Madison Wis. — Yesterday, Wisconsin parents began to see the first installments of the expanded Child Tax Credits, a tax cut made possible by the American Rescue Plan. An estimated 1,159,000 children in Wisconsin will benefit from the Child Tax Credit, and the average family will see more than $400 a month – no thanks to Republicans like Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson and Congressman Mike Gallagher, who voted against the program.
The program, made possible thanks to Senator Baldwin, Rep. Moore, Rep. Kind, and Rep. Pocan voting to put working families first, has been hailed as a “stunning change” by a Wisconsin public affairs and economics professional, and will lift 46,000 Wisconsin children out of poverty.
This Democratic-led federal tax relief comes alongside Gov. Evers’ middle class tax cut, which he signed into the law last week. The newly signed state budget provides more than $2 billion in individual income tax relief for Wisconsinites – providing relief to more than 1.6 million taxpayers in the state at a time when our economy and working families need it most, in addition to the $2 billion in cumulative tax relief the governor has already secured before the 2021-23 budget.
Senator Ron Johnson, Rep. Mike Gallagher, and likely GOP gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch’s refusal to support tax cuts for Wisconsin families – solely for political purposes – makes it clear that Republicans can’t be trusted to do what’s in our best interest.
Across the state, parents shared how the credits will benefit them:
Associated Press: Child tax credit starts hitting US families’ bank accounts
- “Katie Strelka, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, was laid off from her job as a beauty and hair care products buyer for the Kohl’s department store chain in September as the pandemic tightened its grip on the country. Last month she landed a new job as an assistant executive director for the nonprofit International Association for Orthodontics. Now she needs day care again. That amounts to $1,000 a week for both kids. All the tax credit money will go to cover that, said Strelka, 37.
- “‘Every little bit is going to help right now,’ she said. ‘I’m paying for school out-of-pocket. I’m paying for the boys’ stuff. The cost of food and everything else has gone up. We’re just really thankful. The tide feels like it’s turning.’”
Wisconsin Examiner: How the new, expanded federal child tax credit will work
- “Julie Zepnick Gingras of Franklin said the credit will make it possible for her five children, ages 8 to 16, to do things like pay for cheerleader uniforms, play football, take violin lessons or get a driver’s license. During the pandemic, ‘we couldn’t afford to have any of the kids participate in extracurricular activities,’ she said.”
Leader Telegram: It Seems to Me: Measure lifts families in Wisconsin
Kayla Midthun is a parent in Eau Claire and co-owner of Ramone’s Ice Cream Parlor:
- “I’m grateful to Biden and Democrats in Congress who voted for this tax cut for families like mine. Starting today, millions of Wisconsinites will have more money in their pockets. From $1,400 checks to this new child tax credit, it’s clear to me the Biden administration is making things easier for Wisconsin families. And really, it’s about time we had a government that works for folks like us.
- “What’s disappointing is that some lawmakers in our state, most notably Sen. Ron Johnson, stood directly in the way of passing the bill that deposited $1,400 checks in our bank accounts and additional funding for vaccine distribution. I don’t think he sees the struggles that my family, or others across Wisconsin, have faced during the pandemic, nor does he understand how much these stimulus dollars and tax cuts will benefit our everyday lives.”
WIZM: Child tax credit, which goes into effect today, is like “trickle-up” economics
- “‘The child tax credit is a benefit to people with kids,’ Wikler said. ‘It’s not a benefit to people who own yachts. It’s not a benefit for people who have car elevators, like Mitt Romney did in 2012. If you think that kids are going to be the future of the country, investing in kids makes a lot of sense.’
- “Wikler made the comparison of [Ron] Johnson having no trouble voting for the 2017 tax cuts for the super rich and corporations, yet not voting for these relief packages during a global pandemic.
- “‘He voted against support for families, he voted against even getting the stimulus checks into folks’ bank accounts and he voted a few years ago for giant tax cuts for multi-millionaires like himself,’ Wikler said. ‘So, this is somebody who is all about providing tax cuts for certain people, but when it comes to parents, he is dead set against it.’”
CBS (La Crosse): Child tax credit coming for families in La Crosse area, across U.S.
- “The Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a roundtable discussion hosted by Chair Ben Wikler featuring parents in the state. La Crosse parents Gregory and Jillian Schams joined in to talk about what the tax credits mean to them.
- “Jillian says, ‘having kids is wonderful, but it is expensive and so we’re just excited to receive the extended child tax credit, which can now go towards groceries, clothes, activities, and other essentials.’”
