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- State Surplus Remains Healthy
- National School Choice Week
- New IRS Tool Available for Efficient Filing
- Follow Along on Facebook
- Contact Me
State Surplus Remains Healthy
This week, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported that the state surplus will be higher than previously projected, now totaling $4.3 billion at the conclusion of the 2025 budget. Tax revenues are also estimated to be higher than initially forecasted, with an estimated $1.847 billion in additional tax collections over the 2025-2027 biennium.
My Republican colleagues and I have persistently advocated for the Wisconsin taxpayer, and we remain committed to restricting taxation at a reasonable level. This report delivered further proof that the State can continue to fund its obligations and priorities while offering tax relief to the people who delivered the surplus in the first place.
The budget process will involve gathering input from many different groups, from local officials and employers to industry professionals from the public and private sectors. There will be advocates for many important initiatives, but ensuring hardworking Wisconsinites keep more of their hard earned money must remain a priority.
These forecasts further display the need and ability of the State to give meaningful tax relief after years of pressure from rising costs.
National School Choice Week
I am proud to recognize this week as National School Choice Week!
School choice was born in Wisconsin in 1990 when Governor Thompson and bipartisan lawmakers sought to give disadvantaged parents the ability to send their kids to schools that better suited their needs.
This initiative sparked a national movement for educational freedom. Originally, it served only a few hundred children in Milwaukee, but it now serves almost 60,000 children statewide, providing them with an opportunity to escape schools suffering from financial mismanagement and poor performance.
For many families, a one-size-fits-all industrial-style approach has failed to fulfill their educational needs. True opportunity comes from a proper investment in students, not systems.
Wisconsin’s choice programs are income-limited, therefore allowing students, through an admissions process vetted by the Department of Public Instruction and regulated by state law, to attend better-performing schools they otherwise could not access. Efforts to diminish choice would result in negative outcomes for many families reliant on the program and for public schools that lack the capacity to accommodate the increase in students.
Education will always be one of the most important factors in a child’s future success. We must work to empower families, regardless of zip code or income, with the freedom and resources they need to make the best decisions for their children.
New IRS Tool Available for Efficient Filing
There is good news for Wisconsin tax filers. I’m excited to share that the Wisconsin Department of Revenue has a new free option for filing taxes online.
Wisconsin taxpayers who are eligible may now utilize this no-cost IRS program for secure and safe online filing. Moreover, this tool is connected to the state’s service for Wisconsin residents to file taxes.
For federal taxes, you can utilize the safe and reliable DirectFile here: https://directfile.irs.gov/
At the state level, your federal data will be securely transferred to WisTax: https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/WisTax/home.aspx, where you can file your Wisconsin return.
These avenues can save time and reduce errors, potentially increasing the speed of your return processing. They are an opportunity to make tax season less complicated, and I encourage you to share this information with family and friends.
Follow Along on Facebook
Want to hear more about what’s going on in Madison and the district? Follow my Facebook page for weekly updates and to learn more about bills, events, and efforts I’m involved in. Find my Facebook page here: facebook.com/RepSteffen/.
Contact Me
My office is always available to help with any state-related questions or concerns you may have. You can reach my office at (608) 237-9104, or email me at [email protected].
