The state Department of Revenue says revenues for the 2013 fiscal year are higher than originally estimated.
A new report from the agency says revenue collections for the fiscal year that ended in June came in 0.5 percent higher than originally estimated, resulting in an extra $71 million for the state. The additional money will help the state boost its rainy day fund and deal with any unexpected costs down the road.
Governor Scott Walker called the news a sign that the tough, but prudent, decisions made in recent years are now allowing the state to invest in its priorities, such as education and workforce development.
Senate Democratic Leader Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) argues the money should be used to help public schools by closing some of the funding gaps created by cuts included in the last state budget. Larson says “an additional $36 million in the classroom does not fill the GOP’s $800 million education budget deficit, but it could fully fund Senate Democrats’ request for an additional $30 million for special education funding, which would support necessary and critical investment in Wisconsin’s disabled students.”
