Budget will need Dem help in Assembly
Fourteen of those GOP lawmakers who signed the pledges to oppose any tax increase indicated to WisPolitics yesterday or said in public statements that they're leaning strongly against or will vote no on the budget bill.
The other dozen who signed the pledges said they needed more time to review the bill or didn't return calls.
That means at least half a dozen Republicans may be needed to join the more than 40 Assembly Dems who voted for Doyle's revised bill a week ago to get the compromise budget plan through the Assembly.
"I'm sure Mike (Huebsch) is probably there" in terms of the needed votes, said Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, who expects the bill to pass.
Those lawmakers who signed a pledge the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge during their campaigns include Reps. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay; Don Friske, R-Merrill; Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin; Gene Hahn, R-Cambria; J.A. Hines, R-Oxford; Mark Honadel, R-South Milwaukee; Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc; Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha; Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue; Tom Lothian, R-Williams Bay; Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls; Scott Newcomer, R-Hartland; Jim Ott, R-Mequon; Don Pridemore, R-Hartford; Roger Roth, R-Appleton; Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford; Robin Vos, R-Racine; Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa; Sheldon Wasserman, D-Milwaukee; Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton; Jeff Wood, R-Chippewa Falls; Bob Ziegelbauer, D-Manitowoc; and Rich Zipperer, R-Pewaukee.
Signing a pledge from the blog Boots & Sabers were Reps. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford; John Nygren, R-Marinette; Rep. Daniel LeMahieu, R-Cascade; and Steve Nass, R-Whitewater.
Reps. Kramer, Lasee, Lothian, Pridemore, Vukmir, Ziegelbauer and Zipperer signed both pledges.
Those who indicated to WisPolitics personally or through aides they will be voting no, or who have made public statements about their intention, are: Kleefisch, Kramer, Lasee, LeMahieu, Lothian, Nass, Newcomer, Ott, Pridemore, Roth, Vos, Vukmir, Ziegelbauer and Zipperer. All are Republicans except Ziegelbauer.
"I signed a taxpayer protection pledge during my campaign and vowed never to vote for a tax increase, and I’m sticking by that pledge," said Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc.
Kramer, R-Waukesha, said he's bothered by the increase in the cig tax and the $200 million transfer from the Patients Compensation Fund. "You take money from people for a specific purpose and use it for a different purpose; that's a lie," he said.
Ziegelbauer, one of three Dems who opposed the guv's revised budget last week, said he still has problems with the cigarette tax increase and the Patients Compensation Fund transfer.
"Those are two fatal flaws," Ziegelbauer said.
GOP state Rep. Brett Davis, the only Assembly Republican to vote for Doyle's revised budget last week, said he'll be a yes vote again today.
He said the new budget isn't "substantially different" from the one he supported last week. He said he has no regrets about last week's vote and is comfortable voting yes tomorrow even though he has concerns with some aspects about the new deal, including the Patients Compensation Fund transfer.
The office of state Rep. Al Ott, R-Forest Junction, said he plans to vote yes unless there's a surprise in the final details.
