Education was the name of the game for Governor Walker Wednesday as he presented his proposed state budget for 2017-2019.
"We are investing more money into education than ever before in the history of Wisconsin," he said.
His plan? Putting $11.5 billion of state support towards K-12 education.
"This budget moves Wisconsin forward," he explained.
For the UW System, the proposed budget would add $135 million in state funding and cut tuition by 5% for undergraduates from Wisconsin.
There would also be a performance-based system for new funds, determined by things like number of graduates, the length of time to graduate, how many graduates are employed, and how many are in high-demand areas in Wisconsin.
But Governor Walker only briefly touched upon transportation, saying all active, major projects besides those in southeastern Wisconsin will get back on track.
"From what I understand, there's no new money for transportation, probably the biggest challenge for the Governor going into this budget, and for the fourth budget in a row he's going to punt, kick the can down the road, and continue to borrow money," said Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh).
When it comes to taxes, Gov. Walker said the proposed budget would keep lowering property taxes
"For the first time since 1931 there will be no state tax collected on your property tax bill," he said.
It would also reduce income taxes by about 130 dollars per family.
"there will be some changes for sure, but I think all in all when we're cutting taxes and we're putting more money back into schools, who could fight that?" said Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc).
Governor Walker also touted welfare reform in the new budget through Wisconsin Works for Everyone.
"For starters, that means that able-bodied adults will need to be employed at least 80 hours a month to receive things like food stamps," he explained. "If not, they will need to be enrolled in our job training program."
Many critics of Governor Walker's proposed budget said it's unrealistic, and is only meant to help him in seeking a third term.
Now, the budget is in the hands of the state legislature. They will have until June to finalize the budget.
