As Wisconsin slips deeper into a record $5.4 billion deficit, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will likely have a more crucial role than ever during this session as it works to balance the state’s budget.
The Joint Finance Committee is headed by newly-selected Co-chairs Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, and Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and is made up of 14 other members of both parties from the Senate and the Assembly.
The committee is directly responsible for reviewing all state appropriations and revenue. As a result, the committee is responsible for balancing the budget and then submitting it to the rest of the Legislature for a vote.
The committee is scheduled to receive the bill shortly after the governor submits his budget proposal to the Legislature in early February. After the governor proposes the bill, it will go through a variety of committee and public hearings before it’s completed in late June.
The final budget would go into effect July 1 and would be valid for the next two years.
This session, the committee will be made up of six Democrats and two Republicans.
According to Miller, the role of the committee will be more challenging this year than ever before. The committee will have to look at all areas of the state to help create a more balanced budget.
“It’s always difficult to make recommendations for what needs to be cut, since the economy hasn’t been in this state since the 1930s,” Miller spokesperson John Anderson said. “It’s hard to predict exactly what kind of cuts the committee will have to make, and this year, a lot of it depends on what type of help we get from the federal government.”
In terms of cutbacks to universities, while the committee would like to minimize cuts that affect students, there are no guarantees for anyone who receives state services, including students, according to Anderson.
Like Miller, committee member Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, also believes the committee will face many challenges as it begins to meet this session.
“My No. 1 priority is growing the economy to help the business sector and provide jobs to citizens,” Vos said. “Right now, 80 percent of new jobs are created by businesses with less than 100 employees, and we need to encourage small business to grow, expand, hire new employees and stay in Wisconsin.”
To help balance the budget, Vos plans on making proposals to reduce government spending.
In regards to education, Vos believes tuition must remain affordable so all students who want to attend a university can, but recognizes that universities may have to do more with less in a time when all state services are being asked to make cutbacks.
Vos also believes while Wisconsin citizens may be affected by the reduction of services, it is more important for the government to cut back instead of forcing Wisconsin families to make further cutbacks in their own lives by increasing taxes.