Legislative Alert

The State Senate is scheduled to convene in an "extraordinary session" at 10 a.m. Tuesday (August 12, 2003) to attempt an override of Governor Doyle's veto of the property tax freeze.

At stake is nearly $400 million in school funding over the next two years – and the future quality of our great schools.

With Governor Doyle’s veto, school districts will be allowed to increase their per-pupil spending, under revenue controls, by approximately $236 in 2003-04 and $241 in 2004-05. That would maintain current law.

A veto override, however, would mean a dramatic reduction in the per-pupil allowable revenue cap adjustment, to just $120 in 2003-04 and $100 in 2004-05 and thereafter.

The cut in revenue limit authority pushed by the freeze would dramatically affect school districts of every size. It would mean more than $36 million in cuts for Milwaukee, more than $9 million for Madison, $7 million for Racine, $5 million for Appleton, $3 million for Wausau, $1 million for Superior and Antigo, $400,000 for Phillips, and even $100,000 for the small White Lake school district.

A veto override requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate and Assembly. But Republicans are exerting enormous pressure on many Democratic legislators to join them in voting for an override.

WEAC members, and other supporters of public education, are asked to immediately contact their legislators and urge them to support Governor Doyle's vetoes. Tell them a vote to override these vetoes will jeopardize our great schools.

For more information, go to the OnWEAC Resource Page on the 2003-05 state budget and to the OnWEAC Members Only site, where you can use the OnWEAC Cyberlobby to further research this topic and send an e-mail to legislators.

Posted August 8, 2003