Republicans Present School Funding Plan, Urge Passage

MADISON, Wis. -- Republicans offered a plan to meet the K-12 public school funding requests of Democrats to solve a portion of the budget gridlock.

The plan would meet the $235 million funding increase that Senate Democrats want.

"K-12 and shared revenue represents around 52 percent of the entire state budget, and we are providing you the budget that you sent us," said Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem.

Democrats on a bipartisan budget conference committee are balking at the proposal because Republicans want to pass it separately from the rest of the budget.

"I think we're back where we were in July, which is you really don't want a budget," said Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit.

The Republican-led Assembly is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to take up the plan.

Republicans are also offering to delete funding cuts for Milwaukee and three other cities and impose property tax levies equal to what was in place the past two years. They argue those parts of the budget must be passed now to avoid a $600 million property tax increase that would come in 15 days.