News
Budget brawl to start today
State legislative committee will begin the battle over several contentious proposals
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Rachel Vesco:
- Doyle meets privately with mayors (May 7, 2009)
- Public debates possible state smoking ban (May 6, 2009)
- Doyle, governors meet to talk region's wind power (May 6, 2009)
- Poverty increases as economy suffers (May 5, 2009)
- Committee OKs county RTA, film incentive change (May 1, 2009)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
As the Wisconsin Legislative Joint Committee on Finance begins its executive hearings on Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget proposal today, some of the proposal’s most controversial issues are likely to spur debate among lawmakers during the coming months.
Among the most controversial issues are a proposed statewide smoking ban, benefits for domestic partners of state employees along with the creation of a statewide registry where same-sex couples can register with Wisconsin counties to get the same legal benefits currently available to heterosexual couples, and a plan to release nonviolent criminals from prison.
During his budget address in February, Doyle advocated the proposals as policies that would help fix Wisconsin’s current financial problems.
The statewide smoking ban, which bans smoking in public areas in Wisconsin, has gained support from Democrats in the Legislature. Joint Committee on Finance Co-Chair Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, previously supported the measure, according to spokesperson John Anderson.
Miller and Joint Committee on Finance Co-Chair Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, decided to keep the item in the bill, allowing it to be voted on by both the Assembly and Senate as part of the budget proposal, despite a report from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that the measure did not have any real fiscal effects.
Committee member Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, said he believes while the issue is nonpartisan, it is one of an individual’s civil rights, arguing if businesses, such as taverns, want to allow customers to smoke in their establishment, they should be able to do so.
Miller has also supported same-sex benefits in the past, according to Anderson, and decided with Pocan to also help keep the item in the budget proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, is against the proposal, however, according to spokesperson Kimberly Liedl.
“Scott is just concerned about the fiscal impact of it (the registry),” Liedl said. “It would cost the state anywhere from $8 to 15 million … he just questions the timing of it, with the challenges we’ve been facing in this budget.”
Vos said a basic privilege, such as allowing individuals to visit loved ones in the hospital, is not a partisan issue.
“But creating a domestic registry … anything close to gay marriage, that’s just way too far out of the mainstream,” Vos said.
A plan that would release criminals from jails will also likely be decided as the budget moves through the Legislature.
Vos said he is against the plan.
“Letting prisoners out early … who in the world thinks violent prisoners should be let out early?” Vos said. “I think the only people who want to let criminals out early are the liberals in Madison and the liberals in Milwaukee…”
The proposal must help balance the state’s budget as Wisconsin faces a record $5.9 billion deficit.
Both the Assembly and the Senate must vote on the plan before it can go into effect. Once approved, the budget will be effective from July 2009 until July 2011.
2 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Brother Ali makes an ‘Exclusive’ stop
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
Actually, the ban IS a budget issue. Illinois knew it was going to lose revenue when the ban was passed, but it took over a year to finally start acting on raising taxes and fees to compensate. Using the budget as an issue, the Wisconsin taxes and fees can be automatically budgeted in right from the start, as soon as the ban becomes effective. They can avoid the mistake that Illinois made in delaying the budget issue. Scroll down just a little to see the “fiscal note” in the Illinois ban bill. www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=500&GAID=9&SessionID=51&LegID=28191
“the same legal benefits currently available to heterosexual couples” Which version of the budget are you reading?