Legislature Passes Budget

On July 1 I joined several other legislators from northwestern Wisconsin to discuss the budget.  You may watch the press conference on my Facebook page (if logged in).

The Assembly and Senate met on June 29 and 30 to pass Assembly Bill 68, the 2021-2023 state budget.  The Assembly passed AB 68 on a 64-34 vote, with four Democratic representatives crossing the aisle to vote with my Republican colleagues and me.  The Senate subsequently concurred in AB 68 23-9, with three Democratic senators in support, including Sen. Janet Bewley.  I've been told that this bipartisan support gave AB 68 the most votes for a budget bill in years.

I am pleased to say that the Legislature's budget cuts taxes by $3.4 billion dollars (and related legislation passed this week - Assembly Bill 191 - repeals the personal property tax altogether).  At the same time, the budget:

• Achieves 2/3 funding of K-12 education, including significant increases for special education and mental health.
• Invests more in local roads and highway rehabilitation than Governor Evers proposed.
• Allocates almost $435 million for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and also increases Medicaid reimbursements for dental services, as well as disproportionate service payments to hospitals.
  
• Provides almost $130 million for broadband expansion grants.
• Includes funding for the renovation and expansion of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Barron, which I pushed for.

As a freshman representative, the budget process has been a very interesting experience, and I want to thank the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee for taking their responsibilities to Wisconsin taxpayers seriously.  When the state operates at a surplus, it's not a sign that the state is spending too little, but a sign that it's taxing too much, and I am proud to have voted for a budget that builds on past Republican successes by reflecting Wisconsin priorities and staying within our means.

AB 68 (and AB 191) will now go to Governor Evers for his review.