MADISON– Senator Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) released the following statement after voting in-favor of the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Budget – 2021 Assembly Bill 68 as amended by Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 – during today’s state Senate floor period:
“Overall, this was a good budget for Wisconsin’s 2nd Senate District. I was happy to see many necessary investments made in the budget, including more money for nursing homes, treatment and diversion projects, local roads, emergency medical services and law enforcement, State Parks, and more – all while affording a much-deserved tax cut to Wisconsin’s middle class, producing one of the lowest structural deficits I’ve seen in a budget, and putting more money aside for a rainy day in state government.
“Despite the myriad of positive items in this budget, some around the margins while others being much more substantial, I am still somewhat concerned about our K-12 and higher education investments. While the influx of federal funds could represent a noticeable surge of cash to these institutions, the reimbursement requirements and strings attached leaves challenges for school districts and higher education campuses that could have been resolved with just a little better investment.
“Despite this downside in the 2021-23 State Budget, I do believe that what I’ve seen in federal guidance and in actions from school districts and higher education campuses seeking reimbursement thus far show promising signs that this system will work. When balancing those thoughts with the long list of positive items in the now passed budget, I determined a yes vote was the logical conclusion.”