This week Governor Scott Walker rallied Wisconsin conservatives and infuriated big-government liberals by revealing his 2017-2019 budget priorities. The $76.1 billion budget includes $592 million in tax and fee cuts, a $648.9 million increase in K-12 education funding, $6.1 billion for transportation and infrastructure, and a 5% tuition cut for UW students.
Governor Walker also included a treasure trove of conservative reforms proposed by Republican lawmakers:
- The REINS Act takes power away from unelected bureaucrats by requiring legislative approval of any new regulation with an economic impact of $10 million or more. Senator Devin LeMaheiu and Representative Adam Neylon led the charge by introducing the REINS Act (SB 12) last month.
- Repealing prevailing wage requirements will bring down the cost of publicly funded projects, with studies revealing the state could have saved $300 millionon vertical construction projects alone in 2014.
- Reforming Public Labor Agreementswill prevent local governments from excluding non-union companies from bidding on contracts, increasing competition and reducing the overall cost to taxpayers.
We applaud Governor Walker and conservative lawmakers for standing their ground against tax increases and investing in Wisconsin’s future.