Contact: Rep. Jon Plumer 608-266-3404
Madison, WI – Representative Jon Plumer (R-Lodi) voted late Tuesday night in favor of the 2019-2021 biennial state budget. The budget will be voted on by the State Senate this afternoon and will be sent to Governor Evers’ desk for his review. He will have the option to sign it in its entirety, veto the entire budget bill, or use him powerful line-item veto pen.
Rep. Plumer commented, “This is a good budget and it solves a lot of problems faced by citizens across the state. Over the last few months, I have heard from hundreds of constituents about school funding, mental health, transportation funding, and the struggling dairy industry. First, this budget invests and additional $500 million in K-12 education over the biennium. This includes an additional $12.5 million for mental health (doubles the current commitment), and a $96 million investment in special education funding, a 22% increase.
“Under this budget, the state highway rehabilitation program will increase by 19%. It also provides a 10% increase for local road aids. The Local Road Improvement Plan (LRIP) will increase by $65 million and the local match is reduced from 50% to 10%. I am proud to vote in favor of increasing funds for transportation so that our infrastructure is sound. We have listened to our constituents who want our roads to get better and I am proud to stand with my colleagues and deliver that.
“Finally, I am so excited that we have funded a newly created Dairy Hub at UW-Madison, Platteville, and River Falls which supports Wisconsin’s $43 billion dairy industry. The Dairy Hub was a recommendation of the Dairy Task Force 2.0, a task force I sat on over the past year.
“I believe we have hit all the priorities that our constituents told us we need to address, without breaking the bank. Thanks to a strong economy, we are able to invest in these key areas and continue to move Wisconsin forward. I am proud to vote for this budget and encourage Governor Evers to sign it into law.”
