$42 billion. That is the cumulative effect of the tax cuts that I have delivered for you during my time in the Legislature. That's $42 billion more that hardworking Wisconsinites have in their pockets. While rising costs and inflation continue to impact your bottom line, I am working hard to return money to you.

In the most recent state budget, we cut taxes by $1.5 billion for retirees and the middle class. We also exempted residential electricity and natural gas from the sales tax year-round. That's roughly $250 in savings annually for the average family. The average retiree will see more than $1,000 in savings each year!

Thanks to our careful budgeting leading to a state surplus, we had a chance to do even more to address rising costs through rebate checks and exempting overtime and tips from the income tax. Unfortunately, this bipartisan proposal failed in the State Senate when all Senate Democrats voted against this necessary tax relief.

Since I was first elected, we have cut income taxes alone by $26 billion and have focused these tax cuts on the middle class. We have reduced the rate of the lowest tax bracket from 4.6% to 3.5% and reduced the second bracket from 6.15% to 4.4%. These tax cuts benefit every single person in Wisconsin with a tax liability.

While each rate cut may not seem like much, the effects are ongoing. The income tax cut in 2013 for the typical Wisconsin family was about $200. Today, that single tax cut has saved the typical family more than $2,800 to date. We didn't stop there, we have cut income taxes again, and again, and again. All adding up to real savings for you and your family.

I have also worked to stem the tide of rising property taxes. During my time in the Legislature, we have cut property taxes by a cumulative $16 billion. Unfortunately, despite our work, property taxes continue to increase. These increases are thanks in part to Governor Evers' 400-year property tax veto, which locked in automatic property tax hikes for 40 decades.

According to the Department of Revenue (DOR), statewide property tax collections for 2025 were $13.65 billion. If it weren't for our work cutting property taxes, property taxes on a statewide basis would be about 10% higher. That's potentially hundreds of dollars that would have been added to your bill.

I remain concerned about the burden of increasing property taxes, especially for those on a fixed income. I will advocate for policies that reduce our property taxes, not increase them.

We have made great progress lowering taxes, but there is still work to be done. We must continue to cut taxes for hardworking Wisconsinites so Wisconsin remains an attractive place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. In the State Senate, I remain committed to returning more of your hard-earned money to you to ease the effects of inflation and the rising cost of living.