Taxpayer amendment stops at Senate
Many area legislators pleased with final vote
Nathaniel Shuda
Issue date: 5/8/06 Section: Campus News
A joint resolution that would have created a statewide Taxpayer Protection Amendment failed in the state Senate Thursday by a vote of 11-21, an act area legislators consider a victory for the UW System.
Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, said he wasn't surprised by the Senate's vote, but said he was surprised by the lack of support by his fellow Republicans in the Assembly.
"That would have been an irresistible temptation to cut state support and raise tuition and fees," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind that it would have accelerated a trend that we've seen that puts more of the burden on students and their families."
The amendment, which would have placed revenue caps on many sources of state income but would have excluded tuition and fees, would have led to what Kreibich called "dire consequences," including the closure of campuses, enrollment reductions and a diminished quality of education.
"I think the only way we can change that is to change the economic conditions," said state Sen. Ron Brown, R-Eau Claire, who also voted against the amendment. "Unless we can do that, I think we're going to see greater numbers (of students) leaving the area."
"No more taxes means less services," Brown said. "If you limit yourself as far as dollars you intend to spend, you wouldn't be able to put money into other programs."
Kreibich was one of the nine Republicans to vote against the Assembly's final version of the amendment, which passed April 28 by a vote of 50-48. He said recent resolutions from UW-Eau Claire Student Senate and the Board of Regents in opposition to the amendment played a significant role in
his decision.
"I'm glad they took an interest and went on the record," he said of the resolutions. "I have 10,000 constituents that are students, and I agreed with the sentiments of those resolutions."
Kreibich said the Assembly brought as many as six versions of the amendment to the table, two of which made it to a final vote.
Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, said he wasn't surprised by the Senate's vote, but said he was surprised by the lack of support by his fellow Republicans in the Assembly.
"That would have been an irresistible temptation to cut state support and raise tuition and fees," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind that it would have accelerated a trend that we've seen that puts more of the burden on students and their families."
The amendment, which would have placed revenue caps on many sources of state income but would have excluded tuition and fees, would have led to what Kreibich called "dire consequences," including the closure of campuses, enrollment reductions and a diminished quality of education.
"I think the only way we can change that is to change the economic conditions," said state Sen. Ron Brown, R-Eau Claire, who also voted against the amendment. "Unless we can do that, I think we're going to see greater numbers (of students) leaving the area."
"No more taxes means less services," Brown said. "If you limit yourself as far as dollars you intend to spend, you wouldn't be able to put money into other programs."
Kreibich was one of the nine Republicans to vote against the Assembly's final version of the amendment, which passed April 28 by a vote of 50-48. He said recent resolutions from UW-Eau Claire Student Senate and the Board of Regents in opposition to the amendment played a significant role in
his decision.
"I'm glad they took an interest and went on the record," he said of the resolutions. "I have 10,000 constituents that are students, and I agreed with the sentiments of those resolutions."
Kreibich said the Assembly brought as many as six versions of the amendment to the table, two of which made it to a final vote.
