February 21, 2013

Friends and Neighbors -

The 2013-14 legislative session and biennial budget process have begun and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some of the things that have been happening "under the dome" and keep you informed about upcoming issues.

Last night, Governor Walker unveiled his 2013-15 state budget proposal. As a member of the Joint Finance Committee, I look forward to the opportunity to provide input and propose alternative solutions on how to balance our budget while protecting working families and growing our economy. Over the coming weeks and months, we will learn more about his proposals and will host hearings across the state.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in the Wisconsin State Senate. It continues to be an honor and privilege to serve as the voice for the 32nd Senate District, and I look forward to hearing from you!

 Sincerely,


 Jennifer Shilling
 State Senate, District 32
 

Just like family budgets, our state budget should be balanced in a way that funds current obligations and builds for the future. Unfortunately, the state's priorities have shifted away from our core responsibilities in recent years.

Take public education for example. Over the last two years, we saw the largest cuts to public education in our state's history.

Now, Gov. Walker is proposing a funding freeze for our local public schools while providing $94 million in additional state taxpayer funding for an expansion of his private voucher school program.

Under his proposal, private voucher schools would receive $7,050 in taxpayer funding for each eligible student through eighth grade and $7,856 for each high school student. By comparison, public schools receive $4,899 per student in general state aid on average.

Diverting additional state funding away from local public schools to expand Governor Walker's unaccountable and underperforming private voucher school program in Madison, Green Bay, and Milwaukee simply doesn't make sense. Not for taxpayers, not for students, and certainly not for our economy.

After two years of failed economic policies and devastating cuts to our schools and public services, our state has not dropped to 42nd in the nation in terms of job creation and we are dead last in the Midwest. We have a responsibility to provide a quality public education to all students regardless of their family income or where they grow up. It's time that we make investing in public education a top priority again.

Now that the budget process has begun, students, families, and seniors will have an opportunity to provide input on these proposals and set a vision for our state's future.
 

Congrats to the students and advisers from the De Soto, La Farge, Viroqua, and Youth Initiative High Schools for winning a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Standing Up for Rural Schools award for the October Harvest Challenge!
 

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