State Budget Passage Means Schools, Local Governments, Taxpayers can Move Ahead

Democracy is a system of compromise and the passage of the state budget this week means that we can finally move ahead with the rest of the session and other business of the people.

Crafting a state budget that reflected the values of the people of Wisconsin was always a priority for me; the budget that was voted on this week reflects many of those core values. However, there is difficult work ahead with the state of Wisconsin’s long term budget.

• K-12 Education: Wisconsin has always been a nation leader in giving our children and young adults an exceptional education. This budget supports adequate funding for: K-12 education to control property taxes, additional funding for high poverty districts, aid to rural districts struggling with declining enrollment, special education funding, start up funds for four-year-old kindergarten, and an expansion of SAGE for small class sizes in the earliest grades.
• Protection for Property Taxpayers: Adequate state funding for schools as well as the retention of local government revenue caps means funding cuts will not be passed along to property taxpayers
• Higher Education: Wisconsin’s future workforce will have access to higher education to prepare them for our future economy. Efforts to cut entire programs from the UW were stopped and University of Wisconsin System was funded sufficiently. An additional $32 million was added for financial aid to ensure access for children of lower income working families, and the GI bill will help ensure our service men and women can afford to get a college degree when the return from Iraq.
• Health Care: While Healthy Wisconsin did not make the budget, BadgerCare Plus was included in the final package. BadgerCare Plus will make all children eligible for health insurance through the state. Premiums will be based on family income. In addition, SeniorCare, Wisconsin’s successful prescription drug program for the elderly, was retained in the final budget. FamilyCare is expanded in the budget providing coordinated care for those with long term disabilities and others receiving county services.
• Tax Relief: There were many efforts in the budget to provide targeted tax relief including: higher education tuition deduction, health care premiums tax deduction, a pension tax exemption, a child care tax deduction. Also, targeted local funding passed including a restored recycling fund, restored funding for youth aids the help prevent juvenile crime through local programs, and proposed eligibility cuts to the Homestead Tax Credit were thwarted and the program will continue.
• Public Safety:  Protecting the public and preserving community safety is also a big part of the state budget. Highlights of enacted programs: full funding of GPS tracking of sex predators, the creation of an “internet crimes against children” task force, grants for county alcohol and other drug abuse programs, funding for safe staffing at prisons, law enforcement community policing grants and a funded crime victim compensation program.
• Transportation: Wisconsin’s infrastructure is essential for our strong economy. Moving ahead with planned road improvements is a possibility with increased funding for transportation. Additionally a $31 million increase for local roads, $12.8 million increase for mass transit, and an increase for elderly and disabled transportation.
• Natural Resources: What would Wisconsin be without our forests and natural areas? We are a hunting and fishing state, with trekkers and bikers that also enjoy our natural areas. Preservation of the Stewardship Fund and funding to support continued preservation of our natural areas was included in the budget as well as an increased tipping fee to keep out of state garbage out of Wisconsin landfills.
• Local Projects: In addition to the local government, schools, and transportation projects mentioned above, Southern Wisconsin will see public private partnerships for a new UW lung cancer research, and the first soy bean crushing facility in Wisconsin in Evansville in partnership with Landmark Services Cooperative.

This state budget has been a long time coming and it is no surprise that there were times when it felt like no budget would be upon us. However, we were finally able to get the state budget done. The system of democracy does work; with enough public pressure anything can be done. If you would like additional information on the state budget please contact my office at 608-266-6670 or send me an email at: sen.erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov