Odds and ends
Today's budget talks got off to a late start because First Lady Jessica Doyle was hosting a "Reading Day at the Executive Residence" for local kids. The event was scheduled to run until 2:30 p.m.
Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, responded to the letter from UW-Madison John Wiley urging full cost-to-continue funding for the school with a letter of his own.
It says, in part, "Chancellor Wiley's tactics are very familiar because these were the same type of threats used in the 1993-1995 budget debates when the QEO and school revenue limits were enacted into law. At that time, WEAC and others predicted that schools would be forced to eliminate bands, sports and maybe even lead to kids walking up hill - both ways - to school.
"Well, it’s now 2007 and school children in Wisconsin still march in bands, still compete in sports and achieve in the classroom. I am abundantly confident that the intellectual leaders of the UW System, if committed to students, will find ways to survive with an increase in state funding levels less than desired," writes Nass.
See the full letter here.
Meanwhile, four GOP Reps. from the Waukesha County area, Joel Kleefisch, Bill Kramer, Scott Newcomer, and Rich Zipperer, are calling in Senate Majority Leader Robson and Gov. Doyle to take up the school funding and local government aids bills passed by the Assembly last week.
"Assembly Republicans realized the immediate importance of funding K-12 education and local governments and took the necessary legislative action to prevent an unnecessary property tax increase on families that already pay too much in taxes," said Kleefisch in the statement. "If Democrats want to label me as an obstructionist for standing in the way of a $591 million property tax hike, then that is a position I am proud to take."
See the press release here.
Meanwhile, Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, says Assembly GOP plans to "avoid" a full budget have put the expansion of U.S. 41 in jeopardy.
"After all the work that we have done to make this happen on time and on track in the face of long odds and other delays - it's just sad that at this moment when construction has started it is now at risk because one house does not want to pass an entire budget," said Hansen.
See Hansen's release here.
And the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence says budget inaction has forced the closure of a domestic violence shelter in Menominee County.
See the release here.
