A scheduled Assembly vote on school funding looks to be a dead-end, but leadership plans to forge ahead anyway. Assembly Republicans will bring a funding plan for public schools and shared revenue to local units of government to the floor Tuesday, and Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he can't figure out why Majority Leader Judy Robson won't do the same in that chamber. “I've watched the committee function for two months now,” said Fitzgerald. “I think that's crazy.” Fitzgerald's referring to the budget conference committee, which remains miles apart on a spending plan, but Robon says today's Assembly action is pointless. “It's just kind of silly,” said Robson. “Nothing will happen . . . what we can do is . . . negotiate the differences.” Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald says Democrats have been unwilling to budge on any proposed tax increases. “We're going to go and lead, and take action on a bill that protects schools and protects taxpayers,” said Fitzgerald. But the Senate won't take up the separate spending plan for K-12 and local government, and Governor Jim Doyle has also nixed the plan. Both Doyle and Senate Democrats insist the budget must be passed as a whole, not in pieces.
