One of the incoming Democrats to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee is expecting some real challenges in the next session. Democrats will hold four seats on the 16 member committee next year, which will be in charge of putting together the next biennial state budget. State Representative Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee) is one of the two Assembly Democrats who will serve on the panel.
State Representative Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) was the other Assembly Democrat named this week by minority leadership.
The Milwaukee Democrat sees her role as holding true to the promises made to voters to rebuild the economy and creating jobs. She says those are the types of proposals she plans to support, although she expects Republicans to push a number of social issues on to the agenda.
Grigsby predicts some tough battles will be fought under Republican control, based on members already naming controversial issues as their priorities. She says issues like voter ID and concealed carry, along with tax breaks for millionaires and re-opening corporate tax loopholes, should not be their focus.
The Milwaukee Democrat says the minority will work to keep Republicans honest and educate the public about what’s going on. However, Grigsby is not very optimistic about the GOP reaching out for their advice during the budget process.
