(The Center Square) – The plan to share $500 million with local governments across Wisconsin has begun its quick journey to Gov. Evers desk.
The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday approved the Assembly version of the shared revenue plan with several Democrats voting against it.
“I would love to talk to the person who said ‘It doesn’t matter what new revenues are sent to my township, or my village, or my county. I so deeply don’t want Milwaukee to have a diversity office that’ll I’ll vote against money for my local community unless we stick it to ‘em.’ I don’t know what vote you got for that, but you lost mine,” Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, told the JFC.
The legislation is moving quickly because it has already been agreed to by both Republican leaders and Gov. Tony Evers.
Their grand bargain includes $500 million for local governments, sales tax increases for Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, a promise to spend $1 billion more on public schools in the state, and a pledge to increase per-pupil funding for choice schools in Wisconsin.
Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, criticized that increase, and accused lawmakers of turning children into “political footballs,” but also said the shared revenue plan is a compromise.
“This bill means saving the city of Milwaukee from insolvency, because that is the choice that Gov. Evers had to make in order to save the city of Milwaukee. It was either give an increase to choice and voucher [schools] or have the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County take out of the shared revenue plan,’ Johnson said. “I am going to vote for this bill because it is my honor to do what’s right by our kids, but I also want to say that was some bullsh*t.”
On Monday, a Senate committee approved its piece of the plan.
Democrats offered token opposition.
“This is, obviously, going to be one of the biggest things we do this session, and possibly one of the biggest things we do for local government finding we do for a while, so we need to get this right,” Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Janesville, said.
Spreitzer said he wanted to strip out “non-fiscal” parts of the shared revenue deal including changes to how the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship program work, and a ban on local advisory referendum questions.
Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, said the deal has been struck, and it will not change. And he said all lawmakers are going to have to answer for some things in the shared revenue package that they may not like.
“I am also receiving some angst back at home on this,” Knodl said. “There will be some discomfort within my own constituency if I am voting in favor of this bill and the final deal.”
Lawmakers are fast-tracking the shared revenue package in order to finish work on the new state budget by the end of the month.
