After passing through the Senate Tuesday, the Assembly passed the $100 million property tax cut after being introduced by Gov. Scott Walker last week.
The bill, which would give $40 million back to schools statewide for the 2013-14 fiscal year and $60 million for the 2014-15 fiscal year, passed 82-12.
Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said voting no on the bill would be “damaging” to Democrats as they go to their home districts.
“You’re all about politics,” Vos said. “What we are trying to do today is actually about the people. It’s actually about tax relief.”
All Republicans voted in favor of the bill along with 25 Democrats, including Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha; Assembly Democratic Caucus Leader Andy Jorgensen, D-Ft. Atkinson; and Assembly Caucus Secretary Janis Ringhand, D-Cross Plains.
Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Madison, voted against the bill and said the Wisconsin people deserve more than what the bill offers.
“What your stunt does is pick winners and losers,” Pasch said. “Some will get a quarter, some will get nothing. As we know, this is not a tax break, this is a political stunt that was rushed together so the Governor could respond to the fact that he has an opponent.”
The bill will now go to Walker’s desk, which Walker said in a statement he intends to sign.
Walker said in the statement he was pleased to see legislators from both sides of the aisle to come together “to pass meaningful property tax relief.”
Other bills approved by the Assembly include:
- A bill to eliminate the age and disability restrictions for using a crossbow and creates new crossbow hunting licenses for both residents and non-residents, passed unanimously 91-0. Read the bill text here: http://docs.legis.wi.gov/2013/related/proposals/ab194
- A bill to fund sea lamprey control activities through the Department of Natural Resources passed unanimously 91-0. The bill would require 50 percent of funding from two-day nonresident and resident fishing licenses to fund the sea lamprey program, in addition to programs related to salmon and trout rearing and stocking programs. Read the bill text here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2013/related/proposals/sb134