(The Center Square) – Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol continue to look to spend the state’s $4 billion budget surplus on the state’s schools.
Senate Minority Leader Diane Hesselbein became the latest to say lawmakers need to tap the surplus to send more money to public schools.
“I would like to put a large portion of that money to the school districts so that they can decide what they need,” Hesselbein said in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Hesselbein is one of many Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers, who have said the surplus should be spent in the new state budget.
Hesselbein said the recent wave of local school referendums across Wisconsin shows a need for more state education spending.
“People have been putting referendums [to voters] just to continue operating costs,” Hesselbein said. “We’re asking all these school district people to raise your taxes because the state won’t put the money in to do it.”
Republicans, however, have made it clear they are not looking to spend the surplus.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos over the weekend once again said he is looking to give the $4 billion surplus back to taxpayers.
Hesselbein isn’t saying just how much of the $4 billion she wants to spend, or how the money would be spent.
She did say, however, that she wants to see the state spend more on special education.
“That is a huge issue that we are not funding right now in our state,” she explained.
Democrats say Wisconsin schools are left on the hook for about 60% of their local special education costs. Hesselbein is among those calling for the state to pick up more of those costs.
Democrats remain in the minority in the legislature in Madison, though Hesselbein will have more votes in 2025 than she did last spring.
The Republican-led legislature will begin work on a new two-year state budget after lawmakers return to Madison in January.
But the state budget is not expected to finalized until June or July.
