Gov. Walker’s motivation for child tax credit seems pretty clear to Onalaska assemblyman Doyle

It’s an election year, so of course Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would want to divvy up the state’s budget surplus among families with children in the state.

That’s Onalaska Democratic Assemblyman STeve Doyle’s view on the $100 per child tax credit Walker proposed as part of a package of initiatives he wants passed in a hurry leading up to this year’s elections.

“It’s hard to disagree with things like making Seniorcare permanent and child care credit and things like that,” Doyle admits but points out the obvious. “I wish that those had been proposed in his last budget, instead of on the eve of him officially declaring his candidacy for governor.

If all goes according to plan for Walker, the child tax credit, which would cost the state a total of $122 million, would turn into a rebate check that shows up in the mail for families in late summer or early fall.

Those checks, of course, would come just in time for the Nov. 6 elections in Wisconsin.

“Doing a tax credit, where you get a check, shortly before the election, is kind of transparent, I would think,” Doyle said. “It’s an election year and that’s how politicians get. We’re always looking forward to that next election and how we can sell ourselves to the public.”

The plot for Walker is probably an effective one, Doyle admits, considering the Republican governor will collect plenty of Democratic votes.

“I suspect that would be a difficult thing to vote against as a Democrat,” Doyle said. “Where I’m actually hearing a resistance is among the Republicans.”

An upcoming special session will deal with the tax credit and several other initiatives Walker has proposed.

In the future, instead of a pre-election check, parents would get the child credit through their income tax filings.