The co-chairs of the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance have announced public hearings on the state budget will be held next month.
There will be three in-person hearings: Friday, April 9 at UW-Whitewater, Wednesday, the 21st in Rhinelander and Thursday, the 22nd at UW-Stout in Menomonie. A fourth, virtual hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28.
Today, JFC announced the dates and locations of State Budget Public Hearings which will include a virtual option. Wisconsinites can also submit comments via the JFC website or the JFC email. pic.twitter.com/6UOUKIpMk5
— Rep. Mark Born (@repborn) March 10, 2021
None of the hearings are in Milwaukee. “I guess this will be one of those things where people will define it how people wish to define it. I certainly feel that Whitewater is in southern and southeastern Wisconsin,” said Assembly co-chair, Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam).
“We certainly feel that we’ve chosen locations in different parts of the state, as well as the virtual option which is statewide,” Born said. WisPolitics reported that the last time JFC didn’t hold a public hearing in Milwaukee or its suburbs was 2005, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
In-person public hearings will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. The format will be similar to past hearings and attendees will be asked to fill out a form upon arrival to be added to the queue to testify.
Pre-registration will be required for the virtual hearing. The registration process and details are in development and will be released as soon as possible via the new JFC website, which is also a portal for constituents to provide input: www.legis.wisconsin.gov/topics/budgetcomments.
The JFC has also developed a dedicated email address for input only: [email protected].