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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

Assembly approves bill to end 5 county Miller Park sales tax

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Miller Park WRN image

The Miller Park Stadium tax is a step closer to ending. You could say the roof is nearly closed, on the five-county, one-half percent sales tax that funded construction and operation of the Brewers stadium.

It’s been in place since 1996 in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha, and Racine counties and has been generally unpopular the father one gets from Milwaukee.

An Assembly passed bill specifies the tax must end no later than August 31 of next year, with any excess collections going back to the counties. The bill now goes to the state Senate. The Miller Park Stadium Board decided earlier this year to end the tax by March 2020.

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.

State sends out $1.9 billion to schools for high cost programs

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The Department of Public Instruction is delivering $1.9 billion in funding and grants to school districts this month.

That funding helps offset the costs of a number of important programs. Assistant state superintendent Bob Soldner says one part of that funding is going to schools who have special issues with transportation.

“Very rural, very widespread districts with few numbers of kids on a per square mile basis.”

Another major program that’s getting special funding is a push for more mental health services in school districts. Policy and budget director Erin Fath says that schools are often the first line of contact for many students with mental health needs. 

“Provide resources to support school districts as they try to get kids screened or assessed to help identify kids in need of mental health services and also get them connected. Lack of access can be a huge barrier to some families. That could be a result of living in a more rural area that just doesn’t have as many providers.”

Special education funding and grants for school technology programs are also part of the package.

Wisconsin joins lawsuit against federal rule allowing doctors to opt out of health care based on beliefs

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Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit to prevent a Trump Administration rule allowing doctors to deny health care based on religious or personal beliefs.

Attorney General Josh Kaul says the rule can put people in vulnerable situations at risk.

“Consider this from the patient’s perspective, if a patient shows up to get needed health care, particularly if emergency health care is needed, we need to ensure that those people aren’t being denied lawful health care.”

Kaul says the rule could allow a nurse to stop providing vaccines, or a doctor from refusing to perform an abortion when a mother’s life is threatened. He also says that the penalties for violation are unfair.

“With just a single violation this rule would give the Trump Administration the ability to deny all federal health care funds to the state of Wisconsin, which is 6 point 7 billion dollars worth of funds.”

Wisconsin joins a coalition of 23 cities and states in the lawsuit.

Tuesday is deadline to file for Merrill recall election

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Today’s the deadline for papers in Merrill’s upcoming recall elections.

Potential candidates have until the end of business on Tuesday to turn in between 20 and 40 signatures to get on the upcoming ballot in five aldermanic districts in Merrill.

The five Alders that were recalled- Paul Russell, John VanLieshout, Dave Sukow, Rob Norton, and Tim Meehean- will appear on the ballot automatically and did not need to circulate petitions.

The incumbents facing recall will automatically be on those ballots. That election is July 16th. If a runoff is needed after that, it will take place in August.

The recall was triggered by a laundry list of frustrations from residents. At the top of the list was the unexpected property tax hike of more than 7 percent last December.

WSAU

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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WRN image

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.

Wisconsin Supreme Court takes over another lame duck case

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has taken over a court hearing against the Lame Duck Laws The court voted 5 to 4 on Tuesday to assume jurisdiction over one of the cases against laws passed by legislative Republicans at the end of last year. The court also reinstated many of the laws, including one that makes it harder for Attorney General Josh Kaul to leave federal lawsuits.