Joint Finance Committee slashes governor's workforce training grant proposal

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Joint Finance Committee slashes governor's
workforce training grant proposal

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee Wednesday (May 2, 2007) cut in half the governor's plan to provide an additional $6 million over the next two years for the Workforce Advancement Training Grant Program.

The governor's plan would have helped Wisconsin’s technical colleges train an additional 36,000 workers.

On a bipartisan 15-1 vote, the budget-writing panel reduced the governor's proposal by $3 million, putting the other $3 million back into the overall budget process. Only Senator John Lehman of Racine voted no.

The Joint Finance Committee is reworking the governor's budget plan before sending it to the Democrat-controlled State Senate. After the Senate again reworks it, the budget goes to the Republican-controlled State Assembly. From there, the bill likely will go to a legislative conference committee before receiving final legislative approval by both houses and sent back to the governor, who then can use his veto powers before signing it into law.

In other votes, the committee:

Voted, 16-0, in favor of the governor's proposal to expand the National Teacher Certification program to provide grants to teachers receiving master educator licenses under PI 34. Grant amounts would be equal to those awarded under current law, up to $2,000 in the first year and $2,500 annually thereafter for nine years.
Unanimously approved the governor's proposal to increase from $2,500 to $5,000 the amount of the grant to National Board Certified teachers or master educators employed in schools in which at least 60% of the pupils enrolled are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Resource page on 2007-09 state budget

Posted May 3, 2007