Contact: Representative Ron Tusler (608) 266-5831

Madison, WI –Representative Ron Tusler (R-Harrison) released the following statement reacting to Governor Evers’ state budget address:

“Tonight, Governor Evers spoke of the opportunity to be bipartisan and work for the people of Wisconsin, yet his budget priorities sound like a laundry list of radical liberal policies.

“The facts are simple: thanks to Governor Walker and Republicans in the Legislature, Wisconsin has a budget surplus of $588 million, we invested a record amount of money in education that actually made it into classrooms and not the administrative bureaucracy, and, importantly, we cut taxes for Wisconsinites. I am disappointed Governor Evers wants to go backwards with the failed ideology of taxing and spending, thinking it will lead to prosperity. Wisconsinites cannot afford the fifty dollar tax increase on median value homes and the myriad of other tax and fee increases the Governor is proposing.

“Despite our ideological differences, there are some initiatives I am glad to see the Governor included in his budget. As a member of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative, we laid the groundwork for funding broadband expansion grants, which the Governor is funding dramatically in this budget.

“Criminal justice funding is another area for bipartisanship I can support. Just last week I introduced a bill that represents the combined budget request of the criminal justice community. The plan I introduced, developed by the stakeholders in the criminal justice system, included funding for more than sixty new prosecutors. The Governor’s proposal provides just 25 new prosecutors when 120 are needed, but is a step in the right direction.

“I will also reiterate my call for Governor Evers to follow Democrat Governor Tony Earl’s example in 1983 and keep his redistricting proposal out of the state budget so it can be judged on its merits. Including wholly non-budgetary and entirely political proposals in his budget, such as the redistricting commission, driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, and the decriminalization of marijuana, poisons the atmosphere for bipartisanship.”

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