Beginning
April 15, 2018, state elected officials who are candidates for reelection
cannot distribute 50 or more pieces of substantially identical material. I
write to you today ahead of that deadline because we’ve got a great story to
tell here in Wisconsin, and I need your help in sharing the good news.
Next
week, I will sign the Wisconsin Child Tax Rebate and August Back-to-School
Sales Tax Holiday into law. The law is simple: anyone who is a resident of the
State of Wisconsin and a citizen of the United States is eligible to receive
$100 for every dependent child living at home under the age of 18 as of
December 31, 2017.
Beginning
May 15, 2018, through July 2, 2018, eligible citizens can claim
their $100-per-child tax rebate on this website: childtaxrebate.wi.gov. Please
note the website will not go live until May 15 and claims cannot be submitted
prior to May 15. Those who claim the rebate will receive the money
before school starts this fall and have the option to receive it through a
check in the mail or direct deposit.
We
also created a back-to-school sales tax holiday in August. This means the state
sales tax will not be charged on school-related items including school supplies
where each item is $75 or less, clothing where each item is $75 or less,
computers where each item is $750 or less, and computer supplies where each
item is $250 or less. This sales tax holiday will provide additional
relief to parents and grandparents as their children go back to school in the
fall. As the parents of two sons, Tonette and I know these back-to-school items
can really add up, and we also know that every little bit helps.
As
governor, I love traveling our state and meeting with citizens. People told me
they cared about issues like education, health care, welfare reform, tax
relief, and more. So last January, I called on the state Legislature to pass
these items as a part of what I call our Ambitious Agenda for 2018. The
Legislature listened to my request and delivered on these important issues.
Our
Ambitious Agenda for 2018 provided:
- Our Wisconsin Child Tax Rebate and August Sales Tax
Holiday.
- More dollars for K-12 education than ever before,
including more funding for our rural schools, school mental health
programs, and school safety program.
- A Health Care Stability Plan which will lower premiums,
increase choices, and stabilize health care for those on Obamacare’s
individual market.
-
A welfare reform plan which changes the way we provide public benefits so we can
help people transition from welfare to the workforce. We require
able-bodied adults to work a minimum of 30 hours a week and be able to
pass a drug test to receive benefits. For those who fail, we set
aside money for rehabilitation. Our goal is to get everyone into the
workforce.
With
more people employed in our state than ever before and an all-time low
unemployment rate of 2.9%, there is a lot to be excited about. Our future is
bright.
Thank you for sharing the good news about how we are getting positive things done for the people of Wisconsin. Together, we will continue moving Wisconsin Forward.
Respectfully,
Governor Scott Walker
P.S.
If you are eligible, don’t forget to claim your $100-per-child tax rebate
beginning May 15 at childtaxrebate.wi.gov.
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