2021-23 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget Bill

On July 8, 2021, Governor Evers announced line-item vetoes and signed the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget Bill, which allocates taxpayer dollars for the next two fiscal years.  This Budget Bill includes a $2 billion income tax cut, reduces property taxes, lifts the UW System’s tuition freeze, restores two-thirds funding for schools, and authorizes infrastructure projects like an interstate highway expansion in Milwaukee County.  However, unlike Governor Evers’ original Budget Proposal, which included numerous policy changes applicable to schools, the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget Bill is without significant policy changes.  It focuses almost exclusively on the distribution of funds to various state agencies, programs, initiatives, and, of course, public schools. 

As you know, in the past, the attorneys of Renning, Lewis & Lacy, s.c., prepared a series of articles covering the various policy changes applicable to schools that were incorporated within previous State Budget Bills.  However, given the absence of any real, substantive policy changes applicable to schools within the 2021-23 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget Bill, this will be the only Legal Update concerning the Budget Bill.  Instead, as we have done since the inception of our firm, more than 6 years ago, we will continue to publish Legal Updates highlighting developments in state and federal laws, as well as other issues of import to Wisconsin’s public school districts.