Rep. Ryan Clancy Rejects Republican State Budget that Destroys Schools, Defunds Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. – Tomorrow, the Wisconsin Assembly will meet on the floor of the Assembly to consider the 2025-27 Wisconsin state budget, just passed through the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee after being negotiated behind closed doors.

That negotiated budget, as of Monday, July 1st, does nothing to compensate for decades of defunding public K-12 education and fails to expand BadgerCare/Medicaid in Wisconsin.

Unless significant changes are made, Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) will vote against this budget.

Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) issued the following statement:

“This is the worst state budget for K-12 public education in Wisconsin since Governor Scott Walker was in power. If this budget passes and is signed by Governor Tony Evers, schools will close and property taxes will skyrocket.

Put simply: this is not how we should govern, especially those who pride themselves on supporting public education. The proposed increases to special education reimbursement give the appearance of marginally improving the massive, unjust gap between public schools and charter and voucher schools. As written, though, these dollars are uncertain and insufficient, nowhere near the ninety percent needed, or even the sixty percent compromise in the Governor’s original proposed 2025-27 state budget. Additionally, this budget proposes no increase whatsoever in general aid to K-12 public schools, an attack on public education that hasn’t happened in decades. Either alone would be reason enough to veto – in combination, they are absolutely inexcusable.

This budget also completely betrays Wisconsin on health care. There was seemingly no serious attempt to secure the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion that nearly every state, even those governed by Republicans, has already managed to pass. We are being rushed to pass this budget primarily to prevent reduced Medicaid payments to hospitals, including for-profit hospitals, with no expansion or protection of coverage for people who depend on Medicaid for their very existence. That is cruel, and absurd, and betrays people in need for the benefit of a powerful and well-funded industry.

This budget is nothing to celebrate. I will not manufacture a hollow political victory at the expense of the people of Wisconsin, our well-beings, and our futures, and I reject the cynical, cruel logic that led to the creation of this deeply harmful document.

This is a Republican budget and Governor Evers should veto it.”

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.