The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) announced this week they plan to immediately remove 131 items from Gov. Tony Evers’s budget. Also this week, the Department of Administration sent a letter to the JFC co-chairs and a letter to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau detailing several corrections the governor requests to make in his proposed budget. The […]
JFC to Begin Budget Votes Next Week
Date Fri, May. 3, 2019 - 10:39am By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will meet for its first executive session of the 2019-21 state budget process on May 9. JFC will begin by removing a list of items from Gov. Tony Evers’s proposed budget, then taking up 15 relatively non-controversial agency sections. A letter from JFC co-chairs Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and […]
JFC Holds Agency Briefings on 2019-21 Budget
Date Fri, Apr. 5, 2019 - 11:15am By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has kicked off the budget process in the legislature by holding agency briefings this week. Inviting fewer agencies than usual, JFC heard testimony from six agencies over two days. Next, the committee will travel the state for four public hearings in April, then likely begin votes in May. Meanwhile, Gov. […]
What’s Next in the 2019-21 State Budget Process
Date Fri, Mar. 22, 2019 - 8:21am By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers released his proposed 2019-21 state budget on Feb. 28, officially beginning the biennial budget process. The legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has introduced the governor’s budget bill as SB 59/AB 56 and is now waiting for the Legislative Fiscal Bureau to prepare its budget papers, which will guide JFC’s review and voting. […]
Gov. Evers Budget Would Make Significant Changes to UI, FMLA
Date Wed, Mar. 13, 2019 - 3:04pm By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers’s proposed 2019-21 state budget would make significant changes to Wisconsin’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) laws. Read about specific changes to UI and FMLA employment law proposed by Evers below. Unemployment Insurance Evers seeks to expand eligibility for UI with provisions including: Repealing the requirement that […]
Gov. Evers’s 2019-21 Budget Address: Republicans React
Date Fri, Mar. 1, 2019 - 8:23am By Hamilton
Vos: Repeal of Right to Work and Repeal of Prevailing Wage Reforms “Never Going to Happen” On Feb. 28, Gov. Tony Evers gave his biennial state budget address. While Democrats praised the reforms in the proposal, Republican legislators criticized the budget’s high price tag and inclusion of nonstarter items, but noted they hope to find […]
Gov. Evers’s 2019-21 Biennium Budget Highlights
Date Fri, Mar. 1, 2019 - 8:16am By Hamilton
On Thursday, Feb. 28, Gov. Tony Evers released his 2019-21 state budget. Overall, Evers proposes an operating budget of $40.7 billion in fiscal year 2019-20 and $42.7 billion in fiscal year 2020-21. The proposed budget adds over 700 more positions than in the 2018-19 fiscal year. The largest increases in general purpose revenue (GPR) go […]
Evers Releases $43 Million Dental Plan
Date Wed, Feb. 20, 2019 - 1:35pm By Hamilton
Gov. Evers released a dental access initiative this week that would include $43 million in funding in 2019-21 for various dental programs. The initiative would: Increase the rate for loan repayments to the dentists who serve in rural areas from $50,000 to $100,000. Allocate $39 million for increased reimbursement rates to dental providers if they […]
Transportation Task Force Meets
Date Thu, Feb. 7, 2019 - 12:33pm By Hamilton
Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary-designee Craig Thompson, at the direction of Gov. Evers, has assembled a bipartisan transportation budget task force. The Transportation Stakeholder Task Force includes municipalities and counties, business and construction groups, tourism entities, and legislators from both Republican and Democrat legislators (full list of members). The task force has met twice to […]
LFB Issues Updated Revenue Estimates
Date Thu, Feb. 7, 2019 - 12:22pm By Hamilton
On Nov. 20, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) issued updated revenue and expenditure projections for the current 2018-19 fiscal year and the upcoming 2019-21 biennium. These estimates set the stage for the state’s fiscal position as Gov. Tony Evers prepares the 2019-21 state budget. Ending the current fiscal year, LFB projects the state will end […]