Madison – Senator Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi) released the following statement in response to the tentative bipartisan agreement that was reached last night by legislative leaders and Governor Evers on the 2025-27 state biennial budget:
“After months of effort, the current dysfunction of the Republican party was laid bare in our state’s budget process, leaving them unable to negotiate a deal within their own caucus. Despite their promises to give no money to our child care industry, cut millions from the UW system and leave our K-12 public schools gasping for air, this wasn’t enough pain for some far-right Republican legislators, creating the need to appeal to Senate Democrats for votes.
“Just days before the State Budget needed to be passed, Republicans finally invited Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesslebein to the table to negotiate an improved budget. This was a hard job and a heavy lift given their starting point, but because of Senate Democrats, we have reached a more palatable compromise instead of the more extreme Republican budget or no budget at all.
“The bipartisan agreement means we are once again taking steps in the right direction on some of the issues that matter most to Wisconsinites. This deal provides $330 million for our child care industry, an increase of over $1 billion in spendable revenue for our public schools, the largest increase in special education reimbursement in state history, $30 million to school-based mental health services, an increase of more than $256 million for the UW System, and $150 million for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP).
“To be clear, this budget is not ideal, but in the spirit of bipartisanship and forward progress, I am pleased to be a part of what Senate Democrats were able to do on behalf of all Wisconsinites.”
