GOP Passes $76 Billion Betrayal of our Values

The following is a statement from Senator Chris Larson regarding the Senate passage of the defenseless 2017-19 state budget:

“We all are deeply concerned about our communities and our children’s future. Wisconsin families, friends, and neighbors are being left behind by Walker and state Republicans. Whereas my Democratic colleagues and I proposed ideas to strengthen our communities, reward hard work, and invest in our kids’ future, Republicans in the Senate sold Wisconsin to the highest bidder.

“Democrats offered several ideas that would supported Wisconsin working families by restoring the desperately needed funds that have been slashed from our kids’ schools the last few years, protecting our tax dollars by holding voucher schools accountable, and creating common sense paths to economic security.

“In addition, our budget amendments would have protected our children from being poisoned from lead by investing in lead abatement. We also would have provided greater health and financial security for our neighbors at no cost to the state through our BadgerCare buy-in amendment.

“Our amendments would have protected our neighbors’ personal data, by letting them keep it private. Our amendments would have helped those facing opioid addiction. Our amendments would have restored integrity in our elections, a Wisconsin tradition that has crumbled under one of the most-corrupt governor’s in our state’s history.

“Not only did each of these common sense amendment get rejected by the Republican majority, they largely refused to even defend their votes.

“This $76 billion betrayal of our values is a further slide away from where the great state of Wisconsin once was.”