WisPolitics Budget Blog

Rep. Fitzgerald said he would review the Dems' stewardship package, and said Republicans would explore a counter-offer. He also said he'd like a counter from the Dems on the GOP K-12 package.

Sen. Decker noted that that there may be a potential deal to be struck on stewardship.

"The oversight seems to be a bigger deal to you people than the level of bonding, so maybe there can be some type of talking going on there," Decker said.

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

Sen. Jauch said the Republican philosophy on land stewardship can be distilled to, "Sell as much as you can and make as many dollars as possible."

He also said that the Republicans are "lacking respect for a land ethic," and the Republican proposal "would decimate the concept of stewardship."

Rep. Rhoades responded that asking for oversight isn't partisan, it's "practical fiscal management." She said legislators "don't have the foggiest idea" what's being spent by the state to purchase land due to a veto from Gov. Doyle in the last budget.

"We are operating in the dark," she said.

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

Rep. Fitzgerald said that Republicans have an offer on the table to fund K-12 education, and talking about stewardship when kids are returning to school in a couple weeks "doesn't seem relevant."

"It's time to really start focusing on matters at hand here," Fitzgerald said.

He said the plan from the governor and Senate gives $1 billion in bonding authority to the administration with no legislative oversight. He said called the plan to purchase more state land "more credit card spending."

"I don't know how as a legislator you can ... give bureaucrats a billion dollar blank check and just hand it over with no oversight," Fitzgerald said.

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

Sen. Robson said that governors of both political parties have been strong supporters of the state Stewardship Fund, and it has wide support among hunters, fishers and naturalists. She said 156 groups of hunting, fishing and trapping groups are supporting the Gov. Doyle's plan to increase the funding, a plan the Senate endorsed.

"There is no greater public policy for Wisconsin hunters and naturalists than supporting this stewardship program and making sure they're open for them and all of us," she said.

She said the GOP Assembly budget cuts the funding by 60 percent, and "sets back funding 18 years."

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

The meeting should be getting underway shortly. The Democrats will offer a package on stewardship today. It features Senate (Dem) positions on reauthorization and bonding.

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

Gov. Jim Doyle is touting a new report from the DNR that says cuts to the state Stewardship program as proposed in the Assembly Republican budget would "dramatically alter our state's land preservation efforts in the present and for years into the future."

"The Stewardship program represents one of Wisconsin's most basic values: protecting our natural resources even in tight budget times," Doyle said in a press release. "The Assembly's budget is a direct assault on those values, and sets Wisconsin land conservation back two whole decades."

Labels: Doyle, Stewardship_Fund

Rep. Scott Suder's motion to specify that no more than 10 percent of Stewardship Fund lands purchased in any fiscal year may be smaller than 10 acres failed 7-9, with Sen. Darling voting with committee Democrats.

A second Suder motion to authorize the DNR to contract with non-profit conseration organizations, land trusts and private companies to perform land management activities on DNR properties passed 16-0.

Labels: DNR, Stewardship_Fund, Suder

The motion to bring legislative oversight to the Stewardship Fund failed 8-8 on a party-line vote.

Labels: DNR, Stewardship_Fund

Rep. Meyer moves to require legislative oversight of the Stewardship Fund, saying the state is spending far too much on acquiring land. (budget paper 557)

Owning property is part of the American Dream, Meyer said. "But I didn't know it was the state's dream to buy up everything that isn't already owned in northern Wisconsin."

Sen. Bob Jauch said the motion is "really be designed to hurt the program, not help," Jauch said.

Labels: DNR, Stewardship_Fund

A motion from GOP Reps. Vos, Kestell and Stone, and Dem Rep. Colon regarding budget paper 556 regarding stewardship earmarks is now on the floor.

The motion would adopt the governor's recommendation, but would also provide money from the Stewardship Fund for three projects provided the recipient pays $1 for every $3 in state funding.

The projects:

- $500,000 to Vernon County to restory Jersey Valley Lake.

- $1 million to The Conservation Fund for property acquisition for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District Greenseams flood management program and for habitat restoration for lands acquired under the program.

- $875,800 to Green Bay for the acquisition of property to be developed into a recreational trail.

In addition, the motion authorizes the DNR to expend bonding authority from either the land acquisition or the property developomnt and local assistance subprogram.

Sen. Decker said it was "ironic" that three sponsors of the motion voted against reauthorization of the Stewardship Fund.

Stone later pointed out that the money is being spent in this budget, so there is nothing inconsistent with the members voting not to extend reauthorization past 2010.

The earmark motion passed 16-0.

Labels: DNR, Stewardship_Fund

Rep. Meyer's motion on the Stewardship Fund failed 7-9. GOP Sen. Alberta Darling voted with the eight committee Dems to kill the motion.

No other motions being offered, the governor's proposal is adopted.

Labels: Stewardship_Fund

Rep. Dan Meyer moves this list of alternatives for budget paper 555: A6, B1, C3, D1, D2, D3, E1d, and E2d.

The motion would not reauthorize the program through 2019-2020 as Gov. Doyle proposed. Under the motion, it would expire 2009-2010.

He assured those listening that the motion "does not eliminate the program." Meyer said the motion is meant to have the state, "Take a time out, take a step back, and look where we're at."

He listed the number of woes state natural resources currently face, including CWD in the deer herd and VHS in the fish population.

"Why don't we take care of the natural resources we have instead of purchasing more and more land?" he asked.

Sen. Mark Miller said preserving land is essential to the state's tourism economy, and waiting until the next budget to reauthorize the program would be a dangerously short timeframe. Reauthorizing the fund today, he said, "would be a strong statement and a vote in favor of the continuing support of this program."

Labels: Meyer, Stewardship_Fund