HALES CORNERS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany released his tax and affordability plan Tuesday, Aug. 25, in Hales Corners. Tiffany laid out an extensive plan on how he will make life more affordable for Wisconsinites and included lowering property taxes.
Tom Tiffany
“Everywhere I go across Wisconsin, I see the same thing. Property taxes are too high, utility bills continue to skyrocket, gas costs more, buying a home is more,” Tiffany said.
As he has been saying since the primary, he plans to end Governor Tony Evers' 400-year veto. He also says the plan is to add a property tax freeze so Wisconsinites can have a predictable property tax bill.
Tiffany also plans to deliver a 10% income tax cut for working families making less than $150,000 a year, return the state surplus, prevent sales tax hikes, and attack rising utility costs. He also plans to get rid of state income tax on overtime and tips -- something that was done at the federal level. It's a policy move he says has been popular among people he has talked to on the campaign trail.
"In Marshfield, I had a welder come up to me and say I took home $1,100 more this year during tax filing season. I work 50 hours a week, put in an extra 10 hours of overtime every week, I got to keep $1,100 more," said Tiffany.
Ahead of Tiffany's news conference, Democratic nominee for governor David Crowley sent out a statement criticizing Tiffany for not addressing rising diesel costs. In a statement, he said in part:
"First, MAGA Congressman Tom Tiffany quietly applauded Donald Trump’s new Canadian tariffs, and now he’s got nothing to say about high diesel prices, his latest betrayal to Wisconsin farmers and manufacturers. These high costs are not only crushing farmers and manufacturers — prices are going up for everyone at a time when life is completely unaffordable. I’m running for governor to be a partner to Wisconsin farmers and manufacturers, to bring prices down, and to restore economic stability in our state.”
Tiffany says his plan to reduce fuel prices is to repeal the minimum markup law, which requires gas to be marked up from its wholesale price.
“It’s an outdated law that restricts businesses from competing on prices and imposes government-mandated minimum markups on gasoline and other products,” Tiffany said.
David Crowley first introduced the policy action during his candidate speech at the Democratic state convention. He addressed Tiffany, announcing he supports the idea at an event in Madison on Tuesday afternoon. He doesn’t believe Tom Tiffany will execute the plans he is putting forward.
“It’s ironic he is a big fan of the minimum markup law repealing that's something I introduced three months ago,” Crowley said.
As for Tiffany’s criticism of him as Milwaukee County executive, Crowley says he has delivered on affordability.
“We have done incredible work to lower costs, we have built affordable housing, lowered our unsheltered homeless count per capita, more than any other community in the entire country right,” Crowley said. “We have focused on affordability, and we want to continue the track record when I become the next governor of Wisconsin.”
View Tiffany's full eight-point policy plan below: