Governor Tony Evers delivered his first budget address last night in conjunction with introducing his state budget proposal. Here are links to the Budget in Brief and the entire 2019-21 Executive Budget broken out by agency.
WASB staff are busy poring over the details that pertain to K-12 education. We will be releasing a series of posts here on the major K-12 provisions included in the Governor’s proposal.
Reactions to the proposal predictably fall along partisan lines as legislative Republicans have sharply criticized the plan and announced they will throw it out and work from current law funding levels.
.@SenFitzgerald first reaction to @GovEvers’ budget: “Certainly disappointed.” Calls the proposal a press release, not a spending plan. pic.twitter.com/wfNQXSvefL
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 1, 2019
.@SpeakerVos: “This budget is a liberal tax and spend wishlist.”
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 1, 2019
Budget Co-Chairs Statement on Evers Budget https://t.co/AdrPEkSPui
— Alberta Darling (@SenDarling) March 1, 2019
There are some items in the budget that we can work on, but in its totality, it is a non-starter. Many of the policy goals outlined by @GovEvers won’t be seriously considered by the legislature. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Joint Committee on Finance.
— John Nygren (@rep89) March 1, 2019
We have some of the best new revenue numbers ever in WI, yet @GovEvers wants to increase spending by more than $1000 for every man, woman and child in the state. That’s unacceptable & unaffordable. #liberalwishlist
— Jim Steineke (@jimsteineke) March 1, 2019
Democrats and others were more positive in their appraisals:
After years of misplaced GOP priorities that favored the wealthy and well-connected, tonight @GovEvers puts Wisconsin back on track with a budget that…
Invests in local schools
Improves access to affordable health care
Fixes crumbling roads and bridges#WI4Us— Jennifer Shilling (@SenShilling) March 1, 2019
Meanwhile, Democrats are happy with the governor’s budget: @GordonHintz: “I heard a governor for the first time in eight years say things that I hear from people everyday that need to be addressed.”
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 1, 2019
State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor issued a statement on Governor Tony Evers’ proposed 2019-21 budget. “As a lifelong educator, I applaud Governor Evers’ budget proposal,” Stanford Taylor said. “It makes historic investments in public education and advances student equity.”
Read more budget coverage:
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tony Evers seeks to overhaul the state’s school funding formula to account for poverty
- The Chippewa Herald: Funding formula change for Wisconsin schools finally makes it into governor’s budget
- Channel3000: Evers to raise gas tax, increase school funding, roll back Walker proposals in first state budget
- WKOW: Republican leadership on Evers’ budget: “Not going to happen.”
