Rep. Sondy Pope
608-266-3520
MADISON, Wis. – Late on Wednesday night, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed the 2017 biennial budget by a vote of 57-39. This budget comes two and half months after the June 30 deadline. In response, Representative Sondy Pope (D-Mt. Horeb) released the following statement:
“If Republicans were being genuine by saying that public schools are their priority, they would not have taken steps to further expand the competing statewide voucher program. They have had six years to repair the damage done by Governor Walker and their leadership, and only now that it is politically convenient have they taken any action. This is an undeserved victory lap,” Rep. Pope said. “If public education were actually their priority, Wisconsin citizens would not have to vote to raise their own property taxes just to keep the lights on in their neighborhood schools. The people of Wisconsin have maintained a clear vision of what education means in their communities. It is just too bad that the Republicans do not quite share that vision.”
“Public schools are not the only place Republicans have come up short. Our roads and infrastructure are crumbling, thousands of people have been left in fear of losing healthcare and much of our state is still without adequate broadband access,” Rep. Pope continued. “It is time for Republicans to start prioritizing the citizens of Wisconsin over their donors and to make better decisions to ensure that Wisconsin can generate and sustain family-supporting jobs.”
