has highlighted a piece each day from our larger publication Breaking with Tradition: How Wisconsin Lawmakers Have Shortchanged a Legacy of Investment in the State’s Future. You can access the full report on our website. This is the conclusion to the report. Breaking
Wisconsin Taxpayers Would Save Even More than Expected by Expanding Medicaid
Expanding BadgerCare coverage to all adults below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) would save significantly more money for Wisconsin taxpayers than previously estimated. According to a memo prepared last week by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), expanding BadgerCare but would save state taxpayers an estimated $206 million during the