Free Republic

Madison — Senate Republicans Tuesday narrowly passed Gov. Scott Walker's $541 million tax cut proposal in a vote that guaranteed the cuts will become law. The tax decreases — the third round of cuts by Republicans in less than a year — passed 17-15 with GOP Sen. Dale Schultz of Richland Center joining all Democrats in voting against the proposal. The proposal now goes to the Assembly, which passed a different version of the tax cuts last month with two Democrats joining all Republicans in supporting it. With growing tax collections now expected to give the state a $1 billion...

Madison – Senate Republicans passed the state budget by a one-vote margin just after midnight Friday as the state schools superintendent raised concerns a little-noticed provision could lead to a flood of students attending private schools at taxpayer expense. The budget passed 17-16, with Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) joining all Democrats in opposing it. The budget now goes to Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who can alter it using his vast line-item veto powers. The budget would cut income taxes by $651 million and create a new statewide program that would allow children who meet income thresholds to use taxpayer...

After every Democrat and one Republican in the Wisconsin Senate voted to kill a regulatory reform bill that would have brought thousands of desperately needed mining jobs to the state, outraged conservative activists and unemployed citizens vowed to turn the heat up. Not only do they plan to keep pushing the legislation, they are targeting two key legislators who opposed the measure for recall elections. The bill would have reformed Wisconsin’s complex and outdated mine permitting system, simplifying the process while retaining strict environmental controls. If it had passed, Florida-based Gogebic Taconite was planning to open an iron-ore mine in...

A Republican bill that would make it harder to recall incumbent GOP lawmakers faltered Monday in the face of opposition from a key Senate Republican. Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, said he opposed a measure that would move up the effective date of new legislative boundaries, passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature this summer, to this November rather than November 2012. "I'm not interested in further adding confusion by changing the rules," Schultz told the State Journal. He said he would vote against the bill if it makes it to the floor because he believes the people who voted him into...