http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/assembly-wi-s5.jpgThe Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly passed the $73 billion state budget early Thursday morning on a 52-46 vote, with 11 Republicans joining all 35 Democrats in opposition. All Democratic amendments rejected. Spending plan goes on to Gov. Scott Walker four days before he was to officially launch his presidential campaign.

MADISON - The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly passed the state budget with only two votes to spare early Thursday morning, sending the $73 billion spending plan on to Gov. Scott Walker four days before he was to officially launch his presidential campaign.

The budget passed on a 52-46 vote, with 11 Republicans joining all 35 Democrats in opposition. One Democrat was absent. The Senate, also controlled by the Republicans, had passed the budget bill 18-15 on Tuesday, with one Republican breaking ranks.

Assembly debate leading up to the vote was anti-climactic. During debate that began shortly after noon Wednesday and ended at 12:40 a.m. Thursday, Assembly Republicans rejected all Democratic amendments, which would have done such things as increase funding for K-12 schools and the University of Wisconsin and undo numerous other portions of the GOP plan.

The budget as passed last night holds property taxes in check, does not raise income or sales taxes, cuts University of Wisconsin funding by $250 million while freezing tuition for two years, and largely holds funding for public K-12 schools flat next year while also expanding the private school voucher program.

It also will require public aid recipients to undergo a screening for drugs, eliminates the prevailing wage paid to construction workers on public projects at the local level and lowers borrowing for transportation work by $450 million that will lead to delays in some projects.

Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) called the budget that passed the Assembly early this morning a disaster, saying it includes massive giveaways to special interests on the backs of Wisconsin children.

"This budget, which will harm Wisconsin mightily," he said "started and ended with accomplishing two primary goals: paying back the out-of-state special interests that spend money on Republican campaigns and helping Governor Walker pander to far-right presidential primary voters."

“There is no part of what makes Wisconsin great that goes unharmed with this budget," Barca said. "And it’s time for Republicans to take responsibility for creating this budget disaster with their extreme mismanagement of our state’s finances over the past four and a half years."

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Martha Laning also thought Walker's presidential ambition was a driving force in this year's budget.

“The first and only consideration for every one of the $73 billion spent in this budget should be ‘How will this help people in Wisconsin and make our state a better place?’," she said. "Instead, this budget put Scott Walker’s presidential campaign and even a Republican legislator’s vacation to Mexico ahead of investing in Wisconsin’s middle class."

“But as bad as the ‘crap budget’ was when the Republican legislature got it, they made it even worse with a last minute sneak attack that further guts local control and drives down wages and standards for Wisconsin workers," said Laning.

Democrats in the Assembly and the Senate had stood ready to work with their Republican colleagues to improve this incredibly difficult budget in a way that fixes the self-inflicted $2.2 billion deficit without heaping the burden on the average citizen. Republicans voted down every single one of the dozens of solutions Democrats offered, and offered many amendments of their own that will hurt family-supporting jobs, public education, healthcare, and good, clean government.