Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend, the town of Vernon and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Governor Walker's Weekly Radio Address
Hi, this is Scott Walker.
As you may have heard, recently, a Dane County judge in Madison issued a ruling that struck down key provisions of the budget reforms enacted late last year. We are confident this ruling will be overturned because Act 10 is constitutional. This would not be the first time a Dane County judge's decision on Act 10 was held to be wrong by a higher court.
Since enacting the reforms contained in Act 10, taxpayers have saved more than one billion dollars, property taxes on a median value home have decreased for the first time in twelve years, we balanced a $3.6 billion budget deficit at the state level without increasing taxes, and government services have improved.
This week, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed a brief seeking a stay of the ruling, which would help keep Act 10 in place, until the appeals process is complete.
Independent legal experts and those from both sides of the aisle already noted the judge’s ruling is fundamentally flawed and pointed out that seeking a stay is the reasonable course of action, given the confusion caused by the judge’s flawed ruling.
While we are confident the law will be upheld, if the current ruling on Act 10 stands, it would result in public employee layoffs, increased debt for local units of government and school districts, and it could return us to a system where a handful of special interests control huge portions of our government budgets. This ruling strips power from local elected and school board officials and reduces their ability to effectively manage their budgets.
Voters spoke more than two years ago about the need to reform government, reduce spending, and balance our budget. The voters reaffirmed their decision on June 5thof this year.
When this ruling is overturned the reforms will continue to be enacted, we will continue down the path of balanced budgets, and we’ll be able to focus on helping the people of our state create more jobs.
The state partnered with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association to produce and distribute brief radio address once a week. Audio files and a written transcript of this radio address can be accessed on http://www.wi-broadcasters.org and http://walker.wi.gov/Weekly-Radio-Addresses.
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