The state Assembly passed the budget on a bipartisan vote of 64-34 with four Assembly Democrats joining all Republicans in voting for the plan. There were no changes to the K-12 provisions as approved by the Joint Finance Committee.
Assembly Democrats proposed an amendment to increase funding to schools in line with what the governor had originally proposed but it was turned down on a party-line vote.
The Senate is expected to approve the plan today (June 30) before the bill is sent to Governor Evers. The four Democrats’ votes in favor of the plan would seem to indicate that the governor will not veto the entire budget but will likely look for opportunities for partial vetoes before signing the bill into law. A new memo from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau also suggests that Wisconsin would likely not qualify for $2.2 billion in federal relief funds for schools if Gov. Evers were to veto the entire budget and no new budget was passed.
The Governor can approve the entire bill, veto it entirely, or utilize partial vetoes. The governor must act within six days (Sundays excepted) of having received the bill. If the Governor does not sign or veto the bill within the allotted time, the bill would become law without the Governor’s signature.
Read More:
- Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin Assembly passes $87.5 billion spending plan with more than $3 billion in tax cuts
- Cap Times. Updated: Wisconsin Assembly approves budget with $3.4 billion in tax cuts
- U.S. News & World Report. Wisconsin Assembly Approves State Budget, Senate up Next
- Wisconsin Public Radio. Assembly Approves 2-Year State Budget That Spends Billions Less Than Governor’s Proposal
