Walk-O-Meter

Browse the Walk-O-Meter: All promises All Promises Kept By Subject Economy Taxes PolitiFact Wisconsin has compiled promises that Scott Walker made during the 2010 and 2014 campaigns and is tracking their progress on our Walk-O-Meter. We rate their status as Not Yet Rated, In the Works or Stalled. Once we find action is completed, we rate them Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken. (See our About the Walk-O-Meter page for definitions of our ratings.) The report card above provides an up-to-the-minute tally of all the promises.

Walk-O-Meter Scorecard

Promise Kept

0% 6 Promises

Compromise

0% 2 Promises

Promise Broken

0% 6 Promises

Stalled

0% 0 Promises

In the Works

0% 1 Promises

For more details, see the Principles of PolitiFact

Latest Walk-O-Meter Promises

Scott Walker

Create 10,000 new businesses

No final rating | December 20, 2018

Scott Walker

Increase higher education grants for certain students

Promise Kept: Increasing student grants | October 5, 2018

Scott Walker

Continue to reduce the tax burden on working families and seniors every year he is in office

Promise Kept: Reducing the tax burden | October 5, 2018

Scott Walker

Work with utilities to reduce the cost of energy for homeowners and employers

Promise Broken: Energy prices up | October 5, 2018

Scott Walker

Return budget surpluses to taxpayers

Projected surplus tapped for sales tax holiday, child tax credit | September 28, 2018

Scott Walker

Serve a full term

He stayed, but only after trying to leave | September 28, 2018

Scott Walker

Sell unneeded state assets for state debt reduction

Despite promise, no sale of unneeded assets | September 28, 2018

Scott Walker

Not support an increase in the state sales tax

Floated ideas, but didn’t back increase in sales tax | September 21, 2018

Scott Walker

Not to pursue toll roads in Wisconsin

Compromise: Walker on pursuing toll roads | September 21, 2018

Scott Walker

Universal access to college courses

No ‘universal access’ created | May 30, 2018

Scott Walker

Repeal the Common Core State Standards for schools

Common Core hasn’t been repealed | May 25, 2018

Scott Walker

Freeze technical college tuition for two years

No freeze was included in final budget of the term | December 1, 2017

Scott Walker

Increase availability of tuition tax credits for certain students

No action since term began, and the budget is complete | December 1, 2017

Scott Walker

Work with the legislature to repay the raids from the Transportation Fund

Transfers from transportation fund to general fund repaid | November 21, 2017

Scott Walker

Protect the Transportation Fund from raids.

No raids during Walker’s second term | November 21, 2017

Scott Walker

Cut property taxes so that the levy on a typical home in 2018 is lower than it was in 2010

Projections based on new budget show promise is on track | July 17, 2015

Scott Walker

Reduce income taxes so that they are lower in 2018 than they are today

Will progress early in second term hold? Stay tuned | May 2, 2016

Scott Walker

Require working-age childless adults receiving welfare benefits to work

Scott Walker

Limit the time on public assistance for certain recipients

Changes have taken effect | August 13, 2015

Scott Walker

Support a major increase in the enrollment cap in the statewide private school voucher program

Statewide program was passed as part of 2015-’17 budget | August 13, 2015

Scott Walker

Freeze UW System tuition at least two more years

After passage of budget, there is no thaw in this freeze | July 17, 2015

Scott Walker

Require a drug test for those seeking unemployment benefits and Food Stamps

Measures included in the 2015-17 state budget | July 17, 2015

Scott Walker

Toughen reporting requirements for lobbyists

No final action on either side of this equation | December 19, 2014

Scott Walker

Identify $300 million in waste, fraud and abuse in state budget and eliminate it

The numbers show this $300 million goal has been met | September 25, 2014

Scott Walker

Create 250,000 new jobs

Economists say time has run out on top campaign promise | September 18, 2014

Scott Walker

Require annual audits of fish and wildlife accounts

Two reviews out of dozens of areas | September 10, 2014

Scott Walker

Develop plan to keep Veterans Trust Fund solvent

Cash infusions have kept it afloat, but deficit projections remain | September 10, 2014

Scott Walker

Create relocation tax credit for businesses moving to Wisconsin

Another one that did not make it through | September 8, 2014

Scott Walker

Begin to phase out state tax on retirement income

Many tax reforms enacted, but this one did not make it through | September 8, 2014

Scott Walker

Create “Homecoming Wisconsin” program to lure back former residents

Some ongoing efforts, but not as expansive as pledged | August 25, 2014

Scott Walker

Sign legislation on immigration similar to Arizona bill

No legislation moved, and no more session days left | August 25, 2014

Scott Walker

Lift nuclear moratorium

Some talk, but no action and no more session days scheduled | August 25, 2014

Scott Walker

Review all tax policy to lighten burden on farmers

Analysis assesses taxation of farmers | November 9, 2013

Scott Walker

Change to hunter-friendly chronic wasting disease strategy

That push is poised to come to fruition | November 7, 2013

Scott Walker

Appoint “Whitetail Deer trustee” to review deer counting system

Appointment came earlier, new system is poised for introduction | November 7, 2013

Scott Walker

Create new panel to provide advice on hunting and environmental matters

The group is in place and has been meeting | November 7, 2013

Scott Walker

Streamline teacher licensing process; allow those with “real world” experience.

New program is in place, new teachers on the way | November 6, 2013

Scott Walker

Establish teacher evaluation system

Process coming, but not entirely as envisioned | November 5, 2013

Scott Walker

Oppose efforts to weaken “Use Value” law as it relates to farms

No efforts to weaken have emerged, and Walker has remained consistent | November 1, 2013

Scott Walker

Reform and speed up permitting process for businesses

Numerous examples show improvements | November 1, 2013

Scott Walker

Create “turnaround task force” to help school districts with failing schools

A different mechanism created for providing assistance to low-performing schools | October 29, 2013

Scott Walker

End social promotion for third-graders who cannot read

Not exactly as envisioned, but measures are in place | October 29, 2013

Scott Walker

Remove residency requirement for teachers

Removed for teachers and more | October 23, 2013

Scott Walker

Implement simplified and understandable DNR regulations

Wait times for permits reduced; new map shows land open to the public | September 20, 2013

Scott Walker

Establish laws protecting gun ranges from “frivolous lawsuits”

None targeting gun ranges specifically, but some impact from broader measures | September 20, 2013

Scott Walker

Replace Department of Commerce with development-focused agency

There have been problems, but agency is up and running | August 7, 2013

Scott Walker

Sponsor annual event aimed at convention and meeting planners

Time has run out for an annual event this term | July 16, 2013

Scott Walker

Reduce taxes on employers

Income tax cut moves this one to Promise Kept as well | July 13, 2013

Scott Walker

Lower the income tax

Passage of budget puts this promise in the books | July 13, 2013

Scott Walker

Reopen tourism visitor centers closed under Gov. Jim Doyle

All are back in operation | December 19, 2012

Scott Walker

Increase access to state lands for hunters

Some $5 million in improvements OKd in budget, many already complete | November 17, 2012

Scott Walker

Create A-to-F grading scale for school quality

A new system, with a different approach, is in place | November 14, 2012

Scott Walker

Require cabinet to hold “brown bag lunches” with employees to find waste, fraud and abuse

Sometimes the boss even buys lunch | February 2, 2012

Scott Walker

Restore Qualified Economic Offer system for school district bargaining

Actions via Act 10 went even further | February 1, 2012

Scott Walker

Change mediation/arbitration rules for teacher unions to consider “local economic factors”

Collective bargaining changes did this much and more | February 1, 2012

Scott Walker

Lower taxes on business investment capital for new firms and expansions

Plan to boost ‘angel’ investing got its wings in 2011-13 state budget | January 10, 2012

Scott Walker

Expand veterans board and let governor appoint all members

Bill faced some controversy, but this was all in it | January 3, 2012

Scott Walker

Assure at least one Natural Resources Board member has a farming background

Waupun-area dairy farmer fills the bill | January 3, 2012

Scott Walker

Adopt strong “Castle Doctrine” law

After some legislative battles, Walker’s signature brings this one home | December 8, 2011

Scott Walker

Have lieutenant governor lead statewide “small business roundtables”

So far, 25 and counting | November 22, 2011

Scott Walker

Never “raid” special state funds for other programs

Not as reliant on this practice as in budgets past, but it did occur in 2011-13 spending plan | November 17, 2011

Scott Walker

Require use of accepted accounting principles to balance all state budgets

Even critics are not talking about the ball being dropped on this one | November 16, 2011

Scott Walker

Immediately pay full employee contribution on his state pension

This one was off from the start | November 4, 2011

Scott Walker

Create “jobs hotline” for direct access to governor’s office

Quick to create the hotline, slow to return the calls | October 6, 2011

Scott Walker

Improve deer hunt rules; return to ‘traditional’ hunts

These changes have been made for fall 2011 | September 13, 2011

Scott Walker

End early prison release

When it passed the Legislature, repeal of the program had bipartisan support | July 25, 2011

Scott Walker

Allow smoking in businesses

Walker’s opposition to the smoking ban went up in smoke | July 25, 2011

Scott Walker

Remove enrollment caps for private school choice program and for virtual charter schools

Both caps were removed as part of the 2011-13 state budget | July 22, 2011

Scott Walker

Pass and sign concealed carry legislation

After years of past vetoes, Walker makes Wisconsin the 49th state with such a law | July 14, 2011

Scott Walker

Freeze property taxes

Lawmakers followed Walker’s lead — and then he used veto to make measure permanent | July 7, 2011

Scott Walker

Cut manufacturing taxes

Budget included two reductions — the bigger one inserted by GOP lawmakers | July 7, 2011

Scott Walker

Shift sales tax money into road building fund

A dedicated funding stream was created, but from another source | July 7, 2011

Scott Walker

Repeal the “combined reporting” business tax approved in 2009

Full repeal was not sought, but ‘tweaks’ were welcomed by business | July 6, 2011

Scott Walker

Repeal the 2009 increase in capital gains taxes

Full repeal still being considered, but for now smaller changes advanced and approved | July 6, 2011

Scott Walker

Repeal 2009 income tax increase on wealthiest taxpayers

It may happen later, but wasn’t part of first budget as promised | July 6, 2011

Scott Walker

Sign legislation requiring photo ID to vote

There may be legal challenges, but it’s now the law of the land | July 5, 2011

Scott Walker

Oppose and veto all tax increases

His own budget proposes some increases, according to nonpartisan fiscal bureau | May 19, 2011

Scott Walker

Strip policy items and pork projects from the state budget

In repair bill and full budget, policy items were included | April 29, 2011

Scott Walker

Cut small-business taxes

The measure the Legislature approved was scaled back from the original promise | January 31, 2011

Scott Walker

Suspend taxes for two years on businesses that relocate here

Bill signed on eve of Walker’s first State of the State address | January 31, 2011

Scott Walker

Curb frivolous lawsuits through legal reforms

After spirited debate in Legislature, bill has been signed | January 29, 2011

Scott Walker

Eliminate state tax on Health Savings Accounts

HSA change was first bill to get Walker’s signature | January 26, 2011

Scott Walker

Allow state to file or join lawsuits to block federal health care reform

With authorization, attorney general is on his way to court | January 4, 2011

Scott Walker

Create and convene “Waste, Fraud and Abuse” Commission

Order issued, now the work of finding $300 million a year in savings begins | January 4, 2011

Scott Walker

Call special legislative session on jobs

Minutes after the oath, he issues the call | January 3, 2011

Scott Walker

Stop Milwaukee to Madison high-speed rail link on first day in office

Train money distributed to other states, even before Walker took office | December 29, 2010