Scott Walker opens door to shifting tax burden to poor, middle class in WI

According to a report by Jason Stein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Republican Gov. Scott Walker has indicated he wants to use the next biennial budget in February 2015 to a potential tax overhaul. Among the changes Gov. Walker is likely to consider are eliminating or flattening the income tax to dropping technical colleges from local property tax rolls -changes that could involve both outright cuts and shifts of income or property taxes onto the sales tax.

Adding to the tax talk from Republicans, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester says he wants lawmakers to consider more modest tax cuts as soon as this spring if state tax revenue comes in strong.

But Walker said he also has learned from the failures of Republican governors pushing massive tax overhauls in Nebraska and Louisiana too quickly without laying the groundwork with voters.

Before making any radical changes, the Republican governor stressed, he’s going to engage business leaders and the public using meetings, a website and other tools that he is likely to announce early next year.

As I wrote last week, Gov. Walker’s idea to eliminate the state income tax would increase taxes for the bottom 80% of wage earners in Wisconsin while lowering taxes for the top 20% of wage earners in Wisconsin.

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