I watched til about 2:45 and fell asleep. It passed around 3. Each Democratic Party amendment met the same fate . . . “gentleman from the 69th”, “table”, good arguments made, falls on deaf ears, vote 60 to 38. But still, I watched. Here’s Barca’s statement.
State Assembly rubberstamps Gov. Walker’s budget that attacks working Wisconsin families
MADISON – Upon passage of the biennial state budget on a party-line vote, Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) released the following statement:
“Gov. Walker’s vision for Wisconsin was rubberstamped by Assembly Republicans today. That vision, unfortunately, will permanently hurt the middle class. They grabbed taxpayer money from our public schools and gave it to private voucher schools. They cut job training opportunities at technical colleges. They raised college tuition while lowering student aid. And they raised taxes on Wisconsin seniors who are struggling to remain in their homes.
“This budget desecrates our proud Wisconsin tradition of supporting our middle-class – the backbone of our state.
“In this budget, Republicans also increased spending by $1.1 billion, spent $411 million from raided funds, hiked fees by $111 million, increased borrowing to kick an even bigger can even farther down the road and raised taxes by $70 million on working families and senior citizens.
“Every one of these actions represents a broken promise by the Republicans.
“It is a strong, vibrant middle class that made America an economic powerhouse and the envy of the world. Attacking Wisconsin’s working families, while spending billions on special interest giveaways and corporate tax loopholes, permanently harms Wisconsin’s citizens, economy and our future. Democrats will not rest until we can restore the rights, values and opportunities that Wisconsin’s working families deserve.”
There were some great speeches and good arguments made, but really, nothing changed.
