WisPolitics Budget Blog

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Decker not thinking yet about override vote

Speaking to reporters after the floor session adjourned, Sen. Decker said he's not really thinking about a possible veto override if the governor makes sweeping changes to the budget repair bill.

"It starts in the Assembly. Any override has to go through that house first," he said. "I'd be very surprised if the Assembly was able to muster the votes to override anything."

Decker said his members had some concerns with the final package, and there were moments when he wasn't sure if the votes were there to pass the bill. "You always worry about that," he said. "We got the votes. It's in the Assembly, so we're cool."

"The hospital assessment was something we all wanted that we couldn't get. KRM was something we all wanted and the Assembly wasn't willing to go along with," he said. "But by and large I think our victories were pretty good."

Decker said cuts to essential services were kept to a minimum, transportation funding transfers were prohibited "which was very important to Senate Democrats," more money was provided for child care subsidies, and corporate tax loopholes were closed. He also said SeniorCare and school aids were protected from cuts.

He declined to give a reason for Sen. Carpenter's no vote.

"I don't want to speak for Tim," he said.

Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill, Decker

Decker answers criticism on transportation

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, said the budget repair bill just passed by the Senate does a good job on many levels, including protecting transportation funding.

Decker said the bill does protect the funding for road projects, a departure from the bonding proposed by the governor in his budget repair plan forwarded in March.

"You all just voted against protecting transportation," he said to those who voted "no."

"We protected transportation. You all just voted against it."

As for the potential of a veto, Decker said Senate Democrats believe "very strongly this budget should be signed as it is."

Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill, Decker, Transportation

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Decker interview audio

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker said in a WisPolitics interview last week that he and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch are "fairly close in concept" to agreement on how to address the projected $525 million budget deficit.

Asked if Gov. Jim Doyle wasn't on the same page, Decker said, "That's accurate."

"They want to go in a direction that's very difficult for us to get the votes to pass it through the Legislature," said Decker, D-Weston.

The hang ups remain in the delay of school aid payments, Doyle's plan to borrow from the transportation fund and backfill it with bonding, and the amount to seek in re-securitizing tobacco bonds.

Decker said everyone has to keep in mind that any budget adjustment bill needs to get enough votes to pass both houses of the Legislature.

"We have a caucus of 18 in the Senate Democrats and Huebsch has his, and the governor has a caucus of one," Decker said. "So you know he doesn't have to juggle all the political situations of all the individual legislators."

Listen to the interview here.

Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill, Decker

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Viking Garbage

Sen. Decker responded to Fitzgerald by blasting the GOP's lack of counter-offer to the UW budget proposal from the Dems. He also asked how Republicans can claim their budget doesn't include any tax increases when they limit eligibility for the Homestead program that will result in an $81 million increase on some low income residents. "Yet you include a quarter million tax cut to people who collect gold bullion," Decker said.

He also said the Dems proposal to take the Senate position on the tipping fee would deter our neighbors to the west from hauling trash here. "Why would we want to continue to take Viking garbage?" he asked.

Labels: Decker

Monday, August 13, 2007

Robson Gives Conference Committee Low Grade Thus Far

Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson would grade the progress of the conference committee a "4" thus far on a scale of 1 to 10.

"Now what we're doing is basically going back to pre-Joint Finance and looking at every agency all over again. And if anyone knew that that was the process, we would have just eliminated Joint Finance and gone right to conference committee," Robson said.

Robson is hopeful negotiations will move forward now with the committee breaking off into working groups. Robson and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch met Thursday to set up parameters for those working groups, and will meet again Monday.

Robson said she'd like to see a finished product by Labor Day.

Fellow Dem Russ Decker, a member of the conference committee, says in an interview that Republicans are obstructing progress on the budget.

Decker, D-Weston, says there are signs of progress from the state budget conference committee, but those signs are coming from just one side of the discussion.

"I think (the conference committee work) shows that we're willing to move in certain areas and the Republicans in the Assembly have not made any moves hardly at all," said Decker, the co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. "In a number of packages we've put forward we've accepted some of their positions, so I clearly think that's going to make it tougher if they're not willing to bend in any areas. Because you can't negotiate a compromise for the state budget if one side is not willing to compromise."

Listen to the Robson interview here.

Listen to the Decker interview here.

Labels: Decker, Robson

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Table Talk

Sen. Decker said the Republicans are "going in the wrong direction when it comes to the priorities of the state." He said the 571 items Huebsch has offered were not on the table before today, and said some should at least be kept open in case improvements could be offered.

He also said the GOP offer doesn't address Democrats' concerns about oil profits and "corporate hospital structures."

He did say that there are four votes on the Dem side to accept Sen. Fitzgerald's "proposal" on BadgerCare, referring to a comment last week when Fitzgerald said the expansion of the program "deserved consideration."

"I will not be making any offers today," Fitzgerald joked.

Joked Huebsch, "Why is his (Fitzgerald') microphone on? I thought I made that clear."

Labels: Decker

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Conferees Trade Barbs Over Healthy Wisconsin

Rep. Rhoades said out-state residents of Wisconsin "are scared to death" of "government-run health care." Their fears are based on lack of access, and the state's lack of commitment to funding its current health care commitments, she said.

Sen. Decker offered this to illustrate the Dems commitment to the plan. "We're dead dog serious on this proposal."

"I don't know why you folks are fighting giving the same insurance plan we have to the hard working folks in this state," he said.

Labels: Decker, Rhoades

Sides Spar Over Differences

The conferees are taking turns blasting the others side's budget proposal.

Sen. Decker blasted the Republicans' defense of "big oil." Rep. Rhoades said the Democratic budget proposals spend more than state residents can afford, and said the Healthy Wisconsin, "I don't want the government running my health care."

Sen. Jauch ripped the Assembly Republican budget up and down, saying it "seems to be devised without any moral compass."

Rep. Fitzgerald said Gov. Doyle's budget is "very liberal" and said he has constituents that have to work two jobs just to afford the tax burden in the state of Wisconsin. Taxpayers are "angry right now," Fitzgerald said.

Rep. Kreuser sounded a more conciliatory tone, but did rip the Assembly GOP budget for cutting education, firefighters, and police, among other things. He said the GOP budget a "budget that united our (Assembly Dem) caucus."

Sen. Fitzgerald tore apart the Healthy Wisconsin plan, listing a number of unanswered questions and unintended consequences of the proposal, and said there is dissension among Democrats about it, including Gov. Doyle. "I have no idea how this conference committee can function when it seems Democrats need a conference committee on health care before they come to this table," he said.

Fitzgerald did offer some hope for compromise, saying Gov. Doyle's proposal to extend BadgerCare "deserves some consideration."

Labels: Decker, Jauch, Kreuser, Rep. Fitzgerald, Rhoades, Sen. Fitzgerald

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Colon Bats .500 on Motions

The committee having wrapped up its regular agenda, stand-alone motions are flying fast and furious.

Rep. Colon's two stand-alone motions that got mixed results.

A motion to require that if a person is required to display multiple building permits, those permits be displayed in the same location or building site, passed 10-6.

A second motion from Colon, to require that a if a building permit is withdrawn the agency that issued the permit must notify the owner of the property and the general contractor within five days failed on an 8-8 party-line vote.

A Rep. Vos motion regarding the regulation of elevator mechanics passed 16-0.

A motion from Sen. Decker to require that the $308,000 unencumbered balance in the Wisconsin Technical College System firefighter training operations appropriation revert back to the fire dues distribution appropriation at the end of each fiscal year, and then be transferred to the DHFS program revenue appropriation for inter- and intra-agency EMS programs failed on an 8-8 partisan vote.

Labels: Colon, Decker, Department_of_Commerce, Vos

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Grants to Community Health Centers Increased

A motion from Sen. Decker and Rep. Suder to provide an additional $3 million beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 to the DHFS for grants to community health centers passed 14-2.

Labels: Decker, DHFS, Suder

Thursday, April 26, 2007

"Tax Tax" Debated

What started out as a breeze has bogged down as both sides dig in over Gov. Doyle's budget proposals.

The latest is Doyle's proposal to charge a $5 fee to small businesses who file sales tax returns by paper was roundly criticized by Republicans. The proposal, called the "tax tax" by some Republicans, is aimed at encouraging electronic filing. (Budget paper 688.) The fee is expected to generate an extra $2.8 million in revenue for the state annually.

Republicans moved to eliminate the proposal.

Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, said some small businesses don't have access to the Internet, and he also has privacy concerns "if you're like me and the Department of Revenue shared your Social Security number with the rest of the world."

Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbottsford, said the proposal punishes those who don't have Internet. "Let's be honest, this is a tax on a tax."

Rep. Dan Meyer, R-Eagle River, said the session was shaping up to be "a great day for government" with the number of spending fee increases the committee has already approved.

But co-chair Sen. Russ Decker, D-Wausau, said filers can also avoid the fee by filing by phone. Suder replied that not all residents, such as the Amish, have telephones.

Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, said we are moving toward an electronic society, and that there is efficiency to be gained by technology that reduces the need for staff and bigger government.

Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said Republicans are "making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"It's really simple, you make a phone call, you don't have to pay an extra fee."

Labels: Decker, Jauch, Stone, Suder, Tax Tax, Taylor

Securities Agents Fee

Budget paper 305 concerns fees for securities agents and investment advisers. The governor has proposed raising the fee from $30 to $60 for the initial license and annual renewals. Program revenue from the increase is estimated at $3 million annually.

Co-chair Rep. Kitty Rhoades moves for a vote on alternative 3 of the budget paper, which would eliminate the fee increase.

Sen. Luther Olsen says the governor's proposal is an example of the fee transfers in the budget. Co-chair Sen. Russ Decker says fee transfers have been going on for as long as he's been in the Legislature, and the state's "gotta pay the bills."

Initially, Rhoades motion passes 8-7-1, but the absent member, Sen. Bob Jauch, walked in just as the roll call was being completed. They record Jauch's vote as no, and the motion is defeated 8-8. The governor's proposal passes.

Labels: Decker, DFI, Jauch, Olsen, Rhoades

Monday, March 19, 2007

JFC Co-chairs Ready for Philosophical Budget Battle

The battle lines of the 2007-09 budget, what Hudson GOP Rep. Kitty Rhoades calls "deep philosophical divides," have been drawn this week during agency briefings before the Joint Finance Committee."

The question is should the state live within its means? I believe yes," said Rhoades, the co-chair of the budget-writing committee, today in an interview with WisPolitics. "That's how you build stable programs. It doesn't do any good to go build some new great Cadillac program and then go, 'Oh, by the way we can't afford this.' Now you've put people's lives at risk, and you haven't governed."

Partisan differences have been most apparent in discussions over Gov. Jim Doyle's proposals to institute a 2.5 percent tax on oil companies to pay for state road needs, and a 1 percent assessment on hospitals that the administration says will capture more federal money for medical assistance reimbursements.

Rhoades' co-chair, Dem Sen. Russ Decker of Weston, said the GOP philosophy of "cut, cut, cut us into prosperity" isn't working."

"Democrats are siding up with Jim Doyle's proposal to go after the oil companies for the franchise fee," Decker told WisPolitics. "And for the life of me I can't figure out why anyone is opposed to bringing 575 million more federal dollars into this state, and the hospitals would get a rebate of $290 million than what they're getting now."

Rhoades said she would prefer that the state budget using available revenues, and build programs accordingly. But, she didn't say that the budget proposed by the governor will be scrapped and rebuilt.

"That will be a negotiated process," she said. "We haven't had this dynamic or this galaxy of a Democratic governor with split houses since Patrick Lucey. There's not a lot of historians walking around saying, 'This is how you do it.'"

Click here to listen to an interview with Rhoades.

Click here to listen to an interview with Decker.