Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison Monday to discuss the economy and government spending, despite saying he made no attempt to read Gov. Tony Evers’ 2025-27 Capital Budget.
Walker’s speech, at an event hosted by the Center for Research on Wisconsin Economy, focused on three main categories: “taxes, tariffs and terrible government spending,” followed by questions from students regarding tariffs and Act 10, a bill he put forth as governor which eliminated collective bargaining rights for most public workers.
Government spending
Despite emphasizing the importance of aid for defending the United States — foreign and domestic — Walker disagreed with government spending for foreign aid.
“I looked at a lot of things in terms of foreign aid, and I think many people across the political spectrum wonder, why would any of us want our money doing that? We have certain needs here in the United States that we could certainly better invest those dollars into,” Walker said.
Walker also said he agrees with and wants to emphasize that the powers not delegated to the federal government in the Constitution should be given to the states and the people.
“I have much more faith in the people, the state government, their school districts and your local communities to invest the dollars that we spend in K-12 education than I do a bunch of people who work in Washington,” Walker said.
One of Walker’s main points throughout his speech was “terrible government spending,” but he said he hadn’t read Evers’ 2025-27 Capital Budget.
“I haven’t looked at all at the Capital Budget,” Walker told The Daily Cardinal. “If I want to go to sleep tonight I might, but no.”
Walker disagrees with Trump’s tariffs
Walker discussed President Donald Trump's recent announcement of responsive tariffs placed on countries around the world, and is convinced the tariffs will not be a “permanent policy,” hoping they don’t last any longer than Labor Day.
“To me, tariffs are not a long-term solution, but I think there's probably some merit, at least in what the president and some of his allies are trying to do right now, to push back and at least attempt to level the playing field as much as reasonably possible,” Walker said.
Walker noted his belief that Trump is a “free trader” and the new tariffs are a tactic to encourage other countries toward having close to, or zero tariffs — eventually leading to free trade.
“[Free trade] really encourages us to go and be productive, to invest in our workforce, education, higher ed, technical ed, apprenticeships and other things that make sure that we have the best trained, best equipped workforce in the world — that we're highly productive and innovative, that we use new technologies along the way,” Walker said.
Walker believes 2017 tax cuts are crucial
Walker said the most important economic impact is ensuring the tax cuts passed in 2017 become permanent or at least get a 10-year extension. He also mentioned young voters care about the economy, high prices and tax cuts.
“Looking ahead to the next year in terms of the economic impact of what's going on… probably the most important thing — more important than even tariffs — is making sure the tax cuts that were passed in 2017 are extended or ideally permanent,” Walker said.
Walker claimed that 86% of the middle class received benefits of this tax cut, with the largest income group being $20,000 to $30,000 receiving a 13.5% benefit and people making over a million half that at about 6%.
The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that the biggest benefit of the 2017 tax cuts was towards households making $308,000 to $733,000. Additionally, households making over that got a tax cut worth 3.4% of their after-tax income while the richest 0.1% got a tax cut worth 2.7% and middle-income worth 1.6%.
Additionally, Walker said the top 1% pay a big share in taxes and more after Trump’s tax cuts, going from 30’s up to 45.5% of the tax burden in America, and people in the top 10% pay about three quarters of the burden.
In 2019, after Trump’s tax cuts the top 1% actually paid 25% of all taxes, and the top 10% only paid about 54%.
Act 10
Walker defended Act 10 after Dane County Circuit Court Judge David Frost struck down major portions of the law on Dec. 2, saying it treated similar types of employees differently. Police officers and firefighters — called “public safety employees” — maintained their right to unionize while everyone else, or “general employees,” lost their collective bargaining rights.
“Wisconsin is one of the biggest states in the country in terms of the amount of the state budget that goes right back to schools, municipalities and counties and so we could reduce aid, but the only way to offset that was to make changes,” Walker said.
He claimed Act 10 asked for a “very reasonable amount,” saying that they asked for around half of what an average citizen would pay in health insurance premiums in the state.
Since Act 10, taxpayers have saved $35 billion but more importantly, schools and other governments can now staff based on merit, Walker said.
“They can pay based on performance, they can put the best and the brightest in the classroom anywhere else,” Walker said.
Up-to-date numbers on actual taxpayer savings from Act 10 are hard to find.
Clara Strecker is a copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She also covers state news.
