Nass: Republicans have lost their minds on Milwaukee bailout bill

Editor’s note: The following statement has been issued for publication by the office of State Sen. Steve Nass. 

Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, issued the following statement regarding the disastrous situation developing on the Milwaukee bailout bill, after passage in the Assembly, which also includes new money for the Shared Revenue Program.  

The full statement is as follows: 

The last 24 hours might be some of the most politically glorious moments for Governor Evers and Wisconsin Democrats as some Republicans in the Capitol have lost their minds as evidenced by the ruinous circumstances surrounding the Milwaukee Bailout Bill.

In trying to bailout the failed liberal policies of the City and the County of Milwaukee, the corrosive process used behind closed doors has led to Republicans forsaking many of our conservative values and fiscal principles in the obsessive goal to get a deal – any deal. 

There are equally serious flaws with AB 245 as passed by the Assembly and the position taken by some of my Senate colleagues in response to the Assembly action.  It is time to stop the insanity and return to our core conservative fiscal values. 

We need to stop listening to special interests and placating the extreme demands of Governor Evers and his fellow Democrats.  Why the hell are we negotiating with a Governor that sent us a budget proposal that would take us from a nearly $7 billion surplus to a $4 billion structural deficit? 

It is time for Republicans to once again return to our conservative principles in addressing the many challenges facing the state, including Shared Revenue, the Milwaukee fiscal crisis, K-12 education funding and other top priorities. 

In doing so, if we send fiscally responsible legislation to Governor Evers and he vetoes it, then he alone is responsible for the consequences. 

State Sen. Steve Nass represents the 11th District, which includes in part or whole, the communities of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Milton, Whitewater, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Walworth, Clinton, and Sharon, among others. The district includes Assembly districts 31, represented by Ellen Schutt, R-Clinton; 32, represented by Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, and 33, represented by Scott Johnson, R-Hebron.