The Republican-controlled state Assembly passed Gov. Scott Walker?s state budget early Thursday over objections from Democrats who derided it as an assault on the middle class that will hurt public education, weaken programs for the poor and make it harder to get health care services. A Republican amendment keeps alive the University of Wisconsin?s WiscNet program, a non-profit cooperative that brings high-speed Internet services to about 75 percent of public schools in Wisconsin and nearly all public libraries. Originally, it would have had to return about $40 million in federal money under the budget. UW spokesman David Giroux called the deal, which requires any new financial commitments to be approved by the Legislature?s budget committee, a reasonable compromise.
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