GOP Senators Take Vote to Allow AG & Governor Unilateral Power to Raid Funds

(MADISON) Senator Lena C. Taylor (D-Milwaukee) today expressed her extreme disappointment in the Republican Senate Majority for denying a vote on a crucial piece of legislation that will prevent Governor Walker and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen from highjacking the funds from the national mortgage settlement. GOP Senators stood with Walker and Van Hollen and voted against bringing the bill for a vote.  Late last week, it was announced that the Governor is using $25 million dollars of the settlement to balance his budget deficit rather than put the money into mortgage mediation programs and foreclosure relief across the state.

 

“It is a travesty that Senators, such as Terry Moulton, Van Wanggaard, and Pam Galloway, all voted to allow such a stealing of funds to happen, especially when their party had been preaching against such tactics for so long.  Even conservative groups, like the Wisconsin Property Taxpayers, Inc called this move a ‘hijacking’ of funds.  I guess we now know that the GOP Senators will say anything they want about fiscal responsibility but are happy to steal one-time money whenever they can.”

 

Taylor had urged her colleagues to act swiftly on the proposal as the legislative session is dwindling and it appears that the Senate will not be on the floor often.  With the March end of session date looming, action is necessary soon to keep the Governor and Attorney General from applying the funds to the general fund deficit. 

 

A copy of Senator Taylor’s bill, SB 468, to prevent the raids is available at: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/proposals/sb468.  Taylor urged the public to call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472 and ask their representatives to push the bill to a full vote.