The completion of the 2017-19 Wisconsin biennial budget remains in limbo. The new fiscal year started on July 1, and with no new budget, the state continues to operate under last fiscal year’s budget. The Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) last met on June 15, and has not set another meeting date to take up […]
LFB Releases Transportation Fund Memo
Date Fri, Jun. 9, 2017 - 8:58am By Hamilton
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released a memo last week revealing a $94 million increase in the balance of the state’s transportation fund. LFB had originally estimated the 2017-19 biennium-ending fund balance at $8.4 million. However, mainly due to projections of higher fuel tax revenues and lower debt service costs, LFB re-estimated the fund balance […]
Gov. Walker Issues Executive Order on Driverless Cars
Date Thu, May. 25, 2017 - 3:08pm By Hamilton
Gov. Scott Walker issued an executive order last week that creates a committee on autonomous vehicles. The Steering Committee on Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment will advise the governor on how best to advance the testing and operation of such vehicles in Wisconsin. According to the order, the committee will identify and coordinate […]
Assembly Republicans Release Transportation Plan
Date Thu, May. 11, 2017 - 5:00pm By Hamilton
On Thursday, May 4, the Assembly Republicans held a press conference to announce a transportation budget proposal. The proposal, authored by Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) aims to reduce the level of bonding in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed transportation budget by $300 million and to increase tax revenues to the transportation fund. Additionally, the proposal aims […]
Joint Audit Committee Holds DOT Audit Hearing
Date Fri, Feb. 24, 2017 - 11:28am By Hamilton
The Joint Audit Committee held a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 22 on the January audit of the Department Transportation’s highway program. The audit found increased expenditures, inaccurate cost estimates and deteriorating state roads. At the beginning of the hearing, the committee questioned the two state auditors. Legislators expressed concern about the upcoming DOT budget. Joint […]
New DOT Audit Released
Date Fri, Feb. 3, 2017 - 10:32am By Hamilton
The Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released a new audit of the Department of Transportation (DOT) on Jan. 26, revealing increased expenditures, inaccurate cost estimates and deteriorating state roads. The audit comes amid this session’s contentious transportation budget debate. The audit examined 16 highway projects that were ongoing as of August 2016 and 19 completed projects. […]
DOT Secretary Resigns
Date Thu, Jan. 12, 2017 - 4:41pm By Hamilton
Gov. Scott Walker announced in late December that the Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Mark Gottlieb offered his resignation, which took effect Jan. 6. Walker named Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dave Ross to take over the position. Gottlieb’s resignation came just before the start of a budget season in which transportation funding […]
Assembly Committee Holds Hearing on DOT’s Budget
Date Tue, Dec. 20, 2016 - 8:49am By Hamilton
The Assembly Committee on Transportation held a hearing on the Department of Transportation’s 2017-19 state budget request on Tuesday, Dec. 6. This budget request includes $500 million in new bonding, but no tax or fee increases. Committee chairperson Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi) and the committee heard from 14 groups with a stake in the transportation […]
State Agency Budget Requests Exceed Expected Revenue by $693 Million
Date Thu, Dec. 1, 2016 - 8:16pm By Hamilton
On Nov. 21, the Department of Administration (DOA) released a report on agency budget requests and revenue estimates for the 2017-19 biennium. As in previous years, these budget requests exceed the revenue projections for FY 2017-19. DOA Secretary Scott Neitzel notes this “imbalance” in the opening letter of the report, stating as in the past, […]
Walker Announces Budget Increase for Local Roads
Date Fri, Oct. 21, 2016 - 10:12am By Hamilton
On Oct. 13, 2016, Gov. Scott Walker announced his plan to increase local road funding by 8.5 percent in his 2017-2019 budget for the local road improvement program and general transportation aids. Walker’s release stated his budget would invest an additional $14.6 million in to general transportation aids. Combined with the nearly $9 million increase […]