5-23-19 education budget

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats say they are going to fight to increase funding for K-12 schools after Republicans say they will propose an increase that’s less than half of what Gov. Tony Evers called for.  Republicans on Wednesday said they will support a $500 million increase over the next two years. The Democrat Evers proposed a $1.4 billion increase.  Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach says Evers did the right thing for K-12 education “and the Republicans have decided to cut it.” Erpenbach says he hopes it is not the Republicans’ bottom line.  The Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on education funding at its meeting Thursday. It is working on a budget to send to the full Assembly and Senate for consideration, likely in June.