Last Day of Session: Where are the Jobs?
“Instead of working to create jobs for their constituents, Assembly Republicans focused the fall session on protecting their own jobs by padding their campaign pockets and pushing extreme legislation.”
MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly wrapped up its work for the fall legislative session. While failing to pass a single jobs bill, Assembly Republicans voted to reject a Democratic proposal to provide student debt relief. In response, Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) released the following statement:
“Instead of working to create jobs for their constituents, Assembly Republicans focused the fall session on protecting their own jobs by padding their campaign pockets and pushing extreme legislation. We didn’t see any legislation on the calendar to help hard-working Wisconsin families get ahead.
“Assembly Democrats began 2015 with a robust jobs agenda called ‘15 for 15,’ in addition to bills to help families afford the rising costs of childcare, take time off to care for their sick loved ones, and retire with security. Republicans haven’t given even one of these bills a public hearing. Today, Assembly Democrats brought forward a bill to provide much-needed student loan debt relief, and Republicans responded by deriding the bill as a ‘government bailout.’
“Wisconsin ranks third in the nation for student loan debt. One million Wisconsinites are waiting for action on the rising student loan debt crisis. They’re not asking for a bailout, they’re asking for a level playing field. Democrats want to allow people to refinance their student loan debt like they can a car or mortgage, and deduct their student loan payments from their taxes. But Republicans voted against our proposal unanimously.
“With skyrocketing mass layoffs and mounting student loan debt, the people of Wisconsin deserve bipartisan action on jobs and the economy. Assembly Republicans should spend less time protecting their own jobs, and more time creating jobs for their constituents.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.