Tony is Doing the Right Thing for Wisconsin
Since taking office in 2019, Gov. Evers has accomplished a lot for the people of Wisconsin
Governor Evers’ steady leadership continues to move Wisconsin forward. His bold plans are giving Wisconsin families and small businesses the tools they need to be successful, with new opportunities for folks in every corner of the state. During his first term, he has already started delivering on the promises he made to Wisconsinites in 2018, signing a bipartisan income tax cut, fixing thousands of miles of roads and bridges, investing in apprenticeships and job training programs, and increasing resources for our public schools.
Wisconsin is stronger and better than when Gov. Evers first took office. Wisconsin has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, the lowest in state history, and the largest budget surplus ever in Wisconsin.
Click on the map to see Governor Evers’ accomplishments in your county.
Accomplishments
When I ran for governor in 2018, I promised a 10% tax cut for our middle-class families, because helping working families get ahead is the right thing to do. I made good on my promise by cutting taxes for working families not just by 10%, but by 15%. That means Wisconsinites will have more money in their pockets to pay bills, get ahead, and have the economic security they deserve.
Combined, I’m proud to have secured more than $4 billion in tax relief since taking office. That relief is already benefiting Wisconsin families and helping small businesses thrive. We’ve also invested more than $900 million to keep local property taxes low, while giving our schools the funding they deserve. With all the tax cuts Gov. Evers has signed into law, 86% of Wisconsin taxpayers will see a 15% income tax cut.
When Wisconsinites get ahead, our state gets ahead. I’m working to make sure our working families have the resources they need to succeed.
$4 Billion in Tax Relief
In 2018, I promised that we’d repair Wisconsin roads and bridges, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.
In just three years we’ve repaired nearly 5,000 miles of highways – that’s enough to drive from Platteville to Denver…and back. We’ve also improved nearly 1,500 bridges all over Wisconsin, to keep drivers safe on the road.
We’ve come a long way from the previous administration, when our roads were among the worst in the Midwest. When I took office, my first budget included nearly a half-billion dollars in transportation funding, and even during the pandemic hundreds of road improvement projects were moving forward, some under budget and ahead of schedule. I’m proud to say Wisconsin’s roads are now ranked 8th best in the nation.
I’ll continue to invest in our infrastructure and fix our roads, one pothole at a time.
Investing in Roads
From my days as a public school science teacher to now, I’ve always believed what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. That’s why I’ve worked to bring people together and make real investments to improve the quality of our public schools.
When I took office, Wisconsin’s K-12 public schools had been drastically underfunded for years. That’s why we’ve pushed for historic investments that improve quality and give Wisconsin’s kids every opportunity to get ahead. I promised to restore the state’s funding commitment to public schools, and we got it done – for the first time in two decades. We’ve also made sure that every student has the opportunity to achieve their dreams, and I’m proud to have signed the first increase in special education funding in a decade.
We’ve also increased the state’s investments in higher education to give the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin’s technical colleges the resources they need. When Wisconsinites have the opportunity to learn the skills they need for today’s jobs, our economy grows, and Wisconsin moves forward. We’ve also made investments to freeze tuition at UW schools, because students and families shouldn’t have to worry about the rising costs of education.
Today, Wisconsin’s education system is ranked the 8th best in the nation, up from 18th under the previous administration.
Education
Having grown up, lived, and taught in rural communities, I know how important it is to stay connected for our kids’ education and for our small businesses. That’s why I’m delivering on my promise to invest in quality, high-speed internet access across the state. During my time as governor, we will have invested almost fifteen times more into expanding high-speed internet than the prior four years combined. All told, our investments since 2019 will connect more than 300,000 homes and businesses with high-quality, high-speed internet.
In addition to expanding access, I’m proud to have made a record amount of funding for grants that will help make broadband more affordable for Wisconsinites. Because no matter where you live or what your background is, you deserve access to affordable and fast internet access.
High-Speed Internet
Wisconsin small businesses are the heart of our communities and the state’s economy. When small businesses grow, everyone in Wisconsin benefits.
When Wisconsin businesses were hit by the pandemic, we knew we had to do the right thing and support their recovery. Our entrepreneurs are innovative and resilient, and with the right support from the state, they could overcome these challenges to not only survive, but thrive.
Today, the success of our small business programs can be seen across Wisconsin. During his first term, Gov. Evers has invested over $1 billion to support small businesses.
Starting in the summer of 2020, our “We’re All In” grant program invested in Wisconsin small businesses to help them get back on their feet by rehiring or retaining workers, keeping the lights on, or stocking their shelves. We also took steps to help the restaurant and lodging industry recover stronger than before. These investments alone directed over 125,000 grants to Wisconsin small businesses.
Gov. Evers has supported more than 100,000 small businesses, and thanks to his Main Street Bounceback program, more than 4,500 small businesses have opened up new storefronts on main streets across our state.
Small Businesses
Wisconsin’s economy is better and stronger today than when I took office. That’s because we’ve done the right thing to support workers and small businesses across our state. Our work has paid off. Today, unemployment is at historic lows and we have the fewest number of unemployed people in our state’s history.
We also have a record-breaking projected surplus of $3.8 billion and our state’s “rainy day” fund is five times larger than when I took office, making it the largest in Wisconsin history.
But I know we have more work to do, especially when it comes to attracting new workers or finding solutions to fill job openings across the state.
Growing Our Economy
“We're just getting started. We have more work to do, together.“— Tony