Representative Lisa Subeck Statement on

Assembly Passage of Republican Budget

7/09/15 

MADISON – Representative Lisa Subeck (D-78) released the following statement in response to passage of SB 21, the 2015-2017 budget bill, by the State Assembly.

“From the moment Governor Walker introduced it, the 2015-17 budget has been a disaster. As the budget has made its way through the Republican controlled Legislature, it has gone from disaster to all-out catastrophe.

Assembly Republicans have laid bare their values as they voted to drive down wages and passed up the opportunity to invest in our neighborhood schools and our state universities and to strengthen our middle class. Instead, Republicans chose to line the pockets of their special interest and big money campaign donors while making deals behind closed doors, putting politics ahead of the people of Wisconsin.

Democrats want every child to receive a great education. Instead, this Republican budget guts our children’s education from kindergarten all the way through college.

Democrats believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Instead, this Republican budget drives down wages. Democrats support our elderly and disabled neighbors and access to health care for all. This Republican budget pulls the rug out from under the elderly and disabled and fails on health care.

Democrats want to preserve our parks and vital natural resources. Instead, this Republican budget eliminates most support for our state parks and takes vital resources from DNR.

Democrats decry arbitrary attacks on the ability of our local elected officials to make decisions that work in their communities. This Republican budget attacks local policies and shrinks local control.

Democrats value government transparency and public engagement. This Republican budget is rife with dirty tricks, agreed upon behind closed doors and jammed through at the last minute without public input.

Assembly Republicans walked away from opportunities to right wrongs in this budget, rejecting every single Democratic amendment and leaving our hardworking families, our school children, and our most vulnerable elderly and disabled residents to pay the price.

Republicans have outdone themselves with this budget. Not only have they launched a war on workers or a war on education, a war on science or on women or on voters, a war on the poor or a war on the middle class, but by passing this budget, Republicans launched an all-out war on Wisconsin and our long-held Wisconsin values.”