 | |||
Capitol Update
| |||
Friends and Neighbors,
In this month's Capitol Update, I have an update on the state budget, which was passed by the Republican majority in the State Legislature last week, and will go to the Governor to be signed later this month.
As always, I am available by email at rep.pasch@legis.wi.gov and by phone at (608)266-7671 or toll free at (888)534-0010.
I hope you find this information helpful, and please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you.
Sandy Pasch
State Representative
10th Assembly District
Why I Didn't Support the State Budget
The new state budget is a clear sign that Wisconsin Republicans have turned their backs on everyday Wisconsin families in favor of extreme partisan ideology. And while they spent the past several months cutting backroom deals among themselves and extreme special interests, I was here in our community, listening to the concerns and priorities of my constituents.
The message I heard was clear – our state budget absolutely must support public schools, access to affordable healthcare, and a balanced approach to tax fairness and economic security. Unfortunately, the final product approved by Republicans does the exact opposite.
Republicans had one last chance to make necessary changes to the budget to reflect the priorities of everyday Wisconsinites – not extreme political interests. Unfortunately, they chose to once again ignore the will of the people and rubber-stamp their extreme budget with no substantial changes.
They could have prioritized funding our public schools over the expansion of taxpayer funding to private voucher schools by increasing public school funding by at least $275 per pupil. They could have accepted federal funds to strengthen BadgerCare by insuring nearly 85,000 additional Wisconsin citizens and covering more people on BadgerCare at a lower cost to Wisconsin families. And they could have created a fair tax structure aimed at helping build a stronger middle class.
But instead, the budget that Republicans approved last week expands unaccountable private voucher schools statewide – likely forcing property tax increases and cuts to local public schools in many communities across the state. It includes a health care plan that will cover 84,700 fewer people while costing our families an extra $120 million. It hands out a massive tax break targeted toward our wealthiest citizens instead of providing real relief to Wisconsin’s everyday families or reinvesting in public schools. And it gives special favors to predatory payday loan shops, cable companies, and lead paint makers by rolling back essential consumer protections.
At a time when Wisconsin remains 47th in the nation in job creation, 45th in wage growth, 49th in economic outlook, and dead last in short-term job growth, Wisconsin’s communities can no longer afford to have Wisconsin Republicans legislating their ideology ahead of the best interests of our state. Unfortunately, they chose to pass a budget that puts their extreme political ideology ahead of the best interests of Wisconsinites.
Despite the budget's passage, I will continue my efforts to support our public schools, increase access to quality healthcare, and provide economic stability for our everyday families and communities.
The message I heard was clear – our state budget absolutely must support public schools, access to affordable healthcare, and a balanced approach to tax fairness and economic security. Unfortunately, the final product approved by Republicans does the exact opposite.
Republicans had one last chance to make necessary changes to the budget to reflect the priorities of everyday Wisconsinites – not extreme political interests. Unfortunately, they chose to once again ignore the will of the people and rubber-stamp their extreme budget with no substantial changes.
They could have prioritized funding our public schools over the expansion of taxpayer funding to private voucher schools by increasing public school funding by at least $275 per pupil. They could have accepted federal funds to strengthen BadgerCare by insuring nearly 85,000 additional Wisconsin citizens and covering more people on BadgerCare at a lower cost to Wisconsin families. And they could have created a fair tax structure aimed at helping build a stronger middle class.
But instead, the budget that Republicans approved last week expands unaccountable private voucher schools statewide – likely forcing property tax increases and cuts to local public schools in many communities across the state. It includes a health care plan that will cover 84,700 fewer people while costing our families an extra $120 million. It hands out a massive tax break targeted toward our wealthiest citizens instead of providing real relief to Wisconsin’s everyday families or reinvesting in public schools. And it gives special favors to predatory payday loan shops, cable companies, and lead paint makers by rolling back essential consumer protections.
At a time when Wisconsin remains 47th in the nation in job creation, 45th in wage growth, 49th in economic outlook, and dead last in short-term job growth, Wisconsin’s communities can no longer afford to have Wisconsin Republicans legislating their ideology ahead of the best interests of our state. Unfortunately, they chose to pass a budget that puts their extreme political ideology ahead of the best interests of Wisconsinites.
Despite the budget's passage, I will continue my efforts to support our public schools, increase access to quality healthcare, and provide economic stability for our everyday families and communities.
What the Budget Does
Healthcare: The budget reduces Badgercare eligibility from those earning up to 200% of the poverty line to those living at or below the poverty line (an annual income of $11,490 for an individual or $23,550 for a family of four).
Because this is not in compliance with the Affordable Care Act, Wisconsin will lose $119 million in federal Medicaid funding, forcing nearly 85,000 people off of BadgerCare (17,083 adults in Milwaukee County alone) and into a new online insurance marketplace that has yet to be created in Wisconsin, where participants are supposed to find replacement health coverage.
Education: Wisconsin Republicans doubled down on their failed education policies, voting to expand the school voucher program statewide, diverting funding from public schools to subsidize unaccountable private schools while barely increasing per-pupil spending at our public schools. This comes after last session's budget in which Republicans cut a monumental $1.6 billion from our public schools. Instead of supporting our public schools, the budget goes one step further in subsidizing private education by giving a tax credit of up to $10,000 per student to families that choose to send their children to private schools.
Taxes: A tax cut that should have gone toward providing economic stability for our middle class instead benefits the highest earners. The tax break for the median household will be just $109 dollars while households that bring in more than $300,000 per year will receive ten times more, at $1,440.
Healthcare: The budget reduces Badgercare eligibility from those earning up to 200% of the poverty line to those living at or below the poverty line (an annual income of $11,490 for an individual or $23,550 for a family of four).
Because this is not in compliance with the Affordable Care Act, Wisconsin will lose $119 million in federal Medicaid funding, forcing nearly 85,000 people off of BadgerCare (17,083 adults in Milwaukee County alone) and into a new online insurance marketplace that has yet to be created in Wisconsin, where participants are supposed to find replacement health coverage.
Education: Wisconsin Republicans doubled down on their failed education policies, voting to expand the school voucher program statewide, diverting funding from public schools to subsidize unaccountable private schools while barely increasing per-pupil spending at our public schools. This comes after last session's budget in which Republicans cut a monumental $1.6 billion from our public schools. Instead of supporting our public schools, the budget goes one step further in subsidizing private education by giving a tax credit of up to $10,000 per student to families that choose to send their children to private schools.
Taxes: A tax cut that should have gone toward providing economic stability for our middle class instead benefits the highest earners. The tax break for the median household will be just $109 dollars while households that bring in more than $300,000 per year will receive ten times more, at $1,440.
Rent-to-Own: Because of changes to rules that control the rent-to-own industry, companies will no longer have to tell customers the total price of what they are purchasing, the amount financed, or the interest rate of the transaction. Without these legal obligations, these companies will be further enabled to prey on the low-income citizens of this state by lending at extremely high, predatory interest rates with no transparency for their customers.
Childcare: The budget proposal cuts childcare funding by $35 million over the next two years. The cuts will prevent the Department of Children and Families from stepping up their efforts to improve child care programs in Wisconsin through YoungStar. Rather than reducing the child care budget, we should have invested in YoungStar and increased incentives for quality child care.
No comments:
Post a Comment