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New bill proposes jail time for drawn out budget delay
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by Kevin Bargnes
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Future legislators may land in the slammer if they fail to approve a budget in a timely manner.
A proposed bill revealed by Assembly Democrats Wednesday would impose strict rules on members of the budget conference committee in an effort to get a budget passed quickly.
Four legislators introduced the bill, including Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison; Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee; Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison and Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson.
With the exception of Pocan, none of the lawmakers who revealed the bill sit on either the joint finance committee or the budget conference committee.
Parisi said a law governing the conference committee is needed because currently, there are no penalties imposed on legislators for failing to pass a state budget.
"Just as an example of why this is necessary, the conference committee has met approximately 18 times since the [Assembly] budget was passed," Parisi said. "Under our proposal, the conference committee would have already met 72 times. Most of those times 10 hours per day."
The change is necessary to force committee members to stop being selfish and get a budget done, according to Richards.
"[S]ome of them are saying, being like a little kid, that ‘I'm not going to do anything until I get my Xbox. I'm going to hold my breath until I get my Xbox,'" Richards said.
Pocan said not having a budget is affecting, or soon will affect, senior care, the department of corrections and financial aid for college students.
"And that's why we need to force the committee that's actually responsible at this point, the conference committee, to do their job, and if not, be arrested until they get their job done," Pocan said.
Other proposals rumored to pressure the committee include a government shutdown, the threat of which forced the state of Michigan to pass a balanced budget earlier this week.
However, Parisi said his bill is more effective than shutting down the government, which would "abdicate our responsibility to serve the people of Wisconsin."
"Under this proposal, we have a direct mechanism that forces the conference committee to the table," Parisi said. "If you lock these people in a room and tell them they're not coming out until they have a budget, we're going to have a budget."
Parisi said the bill would require the budget conference committee to begin meeting daily the first Monday following passage of a budget by both houses.
When the Assembly and Senate fail to pass their versions of the state budget by the July 1 deadline, the committee must begin meeting the first Monday following the date both versions are approved.
During the first week of deliberations, the conference committee would be required to meet eight hours a day, Monday through Friday. During the second week, the committee would have to meet nine hours each day.
If the impasse continues into the third week, Parisi added, the committee will then be required to meet ten hours a day, six days a week until an agreement is reached.
Parisi said if committee members don't show up, they would be tracked down and possibly arrested by the county sheriff, unless an excused absence of a confirmed illness or family emergency is provided.
John Murray, spokesperson for Rep. Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, agreed a government shutdown is not fair to the taxpayers.
Parisi said he hopes his bill can also bridge party lines.
"There is no reason this has to be a partisan issue," Parisi said. "I hope we get a lot of support from both sides of the aisle."
Yet Murray said the idea is worth talking about at a later date.
"These are all ideas worthy of serious consideration, and they will be given that consideration at an appropriate time," Murray said. "To be kicking up these ideas in the midst of the budget deliberations really isn't appropriate."
The conference committee is in the midst of behind the scenes talks in an effort to reach a consensus on the ‘07-09 version of the state budget.
Anonymous (October 4, 2007 @ 11:34am):
Does the bill have to be limited to the budget? Most of our state legislators would serve us better by doing less damage to our state if they were behind bars.
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