Bipartisan agreement saves Milwaukee from financial crisis with shared revenue deal.
Wisconsin has reached a bipartisan deal to provide cash-strapped Milwaukee with a lifeline to avoid bankruptcy, allowing the city to raise sales taxes without voter approval as part of a larger local government and K-12 schools funding plan. The GOP-controlled Legislature agreed to spending an additional $1 billion on K-12 schools, along with increasing payments to families whose children attend taxpayer-funded private voucher schools. The plan would increase funding to counties, cities, towns and villages with under 110,000 population by at least 20%. Milwaukee officials have warned about dire consequences and deep cuts as the city faces bankruptcy by 2025.