After touring across the state to hear lengthy and impassioned testimony from the public, the state’s budget-writing committee sat down Wednesday to scour over provisions within the biennium budget proposed by the governor.
The Joint Finance Committee began its budget vetting process Tuesday. The process will likely end in May to allow enough time for the Legislature to pass the budget before the start of the fiscal year on June 1.
Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal contains dramatic cuts to state services, including $834 million to schools, $100 million in aid to counties and municipalities and $64 million of state support for local recycling programs.
The JFC discussed the less controversial items in the governor’s budget proposal Wednesday, including child support, health care facilities and elimination of agency vacancies by the governor. Items that have been a lightning rod of debate, like splitting the University of Wisconsin from the rest of the UW System and changes to the popular SeniorCare program, will be brought up in later meetings.
Rep. Robin Vos, R-Burlington, outlined three core principles he said the committee and the Legislature would adhere to while they scour over the budget proposal. They included realizing the government cannot spend itself to prosperity, refusing to increase taxes and ensuring the continuation of core services while letting unsustainable ones “fall to the wayside.”
Vos said he was sure there would be instances where the JFC and the Legislature would find themselves at odds with Gov. Scott Walker’s priorities.
Republicans have been criticized by their colleagues across the aisle for marching lockstep with the governor, especially during the first two months of his term that saw a host of tax breaks to small businesses and a bill limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees.
Vos told committee members he hoped the executive branch would not be able to impinge upon the power of the Legislature.
“One area I hope we can find bipartisan agreement is to ensure the prerogative of the Legislature as a coequal branch is maintained in every way possible,” Vos said.
Before the committee was able to begin with its agenda for the day, some members on the committee moved to modify the budget proposal by removing items they said did not belong.
Democrats on the committee were unhappy the JFC co-chairs only chose to take less than half – 21 – of the non-fiscal policy issues identified by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau out of the governor’s budget proposal. The bureau listed 46 items.
Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said all the policy issues should be removed from the budget and not just what are “politically convenient” items for the co-chairs.
“There’s a disappointing point here, because I believe [the co-chairs] had an opportunity to not rubber stamp what the governor has done in the budget,” Taylor said.
However, Vos told his Democratic colleagues that the budget bill he passed under former Gov. Jim Doyle contained many non-fiscal policy items.
The motion to modify and remove items did receive two Republican votes from Sens. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, and Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, but ultimately failed to reach a majority consensus.
