Statement in response to budget address
(Madison,
WI) – Governor Scott Walker delivered his $68 billion budget proposal to a
joint session of the Wisconsin Legislature today. State Rep. Michael Schraa (R – Town of
Algoma) released the following statement in response:
“First and
foremost, I’m thrilled that Gov. Walker included in his budget an aggressive
income tax cut for nearly every taxpayer in Wisconsin. Letting Wisconsinites keep more of their
hard-earned money will generate a huge boost to the economy as that money is
spent in communities throughout the state.
This is especially important after Wisconsin taxpayers lost $2.2 billion
to the federal payroll tax hike earlier this year.
“I also applaud
Gov. Walker for making this tax cut permanent.
I’ve watched in disgust as politicians in Washington, D.C., have argued
endlessly over extending tax cuts, and that’s something I want to avoid in
Wisconsin. The tax money is the property
of the taxpayers first, and they deserve to keep as much of it as possible.
“I’m incredibly
happy to see entitlement reforms in the budget as well, which is one of the
largest expenditures of the state. With
reforms, the budget still calls for over $700 million in new funds for health
services for the poor.
“The budget
isn’t perfect, however. I’m concerned
that Gov. Walker has proposed increasing spending by over $1.8 billion, after the
previous budgets ballooned by over $17 billion over 12 years. I believe Wisconsin needs to flatten
government spending and I look forward to working with my colleagues to find
cuts to reach that goal.
“Overall, I’m
pleased with Gov. Walker’s proposal, and I look forward to digging into all
aspects of it over the course of the next couple months.”
The biennial
budget now goes before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, which will
hold public hearings throughout the state and have the opportunity to amend the
proposal. The budget must be passed and
signed into law by the end of the current fiscal year, June 30.
Rep. Schraa
serves the 53rd Assembly District, which is comprised of 17 villages and towns
and three cities. The northern area
covers the Town of Oshkosh and several wards in the City of Oshkosh, west from
the Town of Algoma to Omro and south covering the City of Waupun and the
Village of North Fond du Lac.
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