The WI Senate approved the new state budget on a 17-16 vote Wednesday with two Republicans joining Democrats in voting against the spending plan.
The $81 billion two-year spending plan now goes to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who can sign the budget into law, veto it in its entirety or use his partial veto powers to revise it.
As passed, the budget bill excludes major elements of the one proposed by the governor. Among those elements excluded were legalizing medical marijuana in Wisconsin, increasing Wisconsin’s minimum wage and offering state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards to immigrants living in the country illegally.
Republicans also removed from the governor’s transportation plan a provision that would have increased the gas tax by 8 cents a gallon.
