MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers this week unveiled his massive, $91 billion biennial budget plan for 2021-23.
Here’s a breakdown of the key numbers:
Total Spending
General Program Revenue(GPR): Up about $3.2 billion over the biennium
All Funds: An increase of About $7.9 billion over the biennium
Percent Increase Over Last Budget
GPR: 7.3% in the first year, 2% in the second year
All Funds: 9.3% in the first year, 0.4% in the second year
Total Tax Increases:
Over $1 billion in tax increases.
The increases include manufacturer tax hikes and rollbacks on lower capital gains taxes
Non-fiscal Policy
Marijuana Legalization
Redistricting reform (calls for the legislature to take up “The people’s maps”)
Medicaid expansion
Repealing prevailing wage and right to work
Substantial repeal of Act 10
Expanded firearms background checks
Government Job Increase (new Full-time equivalent positions): 363.95 GPR
Debt and Deficit
Structural Deficit: $938.3 million deficit at the end of FY23
Projected $1.338 billion deficit at the end of the 2023-25 budget (next budget out).
Ends the next budget with only $47 million cash balance.
Big-ticket spending
$1.6 billion increase for Department of Public Instruction. The request comes in the wake or nearly $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding from the federal government.
$463 million more for Department of Health Services
$320 million additional for Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., including $100 million venture capital fund.
$247 million more for the Department of Children and Families
$192 million increase to UW System budget
$156 million in additional funding for the Public Service Commission
$127 million more for Department of Workforce Dev