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Wisconsin Assembly approves state budget

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The Wisconsin state Assembly passed the Republican-crafted state budget on Tuesday night, along largely partisan lines. The $80.5 billion two year spending plan is scheduled to be taken up by the Senate on Wednesday. Democratic Governor Tony Evers has yet to indicate what sorts of veto actions he may take.

As Assembly debate wound down, Speaker Robin Vos excoriated Democrats for failing to support what he called a “middle ground” budget.

“We’ve taken out almost all of the competitive Democrats but there are some of you. And you’re going to have a heck of a time going back and explaining to people who live in Wauwatosa and Brookfield why you’re voting just like someone who lives in downtown Madison.”

Minority Leader Godorn Hintz urged members to vote “no” on the Republican budget, as budget.

“The decision has real consequences on health care, on other state programs, on our state’s future. You accuse Democrats of finding a way to oppose everything, yet Wisconsin Republicans won’t even support a measure (accepting federal money to expand Medicaid) supported by Republicans in every neighboring state. You picked winners and losers when you didn’t have to, and a budget that wastes state money, that fails to make the investments necessary and possible, is not a budget worthy of support.”

Three Republicans and all Democrats voted against the budget as it passed 60-39.

Assembly Republicans tweaked the spending plan with an amendment that allow car manufacturer Tesla to sell directly to consumers. A Republican in the Senate, where Republicans cannot afford to lose more than two votes, also has a business selling Tesla parts. The GOP amendment also would add more assistant DA positions, and provide towns an additional $5 million for roads. It also would pump another 6-point-2 million dollars into the lottery credit to ensure the GOP budget would have a lower property tax bill for a “median-valued home” than in the budget Governor Tony Evers proposed.

Assembly set to pass state budget on Tuesday

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The Wisconsin Assembly is scheduled to vote on the Republican-crafted state budget today. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says it meets the governor’s priorities of a middle class tax cut while funding schools, roads and health care.

“On the four things that Governor Evers said he wanted, we’ve accomplished all four of the goals but used our own conservative principles to get it done,” Vos said last week. “We feel this is a reasonable compromise, it achieves his goals but it also sticks to our principles, and I think that’s why in the end he should sign it.”

The state Senate is to take up the budget on Wednesday. Governor Tony Evers says he’ll wait until there’s a finished product before talking about his veto plans

Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds state’s lame-duck laws

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The state’s highest court has signed off on the so-called “lame duck” actions of the legislature. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld the Legislature’s authority to meet in extraordinary session. That’s a rejection of a challenge by of Democratic groups to Republican actions in December, which limited the authority of incoming Democrats, Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul.

In the 4-3 ruling the court’s conservative majority concluded extraordinary sessions are constitutional and that the Legislature is the sole authority for its “self-imposed statutory or procedural rules” and only accountable to the voters for failing to follow them.

“Today’s decision is disappointing and, unfortunately, all too predictable. It is based on a desired political outcome, not the plain meaning and text of the constitution,” Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.

“The state constitution is clear. It limits when the legislature can meet to pass laws. Our framers knew that no good comes from lawmakers rushing laws through at the last minute without public scrutiny. The lame-duck session proves the framers were right. This was an attack on the will of the people, our democracy, and our system of government.”

“We are pleased by the Supreme Court’s common sense decision. The Court upheld a previously non-controversial legislative practice used by both parties for decades to enact some of the most important laws in the state<” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said in a joint statement.

“This lawsuit, pursued by special interests and Governor Evers, has led to an unnecessary waste of taxpayer resources. We urge the governor to work with the Legislature instead of pursuing his political agenda through the courts.”

Two Senate Republicans are “no” votes on state budget

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Sen. Fitzgerald WRN photo

State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Wednesday that he’s confident he’ll get the votes needed to pass the state budget in that chamber. “I’m talking to everybody. I don’t take any vote for granted, never have, that’s not how I operate,” Fitzgerald said. “You need to keep checking with people right up to the last minute. And obviously we’ll make that decision as to whether or not we’re ready to go to the floor and pass the budget next week.”

But as of Thursday morning, there are to “no” votes among Republicans in Fitzgerald’s caucus. Senators Steve Nass of Whitewater and David Craig of Waukesha both believe that the spending plan put together by Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee spends too much.

“I simply can’t deceive the taxpayers by voting for a budget that creates a significant structural deficit, generates the largest property tax hikes in a decade, contains unsustainable levels of excessive spending and authorizes an extremely offensive new vehicle miles-driven tax on motorists starting in 2023. This is not a conservative budget by any reasonable analysis. I will vote No,” Nass said in a statement on Wednesday.

“There’s no way on earth Wisconsinites are spending ten percent more n their households, in their businesses,” Craig said on WISN Radio Thursday morning. “The economy is improving, but the economy is not government proof.” Craig said he could accept a two percent spending bump, which he said is within the rate of inflation. Two more defections, and Republicans won’t be able to pass their in the Senate.

Both chambers of the legislature are expected to vote next week on the Republican budget, which Republicans leaders say is more conservative than what Governor Tony Evers proposed.

Budget drops state funding for World Dairy Expo venue

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World Dairy Expo in Madison (File photo: Andrew Beckett)

A high profile project in Madison will have to advance without state funding. In March, Governor Tony Evers announced $30-million in his proposed capital budget, towards redevelopment at Dane County’s Alliant Energy Center. It’s the main facility for the World Dairy Expo each year.

But this week Republicans on the legislature’s budget panel eliminated that money. A disappointed Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said: “The state has always recognized the importance of the Alliant Energy Center to the entire state, and particularly to our ag community.”

Parisi said World Dairy Expo has a statewide impact, and attracts many visitors to Wisconsin. “We’ve been responsible for the debt service for 20 years on the center. The new pavilion, which is responsible for keeping World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, has been a partnership between the state and Dane County.”

Among the $600 million requested by Governor Tony Evers that Republicans cut from state building budgets this week — included the redevelopment funds for the center.

The county had planned to raise an additional $47-million for improvements at Alliant. Parisi said that will be difficult absent the state funding.

Republicans complete work on state budget

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Democrat lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee vigorously opposed the Republican plan for tax cuts, as the budget panel concluded it’s work on Thursday. State Representative Chris Taylor said the budget should show Wisconsinites that the GOP cares more about big business than average citizens.

“You all have raised taxes on low and middle income working people by reducing the earned income tax credit and reducing the homestead tax credit. That’s what you’ve done.”

The total tax cut is less than half the size of the Democrats plan, but Governor Evers wanted to raise taxes on businesses to pay for lower income tax breaks.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he’s optimistic that Governor Tony Evers will not veto the two year state budget. Vos spoke at a media briefing on Thursday, during which he contrasted the final JFC package with Evers’ originally proposed “Peoples Budget.”

“What did Governor Evers say, fix the damn roads? We’re doing that. What did he say, make sure we have a budget than can help children? We’re doing a kid friendly plus budget. He said make sure that we have the ability to take care of the most vulnerable. We’re doing that without expanding welfare. And we have enough resources left over that we prioritized a very large tax cut, that’s going to help every single family that pays taxes in the state.”

The GOP plan — including that $457 million tax cut over two years — now goes to the full legislature for consideration. Evers may then veto portions of it — or all of it.

Republicans cut 600 million from building budgets, face Democrat criticism at Joint Finance Committee

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Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee approved a package of budget items last night, but not without some controversy.

They voted to require the UW System to appear before Joint Finance in order to get 8 million dollars for dairy research. Democrat Representative Evan Goyke says that just adds government where it’s not needed. “Senator Marklein’s comment was ‘What they is certainty.’ ‘What they need is certainty.’ That is what you just said, Senator Marklein, and this motion doesn’t give them certainty.” That brings the total that JFC is reserving to $109 million. Democrats are calling it a slush fund.

Republican Representative Mike Rohrkaste says it’s a minuscule amount of the state’s budget. “Point one percent. I just listened to about 10 minutes of blasting us for putting $109 million into an appropriation that’s at most point one percent of the total budget?”

Republican Representative Amy Loudenbeck chided Democrats and Governor Evers for not funding the project in their budget. “This is the Dairy Task Force Plan and we’re going to have them come back to us with a plan. Because you don’t have one. This is our plan. And we’re going to fund it.”

Republicans also cut 600 million dollars in building projects from the Evers budget, including the funding for new youth prisons.  The Joint Finance Committee will be back on Thursday to hopefully finish out the budget process.

Evers vetoes loom as work on budget wraps up

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As work on the state budget wraps up, talk of vetoes looms large. “I think you’re obviously going to see partial vetoes for sure,” Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said on Monday. “The extent of those remains be seen. But I think we’re a long way off from what was proposed from the governor.

Steineke,,Vos WRN image

Republicans on the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee have spent weeks taking a scalpel — some would say a cleaver — to the budget proposed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, who has the ability to make partial vetoes. The governor also could veto the entire JFC spending plan, if he so chooses.

“He’s not going to get everything he wants, we’re not going to get everything we want,” said Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke. “He’s going to make some partial vetoes. If he chose to veto the entire budget, I’m telling you he’d be making a huge mistake.” Steinke said vetoing the entire budget would leave municipalities and school districts unable to plan for their own budgets. He and Hintz were guests on WHBY’s “Fresh Take” program on Monday morning.

Speaking with reporters following an event in Madison on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said if Evers vetoes entire state budget, the Legislature will not come back to take up a veto override until October. By state statute, if a biennial budget is not signed by the start of fiscal year on July 1, spending levels set in the previous two year budget remain in place.

The Joint Committee on Finance is scheduled to complete its work on the budget on Thursday.

Republicans reject plan to put more oversight into WEDC

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Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee have rejected a plan by Governor Evers and Democrats to put some more accountability and oversight in place at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The measure would have required the agency to account for companies record at creating jobs after getting state funding. Representative Evan Goyke says it should be easy.

“You’d think this would be the entity where Conservative tax stewards would have the sharpest magnifying glass, the clearest mirror to government.”

Representative Chris Taylor says that’s much less than what Republicans have required other agencies to provide.

“Audit after audit has shown us that WEDC can’t be trusted to be good stewards of taxpayer money and hold corporations accountable.”

Republicans attached two riders to WEDC’s budget that provide funding for educational fab labs and a grant to help the National Guard secure new aircraft.

State Republicans pass abortion bills destined for Evers veto pen

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Senate Republicans have passed a package of bills aimed at curbing abortions and preventing abortion providers from receiving financial aid.

Things got heated during floor debate, with Democrat Senator Lena Taylor calling out the G-O-P members, and specifically Senator Alberta Darling.

“Or the Senator from the 8th who believes that Milwaukee doesn’t care about their children. Have any of them come to you-” “Senator from the 4th” “This is what the Senator said, Mr President, during Finance.”

The most prominent of the bills would require doctors to preform lie saving procedures on any fetus that survives an abortion procedure. That’s something that Democrats say doctors are already required to do, but is so rare to happen as to make a bill about it pointless.

One of the bills would require clinics to keep more stringent medical records of who’s getting abortions, and to force doctors to give advice on ‘abortion reversals’ This is Republican Senator Chris Kapenga.

“What we’re asking is that doctors are required to let the mother know that after the ingestion of this first pill, that is will be possible, if they did not take the second pill to possibly save the child.” Democrats say that’s untested science and infringes on the relationship between a doctor and their patient. 

The third bill would stop women from seeking abortions based on demographics. Republican Senator Patrick Testin says the bill is about equal rights.

“What we have before you is an opportunity to make a stand here in the state of Wisconsin, that we will not allow abortions based on an individual’s sex, gender, and potential disability.”

Senator Taylor said the G-O-P’s concern over discrimination in abortions is outlandish.

“But the hypocrisy, and the racist policies that get done in this building, to hear those words is insulting.”

Governor Evers has already said he’ll veto all the bills. Republicans do not have the votes to overturn a veto.