Wisconsin surplus better than expected

Madison, Wisconsin — Wisconsin is likely to end the fiscal year with a surplus of $7.1 billion, the Legislative and Finance Office said Wednesday.

The announcement comes just one day after Gov. Tony Evers delivered his fifth state address, preparing to formally announce the budget for the first third of his second term next month.

Wisconsiners heard a lot on Tuesday about where the governor wants to spend the state’s surplus dollars, and Evers spent most of Wednesday showing his support for those ideas when he launched a tour across the state. I wanted to build a

In a speech Tuesday, Gov. Evers announced several spending proposals totaling over $1 billion. Aside from the surplus, Wisconsin holds an additional $1.7 billion of his money in the so-called “Rainy Day Fund.”

Gov. Tony Evers stopped by the YMCA in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday to kick off a statewide tour of the State of the State. (Spectrum News 1/Jack Spaltholz)

In an interview Wednesday, Republican Congressional Speaker Robin Vos said there is a big difference between state checking and savings accounts.

“I’ve never actually been on Oprah’s show, but I felt like I was part of the audience,” Voss said of Tuesday’s State of the Union address. , a million to you”” I don’t think it’s very realistic given that our state doesn’t have unlimited checkbooks. ”

One area the governor wants to write a so-called check for is mental health. Evers said he has invested nearly $500 million in expanding such services, of which he has pledged $270 million specifically for children.

Republican Congressional Speaker Robin Voss reacts to the state’s speech in Wednesday’s InFocus segment.

Republicans and Democrats, like many others, agree that there is a problem, but reaching a compromise is easier said than done.

“Are we at a crisis with our mental health? I don’t think it’s as easy as saying that the problem is solved.

Governor Evers was reelected for his stance on some of the issues he debated Tuesday night, but so was the Republican Party. Voters have opted for four more years of split government, so both sides must find a budget compromise before the July deadline.