2019-2021 Biennial State Budget Passes Assembly and Senate

The State Assembly and Senate both successfully passed the 2019-2021 biennial state budget this week, which will now head to Governor Evers’ desk. The budget includes the largest total investment in K-12 education in actual dollars, funds healthcare needs without expanding welfare, repairs our roads and bridges, includes substantial funding for broadband expansion and provides a significant tax cut for low and middle income earners.

This budget moves Wisconsin forward in a fiscally responsible manner. Governor Evers’ original budget proposal called for spending $6 billion more than the previous budget and would have turned our large state surplus into a nearly $2 billion deficit. Furthermore, the legislature rejected many of Governor Evers’ radical proposals, such as providing drivers’ licenses and tuition breaks for illegal aliens, expanding welfare programs, removing drug testing requirements, giving free internet to welfare recipients and decriminalizing marijuana.

I am proud to have supported this budget and the significant investment it makes in the people of this great state. This budget is good for Wisconsin and it's good for the Northwoods. I urge Governor Evers to sign the budget into law.

For more information on the Wisconsin state budget, please click here! Below are some of the highlights of the budget:

K-12 Education

• Increases school funding by $500 million and provides the same per pupil increase as the Governor proposed.
• Increases special education funding by $96 million.
• Increases mental health funding by $12.5 million, doubling current funding.
• Provides an additional $200 in per-pupil funding FY20 and $204 in FY21.
• Provides funding to connect future teachers with rural school districts.
• I am proud to have co-authored a budget motion to provide $250,000 to Lakeland STAR School/Academy in Minocqua to better help students with autism reach their full potential.

Taxes

• Cuts income taxes by nearly $500 million, targeted to low and middle-class wages.
• Property taxes will be lower than under Governor Evers’ budget proposal.
• Increases the medical expenses deduction to reduce healthcare costs for self-employed individuals.

Healthcare Services

• Increases funding for nursing homes by $30 million, resulting in an approximately 7% increase in nursing home reimbursement rates.
• Increases funding for Personal Care Workers by $37 million and raises the current hourly wage from $16.73 to $18.24.
• Increases funding for Direct Caregivers in Family Care by $27 million.
• Helps hospitals that serve a higher share of Medicaid patients by increasing Disproportionate Share Hospital payments by $60 million.
• Continues funding for the Healthcare Stability Plan to help lower premiums.

Transportation

• Provides $90 million for the Local Road Improvement Program and lowered the local match from 50% to 10%. This investment triples current program funding helps municipalities with the reconstruction of roads.
• Provides a 10% increase for local road aids.
• Increases funding for the state highway rehabilitation program by 19% to help maintain road conditions and keep projects around the state on time.

Natural Resources

• Supported the Governor’s recommendation to reauthorize the Stewardship Program for two years at current funding levels to help preserve and improve Wisconsin’s natural resources.
• Increased bonding authority for several environmental items, including contaminated sediment cleanup, dam safety, targeted runoff management, and cost-sharing grants.
• Increased funding for water quality and environmental conservation efforts by nearly $16 million.

Broadband

• Provides $44 million for the successful Broadband Expansion Grant Program.

Children and Families

• Increases Children and Family Aids by $30.5 million to help provide assistance to vulnerable children.
• Increases funding for Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidies by $77 million helping low-income families afford child care.

Veterans

• Extends the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP) to provide assistance and support for at-risk Veterans who struggle with substance abuse.
• Increases funding for Veterans care and programs by over $30 million.

Workforce Development

• Provides $500,000 for Project SEARCH to help individuals with disabilities find jobs.
• Provides $1 million for Department of Corrections workforce training programs.
• Increases Career and Technical Education grant funding by $6 million.
• Provides an additional $1 million for Technical Education Equipment grants.
• Expands the summer youth employment program statewide to help connect students with summer employment opportunities and workforce training programs.

University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College System

• Increases UW system funding by over $100 million.
• Continues the tuition freeze for in-state students at UW schools for another two years.
• Increases general aids for the Wisconsin Technical College System by $25 million.
• Creates a dental student scholarship program to help attract dentists to rural communities.

 Criminal Justice Reform Package

• Provides a 2% annual increase on January 1, 2020 and 2021 for District Attorney pay progression.
• 26.5 new GPR prosecutors statewide.
• Increases private bar rate for private attorneys taking State Public Defender cases from $40 to $70.
• Increases hourly rate paid to private attorneys taking county appointed rate to $100 per hour.

State Building Program

• Reduced borrowing and spending from the Governor’s Capital Budget by nearly $600 million.
• Prioritizes maintenance and up-keep of state facilities to save taxpayer resources long-term.
• Funds nearly all of the University of Wisconsin's Capital Budget requests ensuring students have access to world class facilities.
• Approved 5 construction representative positions that will improve efficiency in the building program and shorten time to completion.

Corrections

• Expands both the "Windows to Work" and "Opening Avenues to Reentry Success" programs to help offenders successfully reintegrate into society.
• Increases correctional officer starting pay to $19 per hour.
• Provides funding for lump-sum awards for length of service.  

Justice

• Adds 6.4 lab personnel and 2.6 DNA analysts at the state crime labs.
• Provides a one-time GPR increase for treatment and diversion programs.
• Provides continued funding of the Division of Criminal Investigation.

Homelessness

• Sets aside $6.5 million in its supplemental appropriation for the Homelessness initiatives approved by the Interagency Council on Homelessness.  

 13th Annual Brat Fry to Support our Troops

I had a great time at the 13^th Annual Brat Fry sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mulleady Inc. Realtors and Rhinelander GM & Toyota. All proceeds from the event go to the local Military Support Group. Great to see the so many in the community come out and support such a great cause.

Thank you to the sponsors, volunteers, and community for another successful brat fry to support our troops.

Great people, great food and a great cause.