Doyle Refuses to Show Veto Hand
With Republicans on the conference committee yesterday saying Democrats hold all the cards in the budget process, Gov. Jim Doyle played it close to the vest today when talking to the press about potential vetoes.
Doyle didn't make any assurances that he would refrain from using his veto pen on compromises hammered out in the conference committee. He said he would have to see what the deal is first, but wouldn't push the negotiation in the public realm.
The only assurance he gave was that he would pass the budget items included in his budget.
"And if what people want is my assurance that I'll back that, of course, I'm going to say I back that, it's my proposal," Doyle said of the BadgerCare Plus expansion he has proposed. "And they can be pretty sure I won't veto any thing that I put into my budget. But, we'll sort of see how this moves along."
Doyle made the comments at a press conference touting a new report that supports the $1.25 per pack cigarette tax increase today at the UW Hospital in Madison. Doyle included the tobacco tax increase in his budget, but the Republican-controlled Assembly cut the tax from its version.
Doyle also said he was "heartened" when GOP Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the BadgerCare Plus proposal was worth considering. Doyle continued to push the proposal, saying he believes Senate Democrats would fully support the program.
Doyle wouldn't commit to signing the Senate Democrats universal health care plan if it came across his desk, called Healthy Wisconsin, instead pledging to pass "something on health care that we all agree on."
Doyle also scolded Republicans for cutting tobacco prevention efforts in their budget, saying "I don't know what other planet they're living on, and I don't understand that particular one."
When asked if Doyle would sign off on a lesser increase, Doyle didn't commit either direction, saying that there has to be sticker shock for the tax increase.
See the full report here.
-- By Matt Dolbey
