Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is about to sign the state’s biennial budget. His budget contains massive attacks on labor rights, environmental protections, and education.
According to the Washington Post, Walker’s biennial budget is “a blueprint for abandoning public education.” Not only does Walker seek to defund Wisconsin’s public school system, he also plans to expand privatization and decrease “democratic control of [Milwaukee’s] public schools.”
The budget passed the Wisconsin state senate along party lines on Tuesday with exception of one Republican state senator voting “no.” The budget is expected to arrive onto Walker’s desk for signing by the end of this week.
When Walker signs the budget, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and the University of Wisconsin system will lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Along with the expansion of privatized education, Walker’s plan will void Chapter 220, a Milwaukee-based program aimed at improving the opportunities of minority students. Much of the public education money will be used to back privatized religion-based schools.
Walker’s budget plan is a total disaster. It’s an extension of the GOP’s mission to destroy public education and make room for private businesses that want to transform education into a money-making industry.
