Yesterday, I had the
honor of addressing you, the people of Wisconsin, about how our state is faring
and what our future will look like.
We’ve certainly come a
long way. More people were employed in Wisconsin last year than at any other
point in the history of our state. Unemployment levels are the lowest we’ve
seen in 15 years, and the percentage of people working in our state is one of
the highest of any state in the country.
Our reforms are working
and winning for Wisconsin.
Our work is far from
done, however. As we look forward, we’re going to continue to do everything
within our power to ensure Wisconsin is thriving. To guarantee the future
success of our state, we’ll focus on several important priorities as we
approach the next state budget, and beyond, including:
-
Increasing funds for K-12 public education, as well as addressing
some of the unique challenges rural schools face, such as higher
transportation costs, poor access to broadband, and declining enrollment.
-
Lowering the tax burden so property and income taxes are lower in 2018 than they
were in 2010.
- Building upon
our historic four-year University of Wisconsin tuition freeze by cutting tuition for all in-state undergraduate
students at all UW colleges in our 2017-2019 budget.
-
Investing an additional $35.5 million in our Broadband
Expansion Grant Program, bringing our
total broadband investment to $52 million.
-
Providing local governments with the largest increase in
transportation aids since the 1990s
and providing more money than ever
before for highway rehabilitation – all without increasing the gas tax or vehicle registration fee.
-
Prioritizing rewarding work for all Wisconsin citizens by leading on welfare reform.
The future of Wisconsin
is bright, and we’re working to make sure it only gets brighter.
Together, we’ll
continue to move Wisconsin forward.
We enjoy sharing all the great news about our state with you. It is an honor to serve as your Governor and represent the people of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
 Governor Scott Walker
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