Evers, GOP announce tax deal including rebate checks, property tax relief and education funding
Gov. Tony Evers said the Legislature is expected to act on the deal this week
Updated: 11:04 AM CDT May 11, 2026
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday he’s reached a roughly $1.8 billion agreement with Republican leaders to provide rebate checks to Wisconsinites, attempt to lower property taxes and provide hundreds of millions of additional dollars to public school education. The deal, which has been months in the making, will use part of the state’s surplus and comes just months ahead of the November elections. The deal includes: $850 million in direct payments to Wisconsinites, which will roughly break down to $600 for married joint filers and $300 for individuals $600 million in K-12 education, which includes the largest increase in the special education reimbursement rate and $300 million in general school aid meant to help lower property taxes, alongside $50 million for Wisconsin technical colleges No tax on tips or overtime income “We’ve proven time and again that, here in Wisconsin, we’re capable of finding common ground and working together to get good things done for the people of our state, and the bipartisan compromise we’re announcing today is yet another example,” Evers said in a statement. The Legislature is scheduled to return to the State Capitol and take up the deal this week.”Republicans have fought hard to control spending, and now we have a sizable budget surplus,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement. “We’re sending it back to help families with the pressure of increasing costs, reward hard work, and to continue investing in schools to help stabilize rising property taxes.”This story is breaking and will be updated.
MADISON, Wis. —
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday he’s reached a roughly $1.8 billion agreement with Republican leaders to provide rebate checks to Wisconsinites, attempt to lower property taxes and provide hundreds of millions of additional dollars to public school education.
The deal, which has been months in the making, will use part of the state’s surplus and comes just months ahead of the November elections.
The deal includes:
$850 million in direct payments to Wisconsinites, which will roughly break down to $600 for married joint filers and $300 for individuals $600 million in K-12 education, which includes the largest increase in the special education reimbursement rate and $300 million in general school aid meant to help lower property taxes, alongside $50 million for Wisconsin technical colleges No tax on tips or overtime income
“We’ve proven time and again that, here in Wisconsin, we’re capable of finding common ground and working together to get good things done for the people of our state, and the bipartisan compromise we’re announcing today is yet another example,” Evers said in a statement.
The Legislature is scheduled to return to the State Capitol and take up the deal this week.
“Republicans have fought hard to control spending, and now we have a sizable budget surplus,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement. “We’re sending it back to help families with the pressure of increasing costs, reward hard work, and to continue investing in schools to help stabilize rising property taxes.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.