MADISON, Wis. – For years, Republicans in the Legislature have underfunded our public schools, local governments, higher education, and the services Wisconsinites rely on. This state budget presented an opportunity to right those wrongs and set our state on a better path.
Those same Republicans were poised to do it again, but couldn’t find the votes. I’m glad that Senator Hesselbein and my Senate Democratic colleagues had the opportunity to improve the budget beyond what Republicans may have passed alone. That points to a bright future when Democrats hold a majority in the Legislature.
It’s a privilege to represent the 80th Assembly District, which is growing quickly. That growth requires investments in public schools, local governments, the Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Madison, transit, housing, childcare, and more. This state budget makes either no or only partial investments in those needs, so I voted no.
Public schools are the bedrock of our communities, and this budget is inadequate for our schools. Unfortunately, this budget will cause the cycle of referendums to fund public schools and local governments to continue. Property taxes in the 80th Assembly District will continue to rise because Republicans have underfunded schools and local governments.
While we were working on the state budget in the Legislature, Congress and Trump were working on the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which makes big, ugly cuts to programs like Medicaid and hunger relief. This state budget leaves precious little wiggle room for the state government to respond to what’s happening at the federal level.
I appreciate all of the advocates and constituents who attended state budget listening sessions and reached out with their concerns. Your voice is always a valuable part of what happens in state government.
