5-3-21 republicans to kill legalized pot, other evers’ priorities

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans plan to vote this week to kill key parts of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ state budget proposal, including legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, expanding Medicaid to capture $1.6 billion in federal funding and granting collective bargaining rights to public workers. The move, announced Friday, is no surprise and follows what the GOP-controlled Legislature did two years ago to Evers’ first budget. The Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee will vote Thursday on removing a 15-page list of nearly 300 items from the budget before they then work on rebuilding a two-year spending plan from scratch.