MORE AID FOR SCHOOLS?
Tuesday, February 8th, 2005 -- 11:34 AM
Governor Jim Doyle is getting set to deliver his budget address tonight (Tuesday), and it appears that budget will include some good news for Wisconsin schools.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting Gov. Jim Doyle will propose boosting state aid for public schools by $850 million over two years - enough to push state support back to the 2/3?s promise that the governor and Republican legislators had to break to fix the last budget deficit. In fact, aid had dipped to 63-percent last year.
An increase in aid to schools would likely lead to a decrease in property taxes, but that money needs to come somewhere. Doyle?s spokespeople have been tightlipped as to how the Governor plans to pay for the increase. Republicans suspect him to raid the Transportation Trust Fund.
The state is facing a $1.6-billion budget deficit. The Governor has vowed to fix the deficit without raising taxes.
We?ll have more on the address Wednesday on our newscasts, beginning with our 7:50 morning news, where we?ll be joined by Representative Scott Suder of Abbotsford.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.