Senate Members


Co-Chair: Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona

Democratic members Republican members

Assembly Members


Co-Chair: Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson

Republican members Democratic members

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Kestell Cools It Out

Rep. Steve Kestell, R-Elkhorn Lake, provided a calm counterpoint to Sen. Jauch, who ended by saying the Republican proposal "is not only reckless, it's immoral."

Kestell said Jauch was "a hard act to follow." Budgets are about priorities, he said, and while education would be at the top of his list, the governor has put forward a budget where "everything is a priority."

"We need to have a very serious conversation about education funding in Wisconsin," Kestell said, noting that Wisconsin spends $2,000 more per student than comparable states. "At this rate, there is no way we'll be able to keep up."

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Tuesday, May 08, 2007

JFC Back

Lunch break is over, and the committee is back in session. First off, they are considering motions to budget paper 200, which creates the Department of Children and Families.

There is a bipartisan motion on the floor by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Kestell that has three proposals:

- to specify that the purpose of DCF is to focus on integration of services and increase collaboration and efficiency.

- to specify that the merger of programs in DCF does not alter the missions of W-2 and child welfare services.

- to specify that the Joint Legislative Council Committee on Strengthening Wisconsin's Families will act in an advisory role during the development and implementation of the plan to create DCF and in the ongoing administration of programs administered by DCF.

Kestell said the motion helps to alleviate concerns Republican members had about how the creation of DCF impacts W-2. Co-chair Rep. Rhoades said she doesn't believe this is the time or the place for such a motion.

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Greg Bump

Contact: bump@wispolitics.com

Updates on Joint Finance Committee action on the 2007-09 Wisconsin state budget, from the first JFC meetings through the governor's final vetoes.

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