>> THE HEADLINE FROM THE STATE
CAPITOL, THERE'S A SHARED
REVENUE DEAL AND A SCHOOL
FUNDING PACKAGE.
ON THE 1st, THAT'S GOOD NEWS
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS
WISCONSIN WHO HAVE BEEN SOUNDING
THE ALARM ON THE NEED FOR AN
INFUSION OF STATE FUNDING,
ESPECIALLY FOR POLICE AND FIRE
SERVICES.
THE SHARED REVENUE PACKAGE WAS
DESIGNED TO DO JUST THAT, GIVING
20% OF THE MONEY THE STATE
COLLECTS FROM THE SALES TAX TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT HOW THE
PACKAGE TREATS MILWAUKEE NEARLY
FELL APART THIS WEEK AND
THREATENED TO PUT STATE BUDGET
WORK ON HOLD.
MILWAUKEE WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN A
10% INCREASE WITH THE ABILITY TO
RAISE MORE IN SALES TAX.
THE ADDITIONAL BUMP TIED TO
VOTERS THERE.
BUT MILWAUKEE, FACING
INSOLVENCY, WORRIED THE VOTE
WOULD FAIL.
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS WERE SPLIT
AND UNDER TIGHT LE DEADLINE TO E
TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE
GOVERNOR.
BY WEEK'S END, THERE WAS AN
AGREEMENT, AND THEN SOME,
INCLUDING ON SCHOOL FUNDING.
WE TURN TO BUREAU CHIEF SHAUN
JOHNSON FOR DETAILS.
HI, SHAUN.
>> HI, FRED.
>> SO WHAT IS IN THIS MOST
IMPORTANT SHARED REVENUE
PACKAGE?
>> I THINK WE'VE BEEN HEARING
ABOUT THE BROAD STROKES FOR
WEEKS AND MONTHS RIGHT NOW AND
ALL THOSE ARE STILL IN THERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PORTION
OF THE STATE SALES TAX, 20% OF
THE SAT STATE SALES TAX GOING
FORWARD WILL BE DEDICATED TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
SO AS THE SALVATION TAX GROWS,
LOCAL -- SALES TAX GROWS, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS WILL GET MORE MONEY,
WHICH IS A FAR CRY FROM WHAT
THEY'VE BEEN THE LAST 20 YEARS
WHEN THEY SAW THEIR FIXED BUDGET
FROM THE STATE CUT THREE TIMES.
AS FAR AS LIKE THE PERCENTAGE OF
MONEY THAT THEY GET, IT'S GOING
TO VARY.
TOWNS ARE GOING TO GET A LARGER
PERCENTAGE INCREASE, BUT CITIES
WILL GET A LARGER DOLLAR
INCREASE.
EVERYBODY WILL GET AT LEAST A
20% INCREASE IN THE PACKAGE THAT
WAS RELEASED THIS WEEK AND THEN
THERE ARE THOSE PROVISIONS IN
MILWAUKEE THAT WERE THE MOST
CONTENTIOUS BUT VERY KEY TO THAT
CITY THAT WILL LET MILWAUKEE
RAISE ITS SALES TAX BY 2% AND
THE COUNTY RAISE ITS SALES TAX
BY.4% WITHOUT GOING TO VOTERS.
>> SO DOES THIS END UP, THEN,
BEING A BETTER DEAL IN TERMS OF
SHARED REVENUE FOR LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS THAN WAS ORIGINALLY
PROPOSED BY REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATORS?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU MEASURE
IT JUST AGAINST WHAT HAS BEEN
PROPOSED THIS YEAR, THEY
ORIGINALLY CAME OUT WITH A 10%
FLOOR FOR STATE PAYMENTS TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS SAID, YOU
KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO INCREASE
THAT FUNDING OR I'M GOING TO
VETO THIS BILL.
ASSEMBLY PATH A VERSION THAT HAD
A 15% MINIMUM.
THE VERSION THAT CAME OUT IN THE
DEAL THIS WEEK BETWEEN GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS AND REPUBLICAN
LEADERS IS A 20% FLOOR.
SO BY THE NUMBERS, THAT'S A
BETTER DEAL.
THERE ARE STILL ALL OF THESE
RESTRICTIONS ON LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY
CAN SPEND THE MONEY.
THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN WHAT
THEY'RE SPENDING ON POLICE, FOR
EXAMPLE, OR THEY WOULD BE
FINANCIALLY PENALIZED.
THEY CAN'T SPEND THE MONEY IN
MILWAUKEE'S CASE ON THE STREET
CAR OR IN ANY CASE ON DIVERSITY,
EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS.
BUT JUST FROM A MONEY
STANDPOINT, THIS DEAL IS BETTER
THAN WHERE REPUBLICANS STARTED A
MONTH OR SO AGO.
>> AS TO THE SCHOOL FUNDING
PART, HOW DOES THAT SHAPE UP?
>> WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DEALS
BEYOND WHAT THEY SAID IN A PRESS
CONFERENCE AND PRESS RELEASE
THIS WEEK, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE
THEY'RE GOING TO SET ASIDE A
BILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN STATE
AND LOCAL PROPERTY TAX FUNDING
FOR SCHOOLS AND THEN THERE WILL
ALSO BE FUNDING DEDICATED TO
LITERACY, TO SCHOOL MENTAL
HEALTH, TO SPECIAL EDUCATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT TOTAL, YOU
KNOW, IT'S BIGGER THAN
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HAVE
APPROVED IN YEARS PAST, ASSUMING
THE STATE DOES FUND SOMEWHERE
CLOSE TO A BALAN BILLION DOLLART
SMALLER THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR
PROPOSED WHEN HE INTRODUCED HIS
BUDGET EARLIER THIS YEAR.
>> SO WITH ABOUT 30 SECONDS
LEFT, IF THERE AREN'T TOO MANY
DETAILS OUT THERE, NOT TOO MUCH
MEAT ON THE BONE FOR PUBLIC
CONSUMPTION, PRESUMABLY IT'S
STILL BEING WORKED UP?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE
GOING TO SEE THE REPUBLICAN
ELEMENT OF THE EDUCATION BUDGET
RELEASED IN THE COMING WEEKS,
BUT THE DEAL IS SEEMINGLY SET
FOR THIS SHARED REVENUE PACKAGE.
THEY DID SAY THEY WANT TO GET
DEMOCRATIC VOTES FOR IT.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT SHAKES OUT.
>> SHAUN JOHNSON, THANKS VERY