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Wis. budget deal delays school payments, cuts state spending
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A deal to solve Wisconsin’s $527 million shortfall relies on a $125 million delay in aid payments to schools but not a new hospital tax advocated by Gov. Jim Doyle and Democrats.
The Legislature is to vote later this week on the deal announced Monday.
It also includes $69 million in cuts to state government. That’s far less than the $250 million Assembly Republicans wanted.
And there are no assurances that the plan will be enough to avoid additional cuts or changes through the rest of the two-year budget that ends June 30, 2009.
Assembly Minority Leader Jim Kreuser says the deal comes in time to allow spring and summer road projects to proceed without delay.
May 12, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.
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Wow they actually are going to CUT spending? That's awesome to here out of the liberal democrats in the senate. They hold back the payment for a few days it's just a game they play. If this years budget ends on July 1st. They pay the schools on July 2nd so, it goes on next years budget. It's not a real good game to play. But, I would rather they do that then raise taxes.
May 12, 2008 at 2:39 p.m.
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If I "delay aid payments" to balance my budget my credit rating would go down. Will the State's credit rating go down when they delay payments to schools? So the State pays for children's social health care through tobacco sales, and balances the budget by not funding schools. What's next, funding school athletics through the sale of alcohol?
May 12, 2008 at 2:20 p.m.
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Keeping money from schools is no way to balance a budget. I know some concessions need to be made, but school funding should not be one of them.
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