Knodl: It's now up to AWOL Senate Democrats to avoid mass layoffs

 

Provided by Dan Knodl

Madison – After more than 60 straight hours of floor discussion, the State Assembly has approved Governor Scott Walker's proposal to fix a $136.7 million hole in our current state budget and lay the groundwork for soundly-balanced state budgets into the future.

According to Rep. Dan Knodl (RGermantown), it is now up to the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state to return, do their job, and finish work on the budget repair bill. If they do not return promptly, state and local units of government may be forced into mass layoffs to the tune of 6,000 employees or as many as 10,000 teachers.

In addition, it has been revealed that the Senate Democrats' stalling tactics have jeopardized over $165 million in savings under the Governor's proposal to refinance a portion of our state's debt.

"The Assembly had a good, thorough debate over the budget repair bill and I'm proud to have a taken a strong stand in favor of Governor Walker's action plan for longterm state budget solvency," said Knodl. "This bill does not cut one single public sector job – rather, it actually preserves those jobs at a more affordable cost for taxpayers."

Knodl continued, "If the Senate Democrats don't show, the thousands of mass layoffs that will occur as a result will be on their hands. In a way, it's a fitting, final chapter to their years in power in the State Capitol and the profligate spending and accounting tricks that they used to cause this mess in the first place.

"I appreciate the work done by our public employees. They are hard-working, good people and asking them to absorb some of the costs of our lagging economy is extremely difficult. But this measure puts us on the path to budgetary recovery – if the Senate Democrats show up for work."