Month: February 2015

The North Fond du lac School superintendent says the governor’s proposed budget reflects what he says is an ongoing assault on public education.  The governor’s budget contains no major increase in state aid for public schools and lifts the cap on the private school voucher program.  "For the past four years it seems that we have created and developed things at the state level through the governor's office and also […]

Fond du Lac Republican State representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says his initial reaction is favorable to governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget.  Thiesfeldt says the governor’s budget delivers on the promises he made to residents during his re-election campaign.  "We're continuing to see exactly what Scott Walker says he is.  He is a reformer who is looking to save money, cut taxes at every opportunity he has,"  Thiesfeldt told AM 1170 WFDL's […]

A Wisconsin conservation group is expressing concern about the governor’s proposal to put a moratorium on stewardship program land purchases.  Governor Walker’s budget would prohibit the State Department of Natural Resources from purchasing any land through its stewardship program through 2028.  Mike Carlson is with the group Gathering Waters-Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts.  Carlson tells AM 1170 WFDL's Between the Lines program  the stewardship program benefits not just the environment…but […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Members of the state Department of Natural Resources board are calling Republican Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to strip the panel of its policymaking authority a mistake.  The move would place the DNR under complete control of its secretary, a gubernatorial appointee.  Board member Jane Wiley, who was appointed by former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, says the proposal has left her speechless. She says the move would […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Opposition is growing to Gov. Scott Walker's call to borrow $1.3 billion to pay for roads rather than increasing the gas tax or raising vehicle registration fees.  Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Wednesday that new revenues have to be found to pay for roads, and he was open to raising vehicle registration fees based on miles people drive.  Republican Sen. Tom Tiffany, a member of […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker's plan for removing an enrollment cap on the statewide private school voucher program is being questioned both by longtime critics and supporters of expanding choice schools.  Walker wants to eliminate a 1,000-student enrollment cap. Students from public schools could enter at any time, but private school students could only come in when they are entering kindergarten, first or ninth grades.  The amount of […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker wants to cut 446 jobs, slash funding for public broadcasting and eliminate a college review board to help close the state's $2 billion deficit.  In his budget address Tuesday the governor said he wants to eliminate 200 vacant positions along with hundreds more in the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Corrections and other agencies.  Walker said he also hopes to eliminate $2 […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Property taxes would drop slightly for the typical homeowner under Gov. Scott Walker's state budget.  Walker's plan released Tuesday would result in a property tax cut of $5 this year and $5 next year on the owner of a $151,000 median-valued home.  Walker campaigned last year on the promise that he would continue cutting property taxes just as he did during his first term.  Walker had […]