Joint Finance Committee Republicans will delete hundreds of items from Evers’ budget (MADISON)
As expected, Republican budget writers will extensively rework Governor Tony Evers two-year state spending plan. Republicans who hold the majority on the Legislature’s budget writing Joint Finance Committee have signaled for weeks that they plan to essentially build a new 2025-2027 budget from scratch. That’s similar to how they’ve handled the three previous Evers’ budgets. When the committee meets Thursday, they’ll strip more than 600 policy items out of the budget the Democratic governor proposed earlier this year. Items to be deleted include the governor’s proposed fifth state tax bracket for Wisconsin’s high wage earners; along with proposals to legalize marijuana, expand Medicaid eligibility, and increase state funding support for childcare providers. The finance committee will send their finished product to Evers this summer.
Senate Education committee hears testimony on trio of bills (MADISON)
A Republican authored bill in the Wisconsin Senate would require school districts to include a good-faith estimate of the property tax impact of a passed referendum on a single-family residence. Appleton Republican Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara say it would offer more transparency for voters. Opponents say it will be hard to predict the impact of referendum at the start of the process versus when it eventually goes on the ballot. The Senate Education Committee also took testimony Tuesday on related legislation to restrict how often school districts can propose operating referenda. Another bill would require school boards make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by district residents.
Real ID requirements start Wednesday (UNDATED)
The deadline is finally here, and you’ll now need a Real ID to be federally compliant. AAA Representative Brynna Knapp says you need one to fly domestically, enter a military base or some federal buildings. Knapp says you must bring several Department of Motor Vehicles accepted documents that help verify your identity, U.S. legal residents and citizenship status, and then your current address that you live at now. You can visit your local Wisconsin DMV office to get your Real ID. You can also make an appointment, which can speed up the process. More info is available on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website.
DNR: Don’t harass wildlife this spring (UNDATED)
The Wisconsin DNR is reminding people to keep wildlife wild – especially when it comes to fawns. If you encounter a fawn while outdoors, The Wisconsin DNR says do not touch it or intervene in any way – there’s a good chance it’s right where it’s supposed to be, and its mother isn’t far away. In the first few weeks of life, fawns stay quiet and hidden while their mothers look for food nearby. Their spotted coats and minimal scent are their best defenses in the first few weeks of life. In Wisconsin, it is against the law to take an animal from the wild to keep as a pet or to provide unlicensed rehabilitation.
Two people found dead in river near Ft. McCoy (SPARTA)
An investigation is underway in Monroe County after two people were found dead in a river. Monroe County deputies say the bodies of a man and a woman were found Sunday afternoon in a river just northeast of Fort McCoy in Wyeville. The pair went missing the night before from a nearby bar. The Medical Examiner’s office has not id’ed the victims, but deputies are not suspecting foul play at this time.
MG&E plans new solar, battery array (FITCHBURG)
There’s more solar power coming to the Madison area. Madison Gas and Electric received approval from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to build a new 20 megawatt solar array in Fitchburg. The plant will be called the Sunnyside Solar Energy center, and will be able to power 6,000 homes. The plan also calls for a 40 megawatt battery storage system to hold that power overnight. M G and E already has 40 megawatts of solar power in its grid from other arrays in Fitchburg.