AB 58 Vetoed - A Letter From
Jim Doyle
Friday, March 11, 2005
Dear Friends:
I will veto Assembly Bill 58 tonight --
the Republican sponsored legislation that would have devastated
public education in Wisconsin by forcing a cut of up to
$716 million.
I announced weeks ago that I would veto
the bill as soon as my office received it. The Republican
Legislature sent the bill to my office this morning, and
I will veto it tonight upon returning from our trade mission
to Mexico.
I support a responsible property tax freeze
- one that works by funding education, not cutting education.
Now that the Republican political sideshow is out of the
way, I hope they will work with me to pass a responsible
plan. I am still optimistic that legislators will heed the
wishes of parents and educators to fully fund the state's
commitment to education so we can have a property tax freeze
that protects taxpayers and our schools.
My property tax freeze:
- Retains the existing revenue caps on schools but meets
the state's commitment to pay two-thirds of the cost of
a child's education - an investment of $850 million in
education and property tax relief.
- Fully funds shared revenue for local governments to
protect vital services like police and firefighters.
- Sets strict limits on how much local governments can
raise their tax levies.
- Provides $100 million in incentives for local governments
that hold their levies even lower than what my freeze
allows.
An analysis by the respected, non-partisan
Legislative Fiscal Bureau showed that my plan would achieve
the goal of freezing property taxes.
The Republican property tax plan:
- Doesn't guarantee any new funding for education.
- Could reduce the overall amount spent on Wisconsin public
schools by up to $716 million over the next two years,
by reducing per pupil revenue caps.
- Limits local tax levies without accounting for inflation,
eroding the quality of local services.
- Doesn't guarantee any funding for shared revenue - offering
no protection for vital local services.
- Does not offer incentives for local governments that
hold taxes even lower.
An interactive, online map of the $716
million education cuts under the Republican plan is available
on my Website at http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/state_map.asp.
Cuts are listed not only by county, but by school district
as well.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude
to all of you who stand with us in support of our plan for
education. Your efforts and your support are deeply appreciated
-- and vital to our success. I hope I can continue to count
on you throughout the budget process.
Please feel free to contact my office
any time I can be of help to you.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
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