JFC Delays Voting Until April 19
The Joint Committee on Finance has delayed the start of voting on budget items from this Thursday until next Tuesday. Sen. Scott Fitzgerald and Rep. Dean Kaufert, the JFC co-chairs, said in a release the April 19 start date allows Legislative Fiscal Bureau staff adequate time to prepare informational papers on individual budget items and allows committee members to complete their review of budget materials.
*See the release from Fitzgerald and Kaufert: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=34888
*See the agenda for the April 14 meeting: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=34906
Fitzgerald and Kaufert late Tuesday afternoon released a list of non-fiscal policy items they planned to remove from Gov. Jim Doyle's budget.
*See their release: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=34920
*See the Fiscal Bureau list: http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/041205JFC_FK.pdf
Doyle criticized Fitzgerald and Kaufert for removing the repeal of the QEO from the budget, saying it was done "strictly for political reasons."
Fitzgerald and Kaufert said the QEO was a policy item, not a fiscal one, but Doyle argued it had significant budget effects. Without the ability to raise teacher pay, the state's education system and economy will struggle. In addition, he said, he is hearing from school administrators that the QEO keeps them from using collective bargaining to lower health insurance costs.
See Doyle's statement on the QEO: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=34978
