Republicans Put Politics Over People in Vote to Remove Over 600 Items from State Budget

Today, Wisconsin Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee voted to erase more than 600 items from state budget consideration, including widely popular provisions that would help working families deal with rising costs, feed hungry kids, fully fund our public schools, and ensure every household in Wisconsin has access to quality affordable health care, child care, clean water, and more. 

wisconsin republican howard marklein at desk
wisconsin republican howard marklein at desk

MADISON, Wis. – Today, Wisconsin Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee voted to erase more than 600 items from state budget consideration, including widely popular provisions that would help working families deal with rising costs, feed hungry kids, fully fund our public schools, and ensure every household in Wisconsin has access to quality affordable health care, child care, clean water, and more. 

Republicans voted to permanently delete these items from the budget despite hearing hours of testimony from hundreds of Wisconsinites supporting many of the provisions they have now thrown out.

“Lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee heard Wisconsinites loud and clear when they asked the GOP majority on the committee to use this budget cycle as an opportunity to put the petty partisanship behind and finally prioritize the people and communities they serve,” said Lucy Ripp, Communications Director at A Better Wisconsin Together. “Republicans answered their constituents today with a resounding ‘No.’”

“Make no mistake,” Ripp added. “The Republicans who voted these essential resources away from our communities today are the same Republican legislators who have sat silently by as Donald Trump tries to turn neighbors against each other and crash our economy as his disastrous policies are set to hike costs by nearly $4,000 per family in Wisconsin and across the nation.”

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A Better Wisconsin Together is a state-based research and communications hub for progressives and is an affiliate of ProgressNow.

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