Frederica Freyberg:

Public education and the state budget were in the news this week, with a party-line vote among members of the Joint Finance Committee. The committee backed a Republican measure that would connect the flow of some federal COVID dollars to the amount of in-person instruction a given school district conducts. The committee co-chair said it would be an incentive for districts currently doing all virtual classrooms to open up. Governor Evers revealed several items he’ll include in his budget address next Tuesday. Among them, a proposal that would legalize the sale of recreational and medical marijuana in Wisconsin. A call for $150 million for additional mental health care services and an expansion of the state health insurance program BadgerCare. A proposed $43 million for economic programs for state farmers and Governor Evers will request $140 million for state child care services. Governor Evers’ budget address will be broadcast live on PBS Wisconsin on the Wisconsin Channel Tuesday, February 16, at 7:00 p.m.