Evers' surplus plan includes $150 refunds to taxpayers

(WLUK) -- Just two days after state finance experts reveal a multi billion dollar budget surplus, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican lawmakers are clashing on how to spend the money.

A memo to the Legislature's finance committee projects a surplus of $3.8 billion. That's a $2.9 billion increase from estimates last June.

Evers laid out a plan to spend just under $2 billion Thursday afternoon "by sending every Wisconsinite $150 refund from that surplus to defray the rising costs families are experiencing."

Meanwhile, Republicans said Wednesday they want to use the surplus to fund tax cuts in the budget next year.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, calls the move a re-election gimmick.

He said in a statement that Evers should use federal relief money to fund his plan.

Governor Evers currently has $930 million in federal 'Biden bucks' at his sole discretion, and he will get another $1.25 billion in May.

If he's serious about his own plan, he should fund it.

As for where else Evers wants to spend the money, he said Thursday he wants it to fund over $130 million in child and caregiving tax credits, and, citing the GOP slashing millions from education funding in his budget proposal last year, he announced his plan sends more than $180 million in property tax relief.

That number would be part of a $750 million investment in schools.

Still, Evers' plan would have to pass the Republican-controlled Legislature to take effect, a move that's highly unlikely.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the added budget surplus is the result of higher-than-expected tax collections from a stronger-than-expected economy.