Wisconsin Republicans Pass Budget So Fast That Errors Remain

Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate were so concerned about getting their radical budget passed as quick as possible that they inadvertently left a few provisions that they had intended to remove. Or so they say.

Seriously?! They were that careless in crafting and voting for the budget that they voted for provisions that they didn't know were still there? Yup, because now they're begging Governor Walker to save them by removing those items with his veto.

So, what did the Republicans vote for that they didn't mean to vote for?

1. Expansion of independent charter schools to all counties, not just Milwaukee and Racine
2. Reduced disclosure of financials statements for legislators

I find it interesting that they just happened to forget to remove Item (2) which personally benefits the Republicans. It will be even more interesting to see if Walker vetoes this item. I don't have much hope for removing the first item, because Walker is dead-set on running Wisconsin's public school system into the ground in favor of private schools.

Other items the Republicans voted for but now want removed:

• Craft beer-killing provisions (fought heavily for by MillerCoors who is headquartered in Chicago)
• Legalize bail bondsmen
• Legalize auto title lenders
• Provisions allowing credit unions to convert to banks while taking members' assets
• Allow liquor licenses for movie theaters

Why vote for something if you don't want it to become law?

Thank God the Republicans are coming to their senses now, but where were these senses last week when Wisconsin needed them?

Rep. Peter Barca sent out an email asking Wisconsinites to send a citizen veto, where you can select which provisions you'd like Governor Walker to veto.

Dear Friend,

Governor Walker and his cronies in the state legislature hoped that by passing the state budget at 3 a.m. last Thursday that you would be asleep and that you wouldn't notice their attacks on Wisconsin's working families, seniors and schoolchildren.

But we are not sleeping and we are not going to stop fighting.

That's why I sent Governor Walker a veto letter today to urge him to veto some of the items that are so egregious that they undermine the core values of our state.

Will you join me in urging Governor Walker to veto items that attack Wisconsin's middle-class working families by sending your own citizen veto letter?

http://www.wisdems.org/citizenveto

We simply can't allow Governor Walker to sign a state budget that rewards the wealthy and elite with $2.3 billion in corporate loopholes and giveaways while raising taxes on our seniors and cutting $1.6 billion from our schoolchildren.

We need to send Governor Walker a clear message that our state budget is not his personal piggy bank -- it is Wisconsin's budget.

Please visit http://www.wisdems.org/citizenveto now to read my veto letter and to send your own.

With your help and support, we'll show Governor Walker that we'll never stop fighting for our shared Wisconsin values.

Thank you,

Rep. Peter Barca