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Marklein Statement on Budget Passage by Senate
 

Madison, WI – Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) made the following statement following the Senate’s passage of the State Budget:
 
“Our budget funds Wisconsin’s priorities. We put a lot of money into the things our constituents told us to fund – roads, healthcare, education and more. We did not cut anything.
 
We also included a Middle Class Tax Cut for Working Families. While every taxpayer will receive a cut as their income passes through the first two tax brackets, 89% of the people who will most benefit from the tax cut make less than $150,000 per year. This tax cut is made with existing resources that resulted from eight years of positive reforms. Taxpayers earned it!
 
Again, the Legislature’s budget invests in our people, our needs and the needs of our neighbors. We heard the people. We responded. We invested.
 
We delivered nearly $1 billion more for roads. We invested $1.6 billion for healthcare access and care for those who need it most. We increased funding for K-12 schools by $500 million! We put $100 million more into the University System in addition to $1 billion for facilities. We set aside $44 million for rural broadband. We gave Correctional Officers a raise. We invested in water quality through several grants and positions at the Department of Natural Resources. We created a Dairy Innovation Hub for cutting-edge research to address the crisis in our ag-economy.
 
Overall, this is a good budget for Wisconsin, especially the rural communities I represent.  In the 17th Senate District – like most of rural Wisconsin – nine hospitals, 34 school districts, two prisons, three university campuses and four technical college districts are happy with our budget.  Nursing homes, Personal Care workers, Farmers, Employers, Taxpayers and roads are taken care of.
 
We funded our priorities and we did it within our means.”
 

Marklein represents the 17th Senate District, which includes all or parts Grant, Green, Iowa, Juneau, Lafayette, Monroe, Richland, Sauk and Vernon counties. Marklein serves on the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee and is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue & Financial Institutions.