Legislation (SB 330) that increases per pupil payment amounts to voucher/independent charter schools and also increases the low revenue ceiling for public school districts was passed by both the state Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support. The bill reflects a deal reached between the governor and legislative leaders on both K-12 education funding and shared revenue for local governments.
It passed the Senate on a vote of 24-9 as Senators LaTonya Johnson and Lena Taylor (both D-Milwaukee) joined Republicans in support.
The Assembly approved the bill 62-31, with Reps. Dora Drake and Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (both D-Milwaukee) joining Republicans in support.
Separate legislation on the shared revenue portion also passed both houses with bipartisan support but needed Dem votes to clear the Senate. The bill was approved 21-15 with 7 GOP Senators voting “No” and 6 Dems voting “Yes”.
In the Assembly, the bill passed 68-26 with 21 Dems and five Republicans voting against it.
After it passed, Gov. Tony Evers tweeted, “It’s my job as governor to always work to do the right thing when it matters most. We’re securing over $1 billion for our kids and our schools to improve reading and kids’ mental health while making historic investments in our communities. This is a win for Wisconsin.”
