Wisconsin News and Sports
The Legislature’s budget-writing committee on Wednesday approves more than $120 million dollars in cuts to state government. Joint Finance Committee co-chair, Representative Robin Vos, noting these lapses had been approved as part of Governor Scott Walker’s state budget. “This is not some surprise, it’s not something that was unplanned. These reductions have been planned since the budget was passed in July,” he says.
AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (1:05) [Read more...]
Piles of valentines dumped onto the security desk outside Governor Walker's office 02/14/11. (FILE PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
The protests began on February 14th, 2011 with about 1,000 University of Wisconsin students, faculty and staff delivering so-called Valentines to Governor Scott Walker, asking him to reconsider his budget repair bill, which aimed to fix the budget deficit by making changes to public employee collective bargaining.
The Solidarity Singers have become a fixture at the Capitol, the sing leader is Chris Reeder. He says there’s no going back; citizen activism in Wisconsin is forever changed. “The place of labor, the place of unions, the place of education and teachers — those conversations in Wisconsin are forever different.”
Reeder says there’s been a lot of progress made over the past year, including two Republican senators losing to Democrats in their recall elections. A peak of 100,000 demonstrators brandished signs and marched around the Capitol Square, drawing national attention and big names to the state. At one point, the Walker Administration put the Capitol on lockdown citing security concerns.
Jeremy Ryan, often seen at the Capitol on a segway, says he has learned a lot about politics in the past year. He had no idea the demonstrations would last this long. “When the occupation had started I thought that was only gonna last a few days before the police would come in and swoop us all out.”
Daily noontime singers in the Capitol (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
Walker eventually signed the collective bargaining bill into law in mid-March, which he argued would fix the budget hole and get the state back on strong financial footing.
To this day, protests continue, most regularly are the daily Solidarity Singers. There’s currently an effort to recall Governor Scott Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four state senators.
Organizers have scheduled several events marking the anniversary of the historic demonstrations.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:49
President Barack Obama releases his ten-year spending plan, and a member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation says its a recipe for bitter austerity. “It’s really designed to help the president in his reelection campaign,” says Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan. He says the president “has punted again” when it comes to the debt crisis.
AUDIO: Rep. Paul Ryan (2:20) [Read more...]
Wisconsin is facing a $143 million shortfall for this biennium, according to an annual analysis released Thursday by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau — that’s almost $216 million below the nearly $73 million surplus that was projected in October.
Representative Robin Vos (R-Rochester) blames the “slower than anticipated” national recovery from the Great Recession. “It’s not a surprise when we look at what’s happening all around the country. Wisconsin is one of 29 states that show that the slowdown in the national economy is having an impact on our state budget.”
The Fiscal Bureau says the downward fiscal outlook is mostly due to a $273 million drop in projected tax revenues. The new estimate could trigger the need for a budget repair bill, but Vos, who’s on the legislative budget writing committee, disagrees. He says Wisconsin will end the first year of the two-year budget with a surplus. It’s the second year that will have to be reevaluated. “Hopefully we will not have to make cuts, but if the choice is between raising taxes and cutting, you know, the bureaucracy, we’ll of course choose to cut the bureaucracy in a way that doesn’t impact the public.”
The administration is also looking at debt refinancing, restructuring, and tapping into the budget stabilization fund — or the “rainy day” fund.
Governor Scott Walker remains optimistic. In a statement, he says when compared to other states “Wisconsin is headed in the right direction” and his administration “will continue to manage the Wisconsin taxpayer’s money well.”
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate released a statement saying, “Wisconsin’s budget condition has deteriorated to the point that emergency action may be required,” he says, “Today’s news is one more reason why the people will recall and replace Scott Walker.”
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) released a statement saying, “The evidence is clear – Gov. Walker’s economic plan is not working … When people are not working and not spending because of Republican priorities, the state is going to see a drop in revenues.”
Representative Cory Mason (D-Racine) is the ranking Assembly Democratic member of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance. In a statement, he says, “This projected shortfall does not even include the more than $140 million deficit in Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance program, or the yet-to-be approved $174 million in cuts required by Walker’s biennial budget.”
In a joint statement with Vos, Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) says Wisconsin is suffering from the Great Recession like many other states: “According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, 29 states projected an estimated $31.9 billion budget gaps for fiscal year 2013. In addition, nine states currently project budget gaps in FY 2014, totaling $16 billion.”
The state’s decision to balance the budget on the back of the UW System is drawing some criticism in business circles. Last month, the Walker administration announced the state’s billion budget was balanced through the use of a $174 million lapse – with the UW System absorbing 38 percent of those cuts. On Tuesday were at the Capitol to voice their concerns over shouldering what they see as a crippling burden – the requirement to return millions of dollars to the state over two years.
AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (1:15) [Read more...]
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