State lawmakers are set to start voting on Governor Doyle's budget, including a controversial new tax on "Big Oil." The proposal would impose a $1.50 tax on each barrel of oil sold in Wisconsin. The tax would raise money for the financially strapped transportation fund.
Many Republicans have denounced the move, but State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) says it actually may survive. He says it sends a strong message to oil companies and helps to deal with a major shortfall in the state budget.
Still, there are questions about if the governor can keep oil companies from just passing on the extra cost to motorists at the pump. The Joint Finance Committee is set to start voting on the budget later this week. (WIBA's John Colbert contributed this report)
