The state Assembly has taken an aggressive and ambitious move to jump-start the languishing state budget process and at the same time save Wisconsin residents hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes.
I fully support the Assembly’s bipartisan approval of bills that would fund schools and local units of government. Congratulations go to the Assembly for deciding to proactively take bold steps while the budget conference committee continues to spin its wheels.
Clearly, the next logical step is for the Senate to schedule a floor session to debate and ultimately approve the Assembly’s meritorious legislation. This could be accomplished by September 28, 2007, the date the state Department of Public Instruction says it needs to have concrete budget figures. Otherwise, the Department could be forced to use last year's budget figures to set state aid for school districts. The result would be no state aid increase, and local school districts would substantially raise property taxes to fund their school budget increases, a prospect that surely would not be in the best interests of some the highest-taxed residents in America.
Democrats are in control of the state Senate. They set the calendar and agenda for state Senate floor action. Unfortunately, the reaction by Democrats has been to remain close-minded. Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson says she will not schedule Senate action on the Assembly bills, Governor Doyle says even if the legislation got to his desk, it would go unsigned.
That means Senate Democrats and the Governor prefer to go the conference committee route; Senate Democrats because they wanted their $15.2 billion government health care plan to be on the table for discussion and Governor Doyle wants his package of $1.75 billion in tax and fee increases to be on the table. The Democrats insist on staying the course of the conference committee, a course that has gone nowhere.
Several editorial writers support the Assembly and want the Senate to follow suit.
The Waukesha Freeman writes, “Now the state Senate has a chance to do the right thing for taxpayers. The state Assembly found a way to shake the budget stalemate loose. The Senate should approve the Assembly’s plan and the governor should sign it. If they don’t, the hike you see in your taxes will be their responsibility.”
The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel writes, “A proposal to fund K-12 and local governments separately - at higher levels than Republicans had proposed earlier - is progress.”
The Monroe Times writes, “Tuesday's vote can be a breakthrough if politicians can put politics aside. Republicans made a significant concession on education and local government funding. Assuming they stick to that concession, Democrats should be willing to compromise on another key area of contention -- health care.”
The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram writes, “The Assembly has moved toward Gov. Jim Doyle's K-12 budget; if the two sides can't agree on a complete budget soon, they should at least pass this part of it to help end the stalemate.”
If Senate Democrats truly care about schools, teachers, students, property taxpayers, and local units of government, they will set aside rhetoric and political games and take appropriate action: schedule a Senate floor session early next week to take up the Assembly bills that fund schools and local government and set reasonable property tax levy limits. I am anxious to get to the Senate floor and vote to approve this important legislation.
