Evers vows bigger boost in spending cap for schools
Dem Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “a joke” that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos thinks schools can get by on the spending boost due them over the next two years, vowing to propose an even bigger increase in his budget.
Evers used his partial veto authority in the 2023-25 budget to write into state law an annual increase of $325 per student over the next four centuries. The increase applies to the cap on how much schools can increase spending through a mix of state aid and property taxes. GOP lawmakers challenged Evers’ move with the state Supreme Court.
Vos, R-Rochester, suggested last month if the court upholds Evers’ veto, “schools are mostly off the table,” and GOP lawmakers will focus their attention on other areas of the 2025-27 state budget.
“Honest to God, that is a joke,” Evers told reporters on Friday as he previewed his coming budget and answered questions.
Evers added, “there’s going to be more” for schools when he introduces his budget next month.
Prior to the 2023-25 budget, which included increases of $325 per student in each year of the biennium, schools saw no hikes in the revenue cap in six of the previous eight years. The exceptions were 2019-20 and 2020-21, Evers’ first budget. Those increases were $175 and $179, respectively.
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Baldwin tells ‘UpFront’ she has concerns about some Trump nominees
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, says she has “concerns” about some of Donald Trump’s nominees.
She is pushing to meet with some of the more controversial picks to ask “tough questions” ahead of confirmation votes in the U.S. Senate. Baldwin singled out Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Defense secretary, and Kash Patel, his pick to lead the FBI.
“Their concerns are different types with regard to each of those nominees, and that’s why I’m going to be very interested to see the FBI vetting materials, to meet with them if possible, and to see the hearings unfold when they are asked tough questions and have to answer,” Baldwin said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics
Baldwin, though, has said she will back former northern Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy, tapped by Trump to lead the Department of Transportation.
“I worked on transportation issues with Sean Duffy when he served in the House of Representatives,” Baldwin said. “So I feel really good about the idea of having a Wisconsinite in that role who actually knows the infrastructure needs of our state.”
Baldwin dismissed the notion that Senate Dems will only work to block Trump’s agenda with Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress.
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— In today’s top news: Fewer rural Wisconsin men are participating in the workforce, citing a lack of respect on the job, Gov. Tony Evers revisits efforts to give voters more say in state laws and more.
Read these stories and more at Around Wisconsin.
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