Wisconsin Governor Evers Signs $111B Budget Securing Medicaid Funding

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a $111 billion two-year bipartisan budget in the early hours of Thursday after rapid legislative approval, aiming to secure federal Medicaid matching funds that could be jeopardized by President Donald Trump's tax and spending cuts package. The budget includes more than $1 billion in tax cuts, increased spending on universities, special education, child care, and public schools, along with eliminating sales taxes on residential electric bills, though it raises fees for driver's licenses, license plates, and vehicle titles. A key urgency was to increase the hospital assessment rate from 1.8% to the federal maximum of 6% to access $1.5 billion in federal funding for Medicaid and rural hospitals before Congress finalizes related Medicaid cuts. While some Democrats opposed the bill for not fully addressing their priorities, Evers praised the compromise as reflective of effective bipartisan governance. Republican leaders emphasized that the budget is more conservative than previous ones and necessary to capture federal revenue. The swift passage involved unusual legislative procedures to meet the July 4 deadline imposed by federal tax and spending reforms.