Wisconsin Republicans kill marijuana legalization and tax increases for millionaires

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature voted Thursday to kill most of the top spending priorities of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, including legalizing marijuana, even as both sides negotiate a tax cut. The Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee voted along party lines to kill more than 600 budget proposals put forward by Evers, including spending more state money on child care providers, expanding Medicaid and raising taxes on joint tax filers those who earn more than $1 million. Republicans did the same thing in each of Evers’ previous three budgets and had said they were going to do it again. Republican Sen. Howard Marklein, co-chair of the budget committee, said “popular items” could return as separate bills. The vote gutting the governor’s spending plan marks the first step in what will be a weekslong process of slowly rebuilding the two-year budget to include more Republican priorities. Evers can make more changes with his broad veto power once the Legislature passes a budget, which typically happens in late June or early July.