MADISON - Today, the Assembly took up the 2023-2025 biennial budget legislation, culminating in various cuts from Governor Evers’ budget proposal and tabling 13 Democratic amendments to restore crucial provisions removed by Joint Finance including abortion protections, Medicaid expansion, funding for the UW System and public schools, and more.

Rep Shelton (D-Green Bay) shared these remarks on the Democratic amendment for K-12 and higher education funding:

“Austerity is a political choice made by Republicans in this legislative body. I refuse to continue to beg for crumbs. With a $7 billion budget surplus, we had the opportunity to support kids, families, and teachers through transformational investments in public schools. Instead of funding provisions like healthy school meals for all, increasing special education reimbursement rates, and enhancing per pupil funding, the Wisconsin GOP chose austerity for the many and massive wealth giveaways to the richest among us through a dangerous tax cut.”

On the Democratic omnibus healthcare and public safety amendment, she offered the following statements:

“Drivers licenses for all is an issue of human dignity. We must take action to restore driver’s licenses for undocumented people. It is a recognition of the significant contributions of our undocumented brothers and sisters to Wisconsin. Further, if we want safe roads and communities, we need to ensure all drivers are licensed and insured.

“The most dangerous thing about cannabis is that it’s illegal in Wisconsin. The proposal would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, create a safer product for users, grow our economy, and address criminal justice reform. Instead, we are left with Republican obstructionism with this issue and so many, yet again.”

“Ultimately, the final budget before us does not meet the needs of the moment and doesn’t come close to addressing our state’s growing challenges.”