Lawmakers bash idea to combine lakes compact and budget bill; Doyle says time is ticking
A proposal to combine the Great Lakes Compact and budget adjustment into one bill has drawn criticism from both Dem and GOP lawmakers today. But a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch's office said "no final decisions have been made."
"It's an idea that was discussed, and we appreciate the input of all our legislative colleagues," said John Murray. "A number of things are still being discussed."
GOP Sens. Robert Cowles and Mike Ellis, Dem Assembly Minority Leader Jim Kreuser, and GOP Rep. Steve Nass all issued statements today denouncing the possibility of combining the bills.
"The Great Lakes Compact is a crucial piece of legislation that has broad bipartisan support across the legislature," Kreuser said. "I am adamantly opposed to combining these two bills and I have made my position clear to both the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader."
Carrie Lynch, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker said the leaders "are discussing every option out there so we can get this done," but said "it's more likely that it's not (going to be combined) than it is."
The bills will be voted on in the same day, she said.
Murray said Huebsch and Decker have met or talked on the phone every day this week to reach a final agreement, and the two "remain optimistic we will have something fairly soon."
Gov. Jim Doyle said today that time is ticking for the Legislature to get the budget and Great Lakes Water Compact signed.
"My view of this is we have to get a budget repair done and we have to get it done very quickly. Time is ticking. Consequences of this are going to start piling up if they don't get it done," Doyle said while in Milwaukee.
Doyle also expressed his displeasure with some avenues lawmakers are exploring to help fill the budget hole, including pushing off a school aid payment to the next budget and selling future tobacco payments. He said he didn't think most lawmakers would support pushing off the payment until the next biennium or taking future tobacco settlement payments to fill a one-time budget hole.
When asked whether the budget and the compact would be packaged together in one bill, Doyle said that it would be up to the Legislature to decide.
Doyle touched upon the General Motors announcement it would be cutting 750 jobs come July and said that the government will be working with the affected families to make sure they all land on their feet.
See Kreuser's statement here.
See the Cowles and Ellis statement here.
See Nass' statement here.
Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill
