Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released its most recent estimate of Wisconsin’s general fund for the 2015-2017 biennium. LFB previously estimated the net general fund balance would have a $164 million surplus. In the updated estimate, LFB projects the surplus will be $70.2 million at the end of the biennium (June 30, 2017). According to LFB, […]
Legislature Releases $350 Million in Additional Bonding for Transportation
Date Fri, Nov. 13, 2015 - 10:37am By Hamilton
The Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) has approved a motion to release $350 million in bonding for transportation projects. The motion will allow $200 million in bonding for 2015-2016, and $150 million in 2016-2017. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requested $200 million on October 19, which would require JFC to approve the request with no […]
Building Materials Tax Exemption Passed by Senate
Date Fri, Nov. 13, 2015 - 10:34am By Hamilton
In an extraordinary session last week the Senate passed Senate Bill 227, a bill that will allow contractors to directly purchase construction materials on behalf of their tax-exempt clients without paying the sales tax. The proposal was originally included in the tax reform package of the budget by the Joint Finance Committee. However, the governor […]
Governor Walker Urges Legislature to Release $200 Million in Additional Bonding for Transportation
Date Thu, Oct. 29, 2015 - 9:52pm By Hamilton
The recently-enacted biennial state budget bill reduced the level of bonding from Governor Walker’s recommended $1.3 billion in new bonding to $500 million, and allows for an additional $350 million in general obligation bonds to be issued upon approval by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC). This $350 million in contingent bonding may be used […]
Wisconsin DOT Announces Projects Delayed
Date Wed, Oct. 14, 2015 - 4:12pm By Hamilton
Governor Urges Legislature to Release Additional Dollars The recently-enacted biennial state budget bill reduced the level of bonding from Governor Walker’s recommended $1.3 billion in new bonding to $500 million, and allows for an additional $350 million in general obligation bonds to be issued upon approval by the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance. This $350 […]
2015-2017 State Budget Summary
Date Thu, Jul. 23, 2015 - 2:41pm By Hamilton
Governor Scott Walker signed the $73 billion-plus state budget on Sunday, July 12, just days after the legislature passed the budget bill and hours before his presidential election announcement. Before signing the budget, the governor issued 104 vetoes – double the number of vetoes he issued in previous budgets. Throughout the budget process, which began […]
WMC’s 2 Minute Drill: The $73 Billion State Budget
Date Thu, Jul. 23, 2015 - 2:38pm By Hamilton
This short video put together by Wisconsin Manufactures & Commerce (WMC) gives a quick breakdown of the $73 billion 2015 – 2017 state budget. The video examines where state revenue is generated and how funds are allocated in the next biennial budget. Lastly, the video highlights the biggest wins for the business sector in the […]
State Budget: Education
Date Thu, Jul. 9, 2015 - 11:52am By Hamilton
K-12 Education Republicans in the legislature made restoring over $100 million in cuts the Governor made to K-12 funding a top priority. In addition to doing that, they made a number of policy changes to both the charter and choice programs in Wisconsin, including allowing for broader expansion in both arenas. Teacher licensing standards were […]
Public Service Commission
Date Thu, Jul. 9, 2015 - 10:30am By Hamilton
Relating to the Public Services Commission (PSC), the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) repealed authorization for grants to certain nonprofit corporations and reduced the compensation rate for consumer groups and consumer representatives from 100% of the costs of the participating in a PSC hearing to 50% of that cost. The governor’s budget included a proposal to […]
State Budget: Department of Natural Resources
Date Thu, Jul. 9, 2015 - 10:27am By Hamilton
With a few exceptions, the debate over the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) budget was mostly pedestrian. The one exception was the proposal by the governor to remove rulemaking and policymaking authority of the Natural Resources Board, which in effect would have made them merely an advisory council. A firestorm of opposition by conservation and […]