Moving the Needle Forward

Transcript: 

Hi folks, this is State Senator Jeff Smith.

Today, I voted yes on the bipartisan state budget agreement negotiated by Governor Evers and legislative leaders. We could’ve done more, but with any compromise, we did what we could agree on. As we’ve seen in the last year since the HSHS hospital closures, our number one priority was shoring up our healthcare infrastructure.  

Republicans failed to help the Chippewa Valley cope with the loss of HSHS. The $15 million promised by the legislature and withheld by Republicans was shameful and disingenuous to our community. Today, when Republicans were on the verge of failure once again, I, along with a handful of other Democrats agreed to help them pass a budget that adds $1 billion into Wisconsin hospitals. 

No other community in Wisconsin should have to go through what the Chippewa Valley faced and this compromise hopes to accomplish the serious health care stabilization we need.

In addition to including a billion dollars to support our hospitals, this budget provides the largest special education funding increase in state history. It also makes the largest investment in the UW System in two decades. These education investments are a start, but much more is left to do.

Wisconsin’s child care system will see a $330 million investment to lower costs for working parents and support providers who’ve struggled for years to stay afloat. That matters to small towns, rural communities, and families across our district.

This is what it looks like when we put people first and politics aside. Compromise is never perfect, but it is what we all needed to move forward.

Until next time, this is Jeff Smith signing off.