On Jan. 13, newly inaugurated second-term Gov. Scott Walker delivered his State of the State speech before a joint session of the Legislature.
Here are three telling passages and what they mean for NFIB Wisconsin members. Also, here’s a look at Walker’s speech in terms of how many small-biz friendly policies he mentioned, and the best related lines of the night.
Small Business:
The source of our strength is our people. I see it when I tour factories and farms and small businesses….
Red Tape:
There are also several agencies, which oversee financial institutions and professional services. Tonight, I call on the members of the state Legislature to approve legislation combining these agencies into a one-stop shop for professional and financial services. In addition, our legislative package will include several other consolidations within existing agencies—as well as further regulatory reforms. We want common sense solutions, not bureaucratic red tape.
Regulations:
As taxpayers, we should demand that the functions that government must reasonably do, it should do well. We should demand a government that is more effective, more efficient, and more accountable to the public.
Top-down regulations and mandates from the federal government get in the way of innovation and growth in Wisconsin and states like ours.
Therefore, I am working with our new attorney general to prepare a lawsuit challenging the newly proposed federal energy regulations. These proposals could have a devastating impact.”
Property Taxes:
My pledge to you is that property taxes four years from now will be lower than they were in 2014.
Tax Cuts:
We reduced income and employer taxes, too. And we started taking less out of paychecks for withholding last April, so you could keep more of your hard-earned money.
Question: What did you think of Walker’s speech? Are your optimistic about your Wisconsin small business’ prospects over the next four years? Why or why not?
