The State Assembly Organization Committee introduced Gov. Scott McCallum?s controversial budget repair bill as legislation Tuesday.
The governor’s plan has been in limbo since its introduction Jan. 22.
Tim Roby, spokesman for McCallum, said the governor is happy his plan has been introduced as a bill.
“He is extremely pleased,” Roby said. “The governor said last week he didn?t care who introduced the plan, as long as it got introduced.”
The plan as it stands would fix the state’s budget deficit by reducing and eventually eliminating shared revenue, which provides aid to cities and municipalities.
Under the proposal, the state would cut $51 million from the UW System and borrow money from the state’s tobacco settlement fund to repair the deficit.
The plan received harsh criticism by city, county and state officials.
McCallum sent a letter to each house of the Legislature asking for the bill to be introduced, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, refused to introduce the bill in the state Senate, saying it was the traditional practice of the Legislature to allow the house that did not have the first look at the 2001-2003 fiscal budget to be the first to consider budget adjustment legislation; thus, it would be the responsibility of the Assembly to introduce.
Mike Browne, spokesman for Chvala, said because the legislature is in special session, the bill cannot be introduced by a legislator; it must be introduced by a joint committee.
There have been no changes to the governor’s plan, but the bill has not gone through Assembly.
Browne said it is difficult at this point to say what changes, if any, would be made.
“A significant number of representatives in the Legislature say they are not in support of cutting shared revenue,” Browne said.
But lawmakers ultimately have to agree on the budget.
“At the end of the day, that’s what has to happen,” Browne said. “There is split control of the Legislature, and they have to come up with a compromise.”
Roby said he does not know what changes will be made to the bill, but the governor realizes the proposal will look different after the Legislature is finished.
“[Changes are] okay as long as his priorities remain intact,” Roby said. “He does not want tax increases, cuts in education or cuts to help the neediest of the needy.”
Steve Bass, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, said Jensen did not introduce the bill as legislation. Bass said it was Jensen’s committee that introduced the bill.
Bass said he does not know what changes will be made to the bill, but it is likely the governor’s priorities will remain intact.
“We are excited to have the debate begin,” Bass said. “It is going to be a busy spring.”
Several public hearings for the bill are planned. The first will be Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. in room 412E of the Capitol.
