By Senator Dora Drake
Senate Democratic
Caucus Vice Chair
Chair of Wisconsin
Legislative Black Caucus
Senator Dora Drake (D) Wisconsin
This past week, Governor Evers outlined a budget proposal that provides a clear path to lower costs for working families, expand public education funding, and continue to repair our state’s infrastructure. It is evident that Project 2025 is in full effect as we witness historic economic uncertainty from the Federal Government with cuts to federally funded programs. But Governor Evers provides steadfast leadership with a budget that fills in the gap by supporting Black working families and providing security for Milwaukee and our state.
For those new to the state’s biennial budget, the Governor proposes a state budget to the State Legislature every two years after a fall general election, which outlines funding parameters for every state agency and programs that provide services to the state. The budget also lays out who gets taxed, aka who fits the bill. This is why our state budget is the largest piece of legislation that community members, programs, and departments advocate for.
Governor Evers has proposed the most pro-kid budget from any governor in our state’s history that supports all working families and helps overcome disparities many Black families face. This includes more than $300 million in investments toward efforts to remove lead from service lines, homes, schools, and daycares from our communities for good. This budget proposal also eliminates the sales tax from everyday household items such as your heat and electricity bill, which would create more than $2 billion in tax relief and have provisions to provide meaningful tax relief to homeowners. Last but certainly not least, this budget proposal invests more than $3.15 billion in K-12 schools, which includes funding for universal free school breakfast and lunch, literacy improvement, mental health services, and expanding resources to recruit and support teachers.
These provisions are just some of the many programs the Governor is proposing to support children and their families. Whether it was knocking on doors or receiving phone calls to my office, I heard many concerns from parents and grandparents about the financial barriers families face to support their families and acquire the services they need. Many provisions in the Governor’s budget create surgical solutions to help put more money in your pockets and provide additional services for our children so they can succeed.
One example of this need is funding for increased funding for special education reimbursement. Our communities should not have to continue to go to referendums in order to provide the resources necessary to ensure our children have access to quality education. In this budget proposal, the Governor allocates more than $1.1 billion for special education funding to guarantee reimbursement for special education costs at 60%, which will ensure that every kid gets the public education they deserve.
Our children need us, and these investments in our children and communities provide much-needed relief for Black working families. This will cultivate a path for increased entrepreneurship, homeownership, and economic opportunity for Black Wisconsinites. I applaud Governor Evers for his steadfast leadership and comprehensive plan, and I look forward to working with my new colleagues in the Senate to do what’s best for our state.
Myself along with my colleagues will be hosting town halls on the state budget to share more information and to hear your requests for the state budget, with one scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 10th, at the Villard Square library located at 5190 N. 35th St, Milwaukee, WI 53209.