MADISON, Wis. — Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly met to debate the 2025-2027 biennial budget. Representative Joe Sheehan (D-Sheboygan) gave the following speech on the floor of the Assembly:
“The budget before us does not reflect the full needs of our community. This proposed budget does not meet the scale of the challenges facing Wisconsin. Too many urgent needs were left out. I cannot vote for a budget that:
- Provides $0 in general aid to schools in this biennium.
- Increases funding for voucher schools.
- Continues our slide from 11th to 24th in public school funding in the nation.
- Forces our schools to attempt to pass operational referenda to keep the doors open, as the responsibility of funding education should be on the state, not local property taxpayers.
- Continues the trend of an insufficient special education reimbursement, as after talking with my superintendents the increase to 42% in the first year and 45% in the second year that appears in this budget is a good step, but it does not do enough to support our public schools.
Earlier today Republicans voted down an amendment that would have brought this rate up to 60% for public schools, which would have created a budget I could vote for. Raising this rate allows school districts to stop transferring general education money to offset special education costs.
I appreciate the work the governor and others have done to move the process forward. But this proposed budget does not do enough to support our public education. I am not done advocating for my community’s needs, and I look forward to working with members on both sides to do that.”