Wisconsin GOP lawmakers took federal pandemic loans — and now want to cut their own taxes for doing so: report

On Thursday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinelreported that GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin are advancing legislation to cut taxes for businesses that took federal COVID-19 "Paycheck Protection Program" loans — a move which would financially benefit several lawmakers who accepted those loans for their own businesses, including the state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

The bill is intended to prevent PPP loans from being taxable at the state level, bringing the state code in line with the federal code that already does not tax the payments.

"The legislation could help the bottom line of businesses affiliated with Vos, Ballweg, Republican Rep. Cindi Duchow of Delafield and Republican Rep. Gary Tauchen of Bonduel," reported Patrick Marley. "An ethics filing by Ballweg shows she or her family has a stake in the Ballweg Implement Co. in Waupun. The company received a PPP loan of $535,000 last year to help retain 47 jobs, according to a Washington Post database of loans." Meanwhile, loans also went to Vos' popcorn company, a Kenosha development company partly owned by Duchow, and a dairy farm owned by Tauchen.

The Wisconsin legislature, which is aggressively gerrymandered for Republicans, has spent months fighting with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers over pandemic restrictions, with GOP lawmakers blocking mask rules last week.