Members of the Legislature's budget-writing committee are hoping to finish their work on Thursday.
After delaying the start of Wednesday's budget session by nearly nine hours, Joint Finance Committee co-chairman Mark Pocan (D-Madison) announced the panel would not be meeting after all. The Madison Democrat says drafting of the final budget language would likely be done by about 2 AM on Thursday. So, rather than delay the meeting further, the decision was made to push of final votes on the budget plan.
Lawmakers still have some major issues to vote on, such as education funding, transportation spending, and a proposed tax on oil company profits. Pocan says most of those details have been worked out and it's just a matter of getting the final resolutions ready to vote on. That includes giving minority Republicans time to review the motions.
Pocan says they're still hoping to wrap up work on the budget by the end of the day Thursday. He says it's still "very doable."
The full Legislature will still have to approve the budget plan passed by the committee.
