Tracking Walker’s promises
Republican Scott Walker, after giving strong hints for months, has made it official: He’ll run in 2018 for a third term as Wisconsin’s governor.
Here’s an overview of how Walker has done on the Walk-O-Meter, PolitiFact Wisconsin’s way of tracking campaign promises he made in his 2010 and 2014 runs for governor. We’ve tracked 86 promises and he has kept a slim majority of them. The next most common rating is Promise Broken. Promise Kept: 46 (53.5%)
Promise Broken: 18 (20.9%) Compromise: 11 (12.8%)
In the Works: 6 (7%)
Stalled: 5 (5.8%)
Here’s a look at our most recent Walk-OMeter ratings:
Cut property taxes so that the levy on a typical home in 2018 is lower than it was in 2010. Promise Kept.
The 2010 property tax bill for a medianvalue home — often referred to as a typical home — was $2,963, and the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the bill will be $2,824 in 2018. That’s a reduction of $139.
Reduce income taxes so that they are lower in 2018 than they are today. Promise Kept.
The state fiscal bureau told us income tax collections in 2018 are estimated to be $319.5 million lower than they would have been without changes made under Walker.
Freeze technical college tuition for two years. Promise Broken.
Walker proposed one, in his 2017-’19 state budget, but it did not become law.
Increase availability of tuition tax credits for certain students. Promise Broken.
There have been no actions to make more people eligible for a tuition tax deduction since Walker started his second term in January 2015.
Protect the Transportation Fund from raids. Promise Kept.
Work with the Legislature to repay the raids from the Transportation Fund. Promise Kept.
Regarding both of those promises, under Walker, for the state budget periods from 2011 through 2019, transfers have been made from the general fund back to the transportation fund totaling $1.28 billion — more than repaying the $375.6 million taken and leaving the transportation fund with a total of $901.9 million more.
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