Withholding Opportunity from Wisconsin Students: Governor Evers Refuses to Opt Wisconsin Into the Education Freedom Tax Credit
On March 30, Governor Evers vetoed a bill that would have opted Wisconsin into a federal tax credit scholarship program. This veto adds one more item to the list of Gov. Evers’s progressive and anti-student educational policies. Throughout his tenure as governor of Wisconsin, Gov. Evers has consistently voiced his undying support for the public school system and strong opposition to any alternative educational programs. But this veto reveals a new layer of hatred toward school choice alternatives that outweighs his support for public school students. In this case, Gov. Evers is blocking aid to all Wisconsin students – including those in public schools – simply because the aid would also extend to students enrolled in Wisconsin’s school choice voucher program.
A Chance to Expand Educational Opportunities for Wisconsin Students
The federal tax credit scholarship program, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit, was introduced last July as a part of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The program greatly expands educational opportunities for students enrolled in every type of school across the United States.
Effective January 1, 2027, individuals will receive a 100% federal tax credit for donations to qualified scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) that award K-12 scholarships for tuition and other eligible education expenses such as afterschool programs, tutoring, and support services for students with disabilities. The maximum tax credit that an individual may receive is $1,700, but the bill places no limit on how many people can take advantage of this tax credit. In other words, the program uses private donations to provide educational resources for students at no cost to the state.
Gov. Evers’s Refusal to Opt In
But, in order to tap into the program’s benefits, every year, states must choose to opt into the program. Governors must submit a notice to the U.S. Treasury along with an annual list of qualifying SGOs in order for their state to participate.
Twenty-eight governors – including three Democrat governors – have already opted their states in or have indicated that they plan to. In fact, Democrat governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, calls opting into the program a “no-brainer.” Gov. Evers clearly disagrees. He was one of the first governors in the country to signal his opposition to this opportunity.
Rather than allowing Wisconsin students to tap into the benefits of this program, from the beginning, Gov. Evers announced his determination to keep Wisconsin out of the program. In an effort to encourage him to reconsider joining the program, the legislature passed a bill requiring him to opt Wisconsin in. Gov. Evers responded by vetoing the bill.
Gov. Evers’s False Claims About the Program
In his veto message, Gov. Evers slammed the program as “the first-ever federal effort to fund private school scholarships through vouchers the federal government will pay individuals in exchange for donating to organizations that award scholarships to attend private schools.” His veto message clearly demonstrates his inherent misunderstanding of the tax credit scholarship program, his hatred toward school choice in Wisconsin, and his refusal to expand educational opportunities for students in Wisconsin. Gov. Evers wants Wisconsin students to remain trapped in Wisconsin’s failing public school system with as few non-public educational opportunities as possible.
But Gov. Evers’s criticism of the program betrays a fundamental misunderstanding (or intentional misrepresentation) of the way the program works and its ability to help Wisconsin students in the public school system as well as those enrolled in alternative programs.
His veto message depicts the program as an intentional hit to the public school system that will funnel public money away from public schools into the hands of private schools. He paints the program as an addition to Wisconsin’s school choice voucher program that he falsely claims robs Wisconsin public schools of funding. Rather than accurately discussing the Education Freedom Tax Credit, Gov. Evers used his veto message to spread misinformation about the program and, once again, to lambast Wisconsin’s largely popular and successful school choice voucher program.
His veto message claims, “The federal government is now going to use public funds that should be used for public schools to essentially reimburse donors for helping fund private schools instead. No joke.” While the program does include federal tax reimbursement for donations to SGOs that grant scholarships for private school tuition, Gov. Evers gets it wrong on two fronts.
First, Gov. Evers completely ignored the many ways the program can grant aid to public school students. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty outlines several ways SGOs could provide scholarships to public school students including “providing funds for therapies, tutoring, or specialized services that may not be covered by public school funding” and supporting “STEM or literacy programs designed to enhance educational opportunities in those areas by providing after-school programs.” The possibilities are truly endless. But Gov. Evers denied these possibilities to all Wisconsin students.
Second, Gov. Evers implied that this program channels funds away from public schools toward choice alternatives. This claim is at best false and at worst intentionally misleading. The program does not touch any public-school funding. Rather than utilizing state funds, this program runs on private charitable donations. And because the tax credits are awarded by the federal government, the program will have no impact on the state budget.
Missed Opportunities for Wisconsin Students
Despite Gov. Evers’s veto, Wisconsin taxpayers can still donate to out-of-state SGOs to receive the tax credit. Unfortunately, since Gov. Evers refuses to opt Wisconsin into the program, donors in our state will likely give to SGOs out of state. In other words, students in other states will receive the benefits that Wisconsin students deserve. It is likely that Wisconsin students will miss out on tens of millions of dollars in assistance for educational resources like tuition, books, tutoring, special needs services, transportation, technology equipment, and other supplies.
“This new federal opportunity offers a meaningful way to expand educational opportunities for Wisconsin students in all types of schools at no cost to the state,” explains Cory Brewer, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Deputy Counsel. “While other Democratic governors are embracing—or seriously considering—this opportunity, Governor Evers chose to side with the education establishment instead of Wisconsin families. At a time when other states are expanding opportunity, Wisconsin is being left behind by its own leadership.”
The Bottom Line: Gov. Evers Hates School Choice
Gov. Evers’s veto message once again demonstrates his true colors when it comes to educational opportunities. For years, Gov. Evers has pleaded with Wisconsin lawmakers for more funding for Wisconsin public schools. Even though this program has the potential to bring a new stream of funding to public school students throughout our state, Gov. Evers rejected the program because it also has the potential to help voucher students. In other words, Gov. Evers hates school choice more than he cares about the public-school students he claims to support. In this case, Gov. Evers denied educational opportunities to all students in Wisconsin simply because the support includes students in choice programs that he doesn’t like.
Wisconsin students will have to wait for a new governor or new legislation to tap into the benefits of the Education Freedom Tax Credit. This November’s gubernatorial election will give Wisconsinites the opportunity to elect a new governor who truly values all students and supports educational opportunities in Wisconsin.
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