Wisconsin Lies In Wait

Wisconsin is the last state in the nation to pass a state budget and we’re not there yet. After four months of contentious debate lawmakers are making painfully slow compromises. The Assembly and Senate versions of the budget are still about $1 Billion off.

Governor Doyle has been meeting with both the Democratic and Republican caucuses and urging both sides to make compromises.

However 27 members of the Assembly have signed an anti-tax pledge from the special interest group “Americans for Tax Reform” including local legislators Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) and Donald Friske (R-Merrill). If adhered to, this pledge makes negotiations difficult.

I, ____________, pledge to the taxpayers of the _____ district of the State of _________ and to all the people of this state, that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.

It’s unclear if lawmakers will abide by the pledge or not. Representative Suder has expressed reluctance to raise taxes but is willing to give negotiators room to bargain.

So far the Democratic-controlled Senate dropped the disputed “Healthy Wisconsin” and the Republican-controlled Assembly put a cap of 2% on tax increases this year. Republicans have also expressed that they would accept a $1.25 a pack increase on cigarette taxes but remain staunchly opposed to an excess-profits tax on oil companies that do business in Wisconsin.

Frustration over the budget stalemate has led one area lawmaker to propose the “Budget Accountability Act”.  Representative Louis Molepske (D-Stevens Point) says this act would require tangible budget benchmarks and would even defer legislators’ paychecks if the deadlines were not met.

Other Assembly Democrats are proposing more extreme, bordering ridiculous measures. The proposed “Budget Deadline Enforcement Act” would require members of the Joint Finance Committee and the Budget Conference Committee to meet up to 10 hours a day or risk being arrested.

If the budget isn’t passed by October 15th, schools will have to use last year’s numbers to calculate how much individual school districts would receive in state funding. Those numbers would shortchange schools and cause an increase in property taxes. On a median value house, the increase would be about $27.

Wisconsin schools aren’t the only public entities waiting on Madison lawmakers. Counties and cities are waiting to find out what funds they’ll have to work with, as well as countless social services and state agencies. It’s past time for the legislature to kick it into high gear and pass this budget.

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Want to read more?
Analysis: Republicans face tough choices in budget battle
27 Assembly members signed no-tax pledges
Molepske Proposes “Budget Accountability Act”
New bill proposes jail time for drawn out budget delay