Wisconsin state Rep. Jill Billings statement on voting against two-year budget

MADISON – The Wisconsin state Assembly passed the two-year budget on Thursday, sending it to Gov. Tony Evers desk.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Jill Billings, of La Crosse, voted against the plan and put out this statement:

“Governor Evers put forward a strong Biennial Budget proposal, which invested in the future – education, infrastructure, children, and a middle class tax cut. At this time of a historic budget surplus we need to invest in initiatives that move Wisconsin forward and foster communities where people want to live, work, and play.”

“Unfortunately, Republican legislators have once again prioritized the most well-off and special interests, while leaving the rest of us behind. In spite of the child care crisis facing our state, Republicans refused to invest in the successful Child Care Counts program, to keep child care facilities open and affordable for working families.”

“It is disappointing that Republicans missed the opportunity to not only adequately fund the UW System, which educates and trains the next generation of workers, or fund the shovel-ready building projects like UW-La Crosse’s Prairie Springs II Science Building.

“At a time when we have a historic budget surplus and a significant workforce shortage, we should seek to attract and retain talent, to ensure that parents are able to stay in the workforce, and to provide our campuses with the necessary learning facilities, all while cutting taxes for Wisconsin people who need relief. The bill we voted on today failed to live up to these priorities I hear from my local constituents and people across the State of Wisconsin in both red and blue districts.”