Mary Burke Goes Into Specifics About Her Budget Plans

Democratic Candidate For Governor Says He's Grow Capital Venture Fund, Get Rid Of Tuition Tax Breaks For Private Schools

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Mary Burke is being more specific about how she’d spend state money if elected governor, saying that a venture capital fund is too small and that tuition tax breaks for private schools are not needed.

Burke says Wisconsin needs more small business growth. But the Democratic candidate for governor says the state’s $25 million venture capital fund isn’t close to what’s needed. She promised to have her own jobs creation plan within a month.

Another issue the Madison school board member addressed at a WisPolitics forum was private school tuition tax breaks and statewide expansion of school vouchers. She would scale back statewide vouchers and eliminate the tuition deduction.

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“I think we have to do budget decisions that are going to grow the economy that are going to impact us positively and I think they were two new expenditures, frankly, that did neither,” said Burke.

The tuition tax break is expected to cost the state $30 million.

When asked what areas she and Gov. Scott Walker were in agreement, Burke said the need to hold the line on taxes and worker training grants for technical colleges.

“But frankly $35 million after you’ve cut money from the college technical system is not going to do enough to make sure that our workforce is trained for the jobs that are going empty right now,” said Burke.

On the issue of health care, she said she supports a bill that would require insurers to pay for chemotherapy in pill form.

“That’s why people buy insurance, isn’t it?” said Burke. “When you are facing something like cancer we depend on insurance to cover that.”

The bill has passed the state Senate but still needs approval from the Assembly.