MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly met in regular session to take up legislation related to fair housing and state shared revenue. Rep. Conley issued the following statement in response
“Wisconsin’s formula for funding school systems and the shared revenue formula both suffer from the same issues-they are outdated, they are inequitable, and need drastic updating to remedy these issues. For these reasons, I voted against Senate Bill 330 and Assembly Bill 245/Senate Bill 301.
“For the last six weeks I have spoken to many people in this building about the unique place Janesville and other communities like Eau Claire are in; they have low property values and low shared revenue payments, which leaves them at the bottom of the heap. Unfortunately I was unable to rally support behind lifting up these communities. AB 245/SB 301 is a start, and does provide a needed boost for most municipalities in Wisconsin. While Janesville will receive some additional funds, I am extremely disappointed that Janesville’s shared revenue is still not fair or
equitable in relation to our peer cities. It is my honor to advocate for the community I represent, and I will continue to do so. Additionally, Republicans included numerous pieces of bad policy tied to funding in this bill. We should not be holding municipalities hostage in order for them to receive adequate funding.
“Most of us believe that every child, regardless of their race, background, or zip code, has the right to a quality education with adequately-funded public schools. Today we voted on a bill without a true understanding of the cost to taxpayers, and would further divert funds from public
schools. This is concerning, especially since the Committee on Joint Finance passed a GOP motion for general school aids late last night that could increase property taxes by up to three times compared to Governor Evers’ original proposal. SB 330 is another example of inefficient spending for both our schools and property taxpayers.
“On the bright side, today we were able to pass a bipartisan fair housing bill package. Housing is not a luxury, but rising costs have made it difficult to afford rent or a mortgage. Across the state, affordable housing is a challenge for many to access. These bills are a step in the right direction.”
