Education

Tax-Reform Effort Fails in Special Session

By Caroline Hendrie — September 21, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Wisconsin

Following a regular session that saw relatively modest action on the education front, state legislators reconvened late last month for a short-lived special session focused on a proposal to limit spending on state and local government, including public schools.

The unexpected one-day session fizzled on July 28 without a floor vote in either chamber on a proposed amendment to the state constitution known as the “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.” Modeled loosely after one enacted in Colorado, the amendment would have limited spending increases by state and local government bodies to 90 percent of the three-year average growth rate in personal income statewide.

Gov. James E. Doyle
Democrat
Senate:
15 Democrats
18 Republicans

House:
39 Democrats
59 Republicans

Enrollment:
880,000 (K-12)

GOP leaders promised to bring the measure back early next year, while Democrats and school groups vowed to continue their opposition. The amendment would have to clear the legislature in two consecutive sessions before going to a statewide vote. The earliest date for such a referendum would be 2007.

The dust-up came as state spending for public schools rose by 1 percent for the fiscal year that began July 1, under terms of a biennial budget enacted last year. That increase brought the bottom line for state spending on K-12 schools to nearly $4.9 billion in fiscal 2004-05.

The only major program eliminated this fiscal year was state funding for drivers’ education programs—for a savings of $3.8 million.

Meanwhile, the governor signed legislation imposing new financial requirements on private schools participating in the Milwaukee voucher program, and granted state officials new powers to kick schools out of the state-run program. (“Milwaukee Voucher Schools to See Increased Accountability to State,” March 24, 2004.)

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
Education Quiz ICYMI: Judge Orders Teacher-Prep Grants Restored And Other Trending News This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of the Supreme Court.
iStock/Getty
Education Briefly Stated: March 19, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz How Much Do You Know: Ed. Dept.'s Mass Layoffs and More This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
iStock/Getty