Education Budget 

I am generally pleased with the education portion of the budget recently signed by Gov. Tony Evers, but I’m still frustrated with the governor’s decision to veto a provision that would have ensured a minimum level of state aid for all school districts.

Overall, I think this is a good education budget that moves us in the right direction and I’m glad the governor decided to incorporate many of the final recommendations that came from the Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding, of which I was the co-chair.

The 2019-21 state budget will increase per pupil funding by $742 per year, with new spending on public education amounting to around $570 million.

The budget also provides a tremendous benefit to our area by increasing the low revenue ceiling to $9,700 per pupil in the first year of the biennium and $10,000 in the second. Just two years ago, the low revenue ceiling was $9,200 per student.

This particular change will address the needs of school districts that are among the lowest spending in the state, including Sturgeon Bay, Southern Door, Algoma, Kewaunee, Luxemburg-Casco and Denmark. These districts often struggle to compete with the higher-spending districts for staff, and the increases in the low revenue ceiling will supply them with more funding from the state.

I am also happy that the budget raises spending for special education by $97 million and increases the state reimbursement rate to 30 percent by 2020. We haven’t put any additional funding in this area for a while and I’m excited we are finally able to make this much-needed investment.

However, I’m deeply disappointed in the governor’s decision to veto the minimum aid provision, which is something we’ve been championing for years. I thought this was the time we were finally going to be able to get it done.

When Gov. Evers was superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, he acknowledged in his “Fair Funding for Our Future” proposal that the state should be providing a minimum level of school aid for every public school student, regardless of the school they attend or where they live.

I’m at a complete loss for why the governor made this veto. I just don’t understand it.

The 2019-21 budget passed by the Wisconsin Legislature would have provided at least $1,000 in state aid per pupil to every school district in Wisconsin through a new aid program. That would have been a big help for school districts like the ones in Washington Island, Gibraltar and Sevastopol.

Because of the current funding formula, higher property value districts get less state aid than lower property value districts, which puts more of a burden on local taxpayers and can lead to cuts to education programs and staff. Just because a district may have high property values, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone who lives there is wealthy.

Under the governor’s veto, school districts like Washington Island, Gibraltar and Sevastopol will be losing almost $300 per student in state aid compared to the budget passed by the state Legislature. 

Step Therapy

I would like to share with you that a step therapy reform bill designed to ensure patients can gain easier access to the healthcare their doctors are prescribing for them was signed into law this week.

 For those of you who may be unfamiliar with step therapy, it is a process used by health plans that determines the order in which prescription drugs should be given to a patient.

When a physician prescribes a particular drug treatment, the patient’s insurance company may require them to try a less expensive treatment, or series of treatments, before they can obtain the drug originally prescribed by their physician. The patient is not able to try the second medication until the first one is proven to “fail.”

Wisconsin Act 12 will help increase access to the treatments recommended by healthcare providers by making sure step therapy protocols do not impede the medical attention a person needs. It also requires that step therapy rules are based on widely-accepted medical and clinical practice guidelines.

 Oftentimes the step therapy process can take weeks, months or even years, all while patients wait in pain to have their original medication approved. Act 12 significantly improves step therapy by creating timelines for exception responses. It also establishes circumstances by which a patient may override a step therapy protocol.

About 25 other states have adopted similar guidelines to make it easier for patients to get the healthcare they deserve and need.

Step therapy often ignores a patient’s medical history, which is why I'm glad this new law focuses on placing an emphasis on the patient-doctor relationship. I am proud to support this bipartisan law that will help so many residents of Wisconsin.

You can read a statement from Jake Blazkovec, managing partner of Bay Hometown Pharmacy in Sturgeon Bay, regarding the legislation by clicking here.

Upcoming District Events

What: Belgian Days
Where: Brussels Town Park, 1366 Junction Road, Brussels, WI
When: Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14, starting at 7 a.m. 
Details: "Excitement and fun for all ages. Big Dawg baseball tournament, coed volleyball tournament, Cooyah Card tournament, live music, parade, food & beverages, and 1, 2, and 4 mile walk/run. All profits go to charitable causes. Sponsored by the Brussels Lions Club."

What: Freedom Fest
Where: Sister Bay Marina Park, 10733 Highway 42, Sister Bay, WI
When: Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Details: "Join us in Sister Bay for the Third Annual Freedom Fest! Sister Bay Lions Club brat fry, hamburgers, hot dogs, beer, refreshments. Kids Activities – Bungy Trampoline, Fun Inflatables, Walk-On Water Balls. Fireworks at dusk."

What: Kewaunee County Fair Parade
Where: Starts near St.  Mary’s Church on Main Street, Luxemburg, WI
When: Sunday, July 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Details: "The Kewaunee County Fair, which runs July 11-14 is celebrating 102 years!!! And, you can catch all of the parade action on Sunday, July 14 at 11:30AM in downtown Luxemburg!!! Sponsored by the Luxemburg Area Chamber Of Commerce, this year's parade theme is, 'Salute to America' to celebrate 100 years of the American Legion in Wisconsin."