Wisconsin State Senator Devin Lemahieu
Passage of a pair of historic bills drew praise from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu of Oostburg. LeMahieu was in the majority among legislators who approved Senate Bill 330 with a 62-31 vote, and Assembly Bill 245 which passed 29-4 last night.
AB 245 modifies shared revenue programs and helps the City and County of Milwaukee avoid going bankrupt from retirement obligations, eliminates the personal property tax and increases the amount of money Madison sends to counties and municipalities.
SB 330 raises per-pupil revenue limits, now capped at $10,000, to $11,000 beginning with the 2023-24 school year, and also increases support for public, choice, and charter schools.
Senator LeMahieu called the passage of the bills “…a key step toward the completion of the largest bipartisan agreement in recent memory.”
There was also sharp criticism among those voting “No” such as from Senator Jeff Smith from western Wisconsin, who called the expansion of the school voucher program “a con job”, citing his belief that the measure will hurt funding for rural schools.
Both bills now go to Governor Evers who is expected to sign them.
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