6-22-13 budget-governor reaction

Gov. Scott Walker is praising the Legislature's passage of the state budget, but still not saying what he may veto.  Walker  says he is proud of the Legislature's work, citing an across-the-board income tax cut, an increase in money for public schools and an expansion of private school vouchers.

Senate Democratic leader Chris Larson tells WFDL news the budget bows to the demands of the most extreme Tea Party factions while ignoring the needs of Wisconsin’s middle class.  "Expands vouchers statewide, ends up giving a big tax cut to the wealthy while steering our state toward a huge deficit in the future,"  Larson said.  Larson says he’s also concerned the budget may allow for existing voucher schools to open Satellite schools anywhere in the state and not subject to a 500 student cap next year.  Republican state senator Rick Gudex voted for the budget.  "There's too many good things in this budget to not pass this budget, I mean we're looking at almost a billion dollars in tax cuts, $651 million of that is income tax relief,"  Gudex said.  Walker is also defending his Medicaid proposal, which rejects federal funding to cover an additional  87,000 poor people. Instead, Walker is tightening income eligibility and forcing more people off Medicaid and into the federally subsidized private health insurance marketplace.  Walker says the budget will bring more prosperity to people in Wisconsin. He says he plans to sign it by July 1.