Gov. Jim Doyle dismissed the latest Republican version of the state budget as smoke and mirrors after GOP leaders added a series of tax breaks and changes early Friday to win the final two votes they needed for Senate approval of the $52.9 billion plan.
The two-year budget now goes back to the Assembly after the Senate approved it 17-16 following an all-night session.
Senate leaders inserted a new tax break for parents who teach their children at home or send them to private school, a $1 million cut to UW-Madison and a new requirement for nonunion state employees to contribute toward their retirement funds.