We have less than three weeks to the election, and in Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is trying to run on a platform of affordability. Unfortunately for him, his record of jacking up taxes — and saying it's not a burden — belies that platform.
And now the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, hardly a fan of Republicans, isn't doing him any favors with this story about how much no tax on tips and overtime — both major parts of the One Big Beautiful Bill and the Working Families Tax Cuts — will cost Wisconsin.
They're warning that letting hardworking people in Wisconsin keep more of their money will cost $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.
Cost of ending Wisconsin tax on tips, OT pegged at $2.7B over decade https://t.co/F3PMIbv2XO
— Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) October 15, 2026
Changing Wisconsin law to mirror the federal law exempting tips and overtime from the income tax would reduce state collections by $2.7 billion over the next decade, according to a new report from Forward Analytics.
Still, that boost in take-home pay for those who are impacted could boost consumer spending. The report also found the change could create an incentive to move toward wage structures more reliant on tips or overtime to take advantage of the exemption.
Forward Analytics is an arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association.
This session, Dem Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a GOP bill to exempt tips from the state’s income tax. The governor and GOP legislative leaders then included provisions in a $1.8 billion surplus package that would have exempted tips and overtime from the state income tax. That legislation cleared the Assembly but failed in the Senate when all 15 Dems and three majority Republicans voted against the proposal.
Democrats believe they are entitled to the money you work for and earn.
And if elected governor, David Crowley will take even more of it.
Good thing we had a 3 billion dollar surplus that every senate democrat voted against because some of the money would go back to taxpayers and not to be money laundered to the teachers union through “funding public schools”
— The Wisconsin Supremacist 🇺🇸🧀 (@WISupremacist) October 16, 2026
David Crowley will also steal this surplus.
Actually, it costs nothing. The government doesn’t own that money.
— Chris (@CalumetCtyGOP) October 16, 2026
Tax cuts don't hurt the government.
This has got to be the only time in the last 20 years that the lefties at the JS are concerned about costs.
— MikeyMike (@MikeyMikeMKE) October 15, 2026
Screw the servers and bartenders.
Screw the welder working overtime to save for a home.
D**n it, teachers need their free pensions and $120 a month health insurance…
They never care about costs, unless tax breaks are involved.
Alternative headline:
— Megan Novak (@meganjnovak) October 16, 2026
Hardworking Wisconsinites keep $2.7B of their own money https://t.co/PZzhB1iVKi
That's roughly $450 for every Wisconsinite. But when you look at the roughly 298,000 Wisconsinites who work in the service industry, that's more than $9,000.
Money remaining in the pockets of taxpayers is not a cost. It does not belong to the government. https://t.co/pSiZkoIxBJ
— Matt Henkel (@mhenks05) October 16, 2026
Democrats believe all our money belongs to them.