On Feb. 20, Gov. Scott Walker introduced his budget to the Legislature, although he began releasing details of his budget earlier. 

In his biennial budget, Walker proposed a $343 million tax cut, part of $630 million in total tax cuts, as well as major reforms of the state’s Medicaid program.

Pending legislative and federal approval, Walker seeks to reject federal Medicaid expansion dollars but has an alternate plan that would cover fewer people. It would put everyone below poverty on Medicaid and everyone above it on private insurance, which Walker said encourages independence while helping the neediest.

Walker also plans on keeping public school funding flat, after more than $800 milion in cuts in his last budget. 

He also seeks on giving students more choice in education, proposing a voucher school expansion to nine districts and a special needs scholarship program that would apply statewide.

A number of Senate Republicans have criticized Walker’s education plans, although Democrats have said a few Republican senators are concerned with the Medicaid plan.

Walker originally planned on investing $181 million in the University of Wisconsin System, a large chunk of that from splitting UW System payrolls from the state. 

After revelations of $648 million in reserves at the UW System, he has signaled his planned funding might change, a call Republicans have echoed. Legislators from both sides have called for a tuition freeze.

Republicans have raised concerns about parts of the budget, such as the amount of additional state workers Walker wants to hire and the roughly $1 billion in borrowing in the budget, much of it for large highway projects.

The Joint Finance Committee has started slow, voting on less controversial budget items. Once the committee finishes its work with the budget, the Legislature has to pass an identical bill that would then go to Walker’s desk.