MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Legislature’s budget-writing committee has approved a wide-ranging Republican plan to increase public school funding and do away with an enrollment cap in the private school voucher program. The Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 with all Republicans in support and Democrats against early Wednesday morning to approve the plan after about five hours of debate. It is now added to the two-year state budget, which the committee plans to finish working on next week. Democrats railed against the voucher expansion, which would take money away from public schools that lose students. The GOP plan would also allow students with disabilities into the voucher program for the first time, rate schools on a five-star system and require high school students to pass a civics test.
