When Governor Tony Evers vetoed legislation that would have eliminated the personal property tax, he “asked the Legislature to pass a new bill that addressed his significant concerns over the multiple problems and unintended consequences of Assembly Bill 191.”
Legislation has now been introduced, at the request of the Governor, that would eliminate the tax, but according to Sen. Duey Stroebel, includes “poison pill provisions to appease the left and serve as political cover for those not paying attention.”
The legislation, Senate Bill 623, introduced by Sen. Brad Pfaff (Onalaska), and Assembly Bill 641, introduced by Rep. Robyn Vining (Wauwatosa), would repeal the personal property tax but also includes provisions not included in the legislation vetoed by Gov. Evers. The 55-page proposal includes new provisions for specific industries, including manufactured homes and billboards, which would increase their tax burden while creating a new exemption for aircraft carriers.
The legislation holds local governments harmless as a result of eliminating the personal property tax and provides for an annual increase in aid indexed for inflation.
NFIB does not support providing local governments with an automatic boost in aid payments each year.
According to Sen. Pfaff, “this pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small businesses, and this bill will help them save money and be more competitive.”
Following introduction of AB 641, Rep. Vining said, “it is time to eliminate the personal property tax to help alleviate some of the financial stress our small businesses continue to face.”
We agree. The challenge we face, however, is bringing together Republicans, Democrats, and the Governor to agree on legislation that would finally eliminate the personal property tax.
SB 623 has been referred to the Sen. Committee on Financial Institutions and Revenue; AB 641 is being reviewed by the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means.
