Since last October, Democrats and Republicans have played tug of war over issues related to the state’s $1.1 billion budget deficit. Negotiations will continue Tuesday with the reconvening of the Conference Committee.
The Budget Conference Committee is attempting to iron out a compromise between bills crafted by the Republican-dominated Assembly and the Democratic-controlled Senate, leaving each side to deal with 320 specific budget disagreements.
Two main areas of concern are possible cuts in the UW System and shared revenue.
Rep. David Ward, R-Fort Atkinson, said the Senate is being difficult in settling the budget deficit.
“The Democrats want to drag this on as long as they can to make the government look bad,” he said.
Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said he believes the Assembly has frustrated all sides in the matter by not having proposals ready in a timely manner.
“This is very frustrating,” he said. “There needs to be a willingness to compromise, because as of June 1, bills are due and no progress has been made to speak of.”
Black also said he was very frustrated with the governor’s absence in all of the debates.
“Tommy Thompson played a direct role [while in office]; the [current] governor has the ability to work out solutions,” Black said. “But McCallum has been missing in action.”
Ward’s disagreed with Black, he said it is not the responsibility of the governor to end the debates.
“I believe it is our responsibility to pass these bills, not the governor’s,” he said. “Tommy Thompson got involved when it was absolutely necessary, and I hope we haven’t gotten to that point.”
Mike Browne, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, said Chvala prefers to cut $50 million from the state corrections budget instead of trimming the UW System, as the Assembly proposes.
“We believe it is more important to invest in economic success than in failures,” Browne said.
Browne said Wisconsin’s growing number of incarcerations has failed to curb the problem.
“Though incarceration has shot up, crime rate in Wisconsin has fallen less than the national average [has fallen in recent years],” he said.
Ward said the Assembly’s proposal to keep non-violent criminals out of jail has not worked in the past.
“These people will still be out committing crimes,” he said.
Another concern between each house rests in determining the fate of the UW System.
Chvala is against the Assembly’s proposed cuts to the UW System, estimated to be $108 million, said Browne.
Rep. Steve Foti, R-Oconomowoc, told the Wisconsin State Journal the Assembly agreed on limiting cuts to the UW System by $22 million.
“You will see that we are willing to move greatly to get this budget done,” he said.
The Committee will reconvene Tuesday to continue discussing budget issues.