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The Marquette Law School Poll this week did something simple and devastating for the political theater in Madison: it told the truth to most voters. Roughly four out of five Wisconsinites said the Legislature should have passed the bipartisan surplus package. That has reopened the public fight over who actually killed the deal — and it makes the political blame game look more like a cover-up than a debate.
Marquette poll: strong support for the surplus deal
The poll found about 80 percent of Wisconsin adults wanted the package passed, with strong majorities among Republicans, independents and even Democrats. The plan on the table was straightforward: property tax relief, rebate checks for taxpayers, more special-education funding, and a change to tax rules on tips and overtime. Voters saw relief for families — and they told pollsters they wanted it. That kind of broad support is hard to ignore, even if some politicians try.
The roll call tells the real story
Here’s what actually happened on the Senate floor: the measure failed 18–15. All 15 Senate Democrats voted no. Three Republican senators — Steve Nass, Chris Kapenga and Rob Hutton — joined them and finished the job. The bill had been negotiated publicly by Governor Tony Evers and Republican leaders, yet Democrats spent the week blasting the deal and then voted it down almost unanimously. If you’re keeping score, that looks a lot less like bipartisan obstruction and a lot more like Democrats choosing politics over property tax relief.
Tiffany didn’t write the votes — the vote did
Governor Evers accused U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany of making calls that helped sink the measure. Tiffany says he urged return of more of the surplus to taxpayers and denied directing how any senator should vote. Fine — but the vote is a public record. When every Democrat in the Senate says no and only three Republicans defect, blame has to follow the ballots, not the phone calls. The Marquette poll now gives Republicans a clear message to voters: Democrats blocked relief, and they did it in plain sight.
Democratic excuses don’t match voter priorities
Democrats argued the deal was a “backroom” patch, didn’t fix school funding, or risked future deficits. Some fiscal concerns are legitimate and should be debated. But when 80 percent of voters — including many Democrats — say pass the bill, it’s a big sign that people want tax relief now. Voters are tired of excuses. They want relief from high property taxes, not another round of political theater designed to help one party in an upcoming election.
What Republicans should do next
The Marquette poll hands Republicans two choices: fold and let the narrative be rewritten, or double down and force the issue again. Repackage the bill, address reasonable fiscal concerns, and keep the focus on returning money to taxpayers. The people of Wisconsin made their view clear. If Republicans want to win in the fall and actually help homeowners, they need to stop the spin and deliver the relief voters demanded in the poll. That’s politics — and it’s what Wisconsin families are counting on.
