Budget vetoes spare public education programs

The state budget signed into law today just barely prevents Wisconsin from becoming the equivalent of a struggling third-world country, according to the president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council.

“Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed many anti-public education provisions in the budget adopted by the Legislature,” WEAC President Stan Johnson said. “In the face of a record state deficit, many critical education and public employee programs were spared, but public schools will suffer under this budget.”

Johnson said the governor vetoed provisions that would have gutted the SAGE class-size reduction and 4-year-old kindergarten programs. The governor also vetoed a plan to eliminate public employee rights to bargain their health care, a 50% increase in the fee for teaching licenses, and expansion of Milwaukee’s unaccountable private school voucher program.

“The budget still reduces funding for public education,” Johnson said. “We will work with the governor and Legislature to ensure the state continues its commitment to great schools, classrooms that work, and great teachers and staff during these difficult fiscal times.”

Johnson said WEAC will continue to work to repeal the Qualified Economic Offer law, which Republican leaders on the Joint Finance Committee removed from the budget this spring.

“Led by Assembly Speaker John Gard, Republicans refused to negotiate any changes to the law, which amounts to an unfair salary cap imposed on teachers,” Johnson said. “They refused to even consider other improvements to the bargaining law, claiming the issue was policy and didn’t belong in the state budget. At the same time they added many policy items to the budget, including expanding the Milwaukee voucher program.”