Wisconsin GOP cuts 612 provisions from state budget, including Medicaid expansion and lower childcare costs

On Thursday, Wisconsin Republicans on the Assembly Joint Finance Committee stripped hundreds of spending proposals out of the state budget, including Medicaid expansion, a new tax bracket for billionaires, and investments in lead pipe removal.

Many of these provisions were proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D) and supported by the three Democrats on the committee, whose attempts to persuade against removing them fell on deaf ears. Every Republican in the room voted to remove the provisions, which also included auditing health insurance companies who disproportionally deny claims, free school meals for Wisconsin students, and lowering childcare costs.

Republicans in the state Assembly and state Senate hold slim majorities and do not need Democratic support to pass legislation or remove items from the state budget. Evers has veto power, but he cannot add more items to the budget after they are removed by the legislature.

The GOP also scrapped the creation of the office of violence prevention, Evers’ answer to increasing rates of gun violence in the state and across the nation. Evers announced the proposal in an executive order signed in January, which came less than a month after a school shooting in Madison killed two people. At the time, Republicans immediately shot down the idea of negotiating with the governor on any gun control legislation.

Evers released a statement on Thursday criticizing Republicans for failing to lower out-of-pocket costs and refusing to negotiate with Democrats.

BREAKING: I proposed the most pro-kid budget in our state’s history, but today, Republican lawmakers are gutting my budget that does what’s best for our kids and the folks, families, and communities that raise them.

Today, Republicans are rejecting ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HBE8cmsA5A

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) May 8, 2025

Despite Wisconsin projecting a $4.6 billion budget surplus after 2024, Wisconsin Republicans have routinely refused vote on or negotiate on Democrat-written bills to invest the money.

The legislature is set to vote on the budget in June before it is sent to Evers for his signature in July.