Madison, Wis. – Earlier today, Republican Leadership in the State Assembly concurred on a shared revenue deal that was negotiated between Legislative Republicans and Governor Evers. This bill took advantage of the decade’s long neglect that our State Legislature has shown the City & County of Milwaukee, and capitalized by attacking their ability to govern. In response, Representative Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee), the Assistant Democratic Leader issued the following statement:
“This deal is neither perfect nor ideal, but it is the best outcome for Milwaukee under this gerrymandered legislature. For years, the GOP-led legislature has neglected Milwaukee residents and held back financial support for essential services. By leaving the broken shared revenue formula in place and restricting the revenue that can be raised by Milwaukee itself, our state government led Milwaukee to the brink of bankruptcy. This needlessly risked thousands of jobs across city & county departments and threatened the cutting of vital services. Instead of fixing these issues, the GOP-led legislature decided to play politics with our financial future, and imposed their agenda on Milwaukee residents.”
“The deal that was before the Assembly restricted funding to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion positions in Milwaukee, created barriers for public health officials when combatting disease outbreaks, and ended the oversight authority of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. These provisions stomp on the principle of local control, and only passed because our state refused to adequately invest in the economic & cultural engine that is Milwaukee.”
“However, I voted for this deal today because it will save our municipality’s financial future. Milwaukee was on the brink of financial collapse, and I refuse to play politics with the financial future of my constituents. While I do not endorse many of the provisions in this bill, I know that it prevents the worst possible outcome for my community & my constituents.”
“Moving forward, I will continue to fight for our community, and do everything I can to ensure our local governments will not be put in this situation again. I hope the County and City of Milwaukee can move forward and restore financial normalcy. Together, we can ensure that Milwaukee remains a great place to work, learn, and live.”
