The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is in the process of gutting The People’s Budget.
Meeting regularly, the JFC has been stripping vital worker-friendly, kid-friendly, and community-friendly proposals from Gov. Evers budget -- shortchanging Wisconsinites of the budget we deserve.
On May 9, the JFC passed a single motion to eliminate 131 items from Gov. Evers’ budget, including budget initiatives to repeal Right to Work, restore Prevailing Wage, expand Medicaid, implement non-partisan districting reform, license teachers at voucher schools, raise the minimum wage, restore Project Labor Agreements, fund the removal and replacement of lead pipe laterals and more.
Medicaid expansion is the foundation that supports many budget initiatives in The People’s Budget. Accepting our own federal tax dollars to expand BadgerCare frees up state money that can be used to fund special education, transportation, and many of Gov. Evers’ budget proposals that our communities deserve.
Gutting the People’s Budget is wrong and not what voters signaled for in voting to elect Gov. Tony Evers in November of 2018. Gov. Evers ran on many of the proposals outlined in the budget. Republicans should not continue to ignore the will of the voters.
Other lowlights from the Republican-controlled JFC votes:
- Slashed $900 million from proposed education funding.
- Refused to fund a lead lateral replacement program for Wisconsin residents.
- Failed to expand affordable health care coverage by removing plans to accept federal funding to expand BadgerCare.
- Continued large tax breaks for wealthy corporations.
- Dropped plans for increased aid to local governments in “shared revenue.”
- Cut proposed increases in funding for the University of Wisconsin System by half.
- Rejected plan to increase the number of Department of Natural Resources scientists from 5 to 2.
- Slashed millions of dollars earmarked for clean water initiatives.
Contact members of the Joint Finance Committee as well as your state representative and senator today at (800) 362-9472 and outline your support for the worker-friendly People’s Budget.
Urge politicians in Madison to do what’s right for the entire state by passing a budget that repeals anti-worker legislation, expands Medicaid, fully funds our schools, and ensures clean and safe drinking water for all.
The deadline to pass a Wisconsin biennial budget is July 1, 2019. If a budget has not been approved by that date, the state will continue to run Gov. Walker’s austere budget.
Wisconsinites deserve a budget that reflects our values.
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