The Committee on Joint Finance voting along party lines, passed the budget bill at 5:30 this morning (Friday May 29, 2009). It now goes to the Senate and Assembly, where passage along party lines is also anticipated.
The WisPolitics Budget Blog has all the details.
The text is here, it looks little changed from the deal reached earlier this week.
News reports from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal are linked here.
The Journal Sentinel also has a good editorial on the lack of openness in the process.
My quick guesstimate is that the budget deal will mean nearly $3 million less in revenue for the Madison Metropolitan School District. Cuts are coming, here and elsewhere.
What to do?
State elections are not till November 2010, but you can show your displeasure with the education portions of the budget by voting with your feet, joining the Walk on the Child’s Side on June 16. The march begins at Library Mall at 11:00 AM and the rally on the steps of the Capitol will be at Noon.
Be there.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 