Wisconsin Gov. Evers Signs Shared Revenue and School Choice Voucher Funding Bill
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Democratic Governor Tony Evers has officially signed a bill that increases funding for local governments, addresses Milwaukee’s funding crisis, and imposes several contentious policy changes on local governments throughout the state. Alongside this, another bill was signed that raises revenue limits for school districts and increases state aid for independent charter and private voucher schools.
Governor Evers has been working on the issue of shared revenue since he took office in 2019. He believes that local communities have been underfunded for too long and that they need sufficient resources to provide essential services. He emphasized the importance of supporting local communities and finding bipartisan solutions.
The shared revenue bill, which Governor Evers signed, designates 20% of the state’s sales tax for local government funding. The signing ceremony was attended by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers and local officials from across Wisconsin. The bill will allocate an additional $274.9 million to counties and municipalities for law enforcement, fire protection, emergency services, public works, and transportation.
The Wisconsin Counties Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities commend the bipartisan efforts and consider this legislation historic. They believe that the increased funding will contribute to the state’s future prosperity and foster a vibrant economy. A new innovation grant program will also be established to encourage consolidation of services among counties and municipalities.
One point of contention during the negotiation process was the impact of the legislation on Milwaukee, the state’s most populous city. Governor Evers chose to sign the bill in Wausau, stating that its effects are not limited to Milwaukee alone. The bill grants Milwaukee and Milwaukee County the authority to impose additional sales taxes, subject to approval by two-thirds of their governing bodies. The revenue generated from these taxes can be used to address pension obligations and public safety costs.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley expressed his support for the bill, as it prevents a fiscal crisis and enables the continuation of critical services for residents. However, local Milwaukee officials are exploring options to counter certain provisions in the legislation.
Pérez stated that the council plans to introduce a separate piece of legislation that would provide double the funding for the city’s Office of Equity and Inclusion and Office of African American Affairs. Additionally, the legislation would allocate funds for litigation to challenge provisions that exceed the city’s jurisdiction and would urge local agencies to apply for a federal grant to expand the streetcar.
The state law signed by Evers includes provisions that prohibit the city from using revenue generated from taxes on the streetcar for its development, operation, or maintenance. It also prevents the city from using tax revenue for positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The law requires the city to maintain the current staffing levels for law enforcement and fire departments and mandates that Milwaukee Public Schools reinstate school resource officers.
The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression criticized the legislation, describing it as the most severe attack on grassroots movements in Wisconsin since the victories following the George Floyd Uprising of 2020. The activist group highlighted the requirements to reintroduce police officers in schools and to maintain specified levels of law enforcement, arguing that these provisions diminish community influence over policing.
The group stated, "These bills are a direct response to the successes achieved by the Milwaukee Alliance and other community organizing efforts in relation to the police, such as the ban on chokeholds, the elimination of no-knock warrants, and the policy to promptly release video footage of police misconduct."
Senator Chris Larson, who voted against the bill, pointed out that it forces Milwaukee to hire an additional 165 police officers beyond its current number. He also highlighted the potential consequences faced by the city if it fails to find qualified candidates, risking the loss of 15% of its shared revenue for the following year. Larson criticized this as a lack of progress.
Evers Signs Education Funding Bill
Evers also signed SB 330 on Tuesday, which aims to increase funding for Wisconsin’s private choice and independent charter schools, as well as raise revenue limits for school districts. The bill was negotiated alongside the shared revenue agreement.
The bill proposes raising the minimum amount of revenue that school districts can collect from state aid and local taxpayers per student from $10,000 to $11,000. It also includes higher per-pupil aid payments for private voucher and independent charter schools.
According to a memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, under the bill, aid for private school choice K-8 students would increase from $8,300 in the current year to $9,874 in the 2023-24 school year and $10,271 in the 2024-25 school year. Per-pupil payments for private school choice 9-12 students would rise from $9,045 to $12,368 and then to $12,765. Independent charter school students’ payments would increase from $9,264 to $11,366 and then to $11,763 per student.
Advocates for public schools, including the Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN), called on Evers to reject the agreement, arguing that the bill fails to adequately support Wisconsin public school students.
WPEN stated, "Public school students and local property taxpayers will bear the burden, while private schools, which are allowed to discriminate and selectively admit students, receive unrestricted funding from the state. With the removal of voucher enrollment caps in 2 years, this is a reckless and irresponsible use of Wisconsin’s significant surplus, especially considering that almost 80% of students participating in the statewide voucher program have never attended a public school."
Evers defended the "small bump" in funding for independent charter and private voucher schools, stating that it was necessary to achieve the goal of passing the shared revenue agreement.
He clarified, "What people forget is that every time we allocate funds for public schools, the amount for vouchers also increases, so there is little difference from last time. We added a bit more money to ensure the success of this agreement, but the idea that voucher schools and independent charters have not received funding until now is simply not true."
Evers also highlighted other aspects of the education funding included in the budget, which were part of the shared revenue negotiation but incorporated into the budget rather than separate legislation.
He expressed his commitment to fighting for what is best for children and emphasized the importance of investing in K-12 schools and education to benefit both the students and the state as a whole.
He stated that the next course of action in the introduction of the new legislation is the successful passage of the biennial budget.
According to Evers, it is crucial for us to approve the budget as it has not yet been signed or authorized by the Legislature. Once this step is completed, I am confident that we will be well-positioned to implement the new legislation effectively.
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