Senate passes revised budget that drops oil tax, restores UW tuition for illegal immigrants

Talk about it

Under the last-minute changes, children of illegal immigrants would pay in-state tuition to go to the University of Wisconsin, but immigrants would not get special driving cards.

Lawmakers guaranteed that school districts would not lose more than 10 percent of their state aid, which helps Madison and some suburban Milwaukee districts.

There would not be a new limit on students in Milwaukee’s private school voucher program.

The state’s limit on teacher salaries, the QEO, would end immediately instead of waiting a year.

All vehicles must be insured for the first time, as rates go up for higher minimum coverage limits.

Regional transit authorities which levy their own taxes would be allowed in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire and the Ashland-Bayfield areas – but not the Fox Valley.

Police could stop motorists just for not wearing their seat belts, but only if the budget is signed by Wednesday which would allow the state to get more federal highway funds.

Legal liability reform is still out of the budget. It does not raise sales or income taxes, but local property taxes would rise by an average of $90 in December.

All phone lines get a new 75 cent a month fee. The cigarette tax jumps another 75 cents.

The new income tax bracket remains for those making more than $300,000 a year.

And the state’s new hospital tax is expanded to include ambulatory surgery centers.

Tags: uw tuition, oil tax, wisconsin, senate