Senator Dora Drake (D) Wisconsin
Madison – On July 2nd, Senator Dora Drake of the 4th Senate District votes against the 2025-2027 Biennial Budget. Senator Drake has provided the following statement:
“After months of chaos and years of ineffective governance, Legislative Republicans have failed to secure votes in their own caucus and came to us in the midnight hour for a bailout at the expense of our state losing almost a billion dollars in federal funds. With infinite amounts of financial uncertainty from the federal government and undermining critical services for Wisconsinites, this budget barely scratches the surface addressing the immediate needs Wisconsinites have been advocating for this entire budget process.
Although this budget is a budget I cannot support in good conscience, Democrats negotiated some positive changes that will benefit Milwaukee. For instance, they eliminated sales taxes on energy bills, saving Wisconsinites over $178 million in the next two years. Additionally, the budget significantly supports Milwaukee County. It provides funds to retain 12.5 assistant district attorneys, fund the state-mandated highway patrol for the first time ever, and increase Milwaukee County’s share of fines and forfeitures from the Sheriff’s Department. These measures will lay the groundwork for the long-overdue Public Safety Building, which will enhance efficiency and protect our constitutional rights.
While this budget increases special education reimbursement more than initially proposed by Legislative Republicans, it falls short of meeting the minimum 60% rate required for Milwaukee Public Schools and other districts. Moreover, it results in an over $1 million reduction for the Shorewood School District, lacks new resources for Nicolet High School, and fails to allocate additional funds to General School Aid, all while property taxes are anticipated to rise. Milwaukee residents and Wisconsinites can no longer afford to participate in referendums while the state continues to underfund our public schools.
Consequently, our school districts are now bracing for further federal education cuts to essential Title funds, which provide crucial support services for our most vulnerable students.
As national Republicans propose cutting nearly a trillion dollars in Medicaid funding, this budget disregards the federal Medicaid expansion funds to address budget gaps, even for women postpartum. Our children and working families urgently require immediate relief and access to healthcare, not temporary solutions that will reappear by the end of the year while the wealthiest individuals in our state evade their fair share. I commend the Governor and Democratic colleagues for negotiating a more favorable deal, but I cannot in good conscience vote for a budget that falls short of fully providing long-overdue relief to the 4th Senate District, Milwaukee, and Black Wisconsinites. My constituents are demanding that I fight harder and hold this body accountable. I have a responsibility to them to do so, and I will not bailout irresponsible Republicans who know better.”