Lawmakers in Madison actually work together to get things done

Wisconsin lawmakers are wrapping up work on a new state budget. The process isn’t finished yet, but it is expected the document will be ready by July 1 when the new fiscal year begins. There are plenty of things not to like in the budget controlled by Republicans who control the Legislature, but there are also lots of examples of Republicans and Democrats working together to make things better. The new shared revenue deal for Wisconsin’s municipalities won bipartisan support, finally seeing the state send more money to local governments. Education gets a boost in the budget proposal, with about $1 billion more for public education and $250 million more for voucher schools. The budget also calls for historic tax cuts, but the cuts approved by the Legislature target primarily the wealthy, while Governor Evers wants the cuts to target the middle class, and a veto could be in the offing. Our lawmakers also worked together to provide long overdue raises for Wisconsin’s public defenders and corrections officers, both of which have been struggling to maintain and attract workers. Lawmakers also worked together to rewrite the nearly 100 year-old rules regulating and taxing alcohol. There is still more work to be done to get the new budget approved, but our lawmakers deserve credit for finally working together to improve the lives of Wisconsinites.