July 25, 2005

Governor’s vetoes restore state’s promise to great schools

WEAC President Stan Johnson applauded Governor Jim Doyle’s budget vetoes today, saying the vetoes restore the state’s promise to our great schools and put the state on the right track for future economic strength.

With his veto pen, the governor created a budget that makes good on the state’s 12-year-old promise to fund two-thirds of the cost of public education.

“The budget the governor drafted in February kept the state’s promise to children and great schools while many legislators seem content to break that promise, and the budget Governor Doyle signed today proves that public education is his top priority,” Johnson said.

In addition to increasing school equalization aid and levy credit relief, the governor used line-item vetoes to restore commitments to Wisconsin’s technical colleges, the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program, school transportation aid, special education, bilingual education and mentors for new teachers. The Doyle budget vetoes also help property tax payers, senior citizens, children, families and communities with a responsible tax freeze, a rollback of the gas tax, the elimination of taxes on Social Security benefits, and increased aid for child care and foster care, among other measures.

“The governor’s priorities reflect Wisconsin’s values and put the state back on solid ground for the future,” Johnson said. “The people of this state believe in public education, families and communities, they understand that great schools benefit everyone, and they want a state government that puts those values before politics and special interests.”

The budget the governor signed includes $330 million more in equalization aid than the budget handed to him by the Legislature, and $74 million more in levy credit relief. The governor’s budget also increases funding for special education by $15 million, school transportation by $12.7 million and bilingual aid by $2.4 million, and includes $1.3 million for mentors who will help new teachers. Also, the governor’s budget exempts technical colleges from the property tax freeze and includes $2 million for a new technical college job skills training program.