Members of the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee kick-off another public hearing this morning on Governor Scott Walker’s $70 billion biennial budget plan.
The JFC will hold its third public hearing in Rice Lake from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County. As with two hearings held last week, hundreds are expected to turn out to weigh in on the proposed state budget.
Lawmakers heard hours of testimony last week on multiple proposals included in the budget, ranging from cuts to Family Care and public assistance programs, education funding cuts, changes to how the University of Wisconsin System operates, and plans for new bonding to fund transportation projects and construction of a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Republican lawmakers on the budget panel have already indicated changes are expected to several parts of Walker’s budget. Those include removing a proposal to give the UW System more autonomy, while also reducing the size of a proposed budget cut.
Lawmakers will hold one final public hearing on Thursday in Reedsburg.