This week, the Joint Committee on Finance began voting on motions to reshape the 2023-25 state budget as originally proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). This process, expected to conclude by mid-June, will result in the final budget bill that will be voted on by the full Legislature. Wisconsin’s next fiscal year (2023-24) will begin on July 1; if a new budget is not enacted by that date, the state will keep spending at current levels until a new budget is approved.

At its May 2 meeting, the committee began by approving a motion to remove hundreds of spending proposals and non-fiscal policy items from the budget, effectively resetting spending levels to the 2021-23 baseline (the current budget). The motion removed many significant changes to state law proposed by Gov. Evers. The committee then approved a motion applying standard budget adjustments, sum sufficient appropriation estimates, and debt service across a variety of agencies.

Both motions were approved along party lines, with the committee’s 12 Republican members voting for the motions and its four Democratic members voting against. The Joint Committee on Finance took similar steps to remove most of Gov. Evers’ proposals from the 2019-21 and 2021-23 budgets.

May 2

The finance committee’s agenda for May 2 included the following agencies and programs; the committee did not make any additional changes to these sections of the budget:

• Board for People with Developmental Disabilities
• Court of Appeals
• Elections Commission
• Fox River Navigational System
• Governor
• Investment Board
• Judicial Commission
• Kickapoo Reserve Management Board
• Labor and Industry Review Commission
• Lieutenant Governor
• Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board
• State Fair Park
• Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority

May 4

The finance committee will meet on May 4 to consider budget motions for the following agencies and programs:

• Secretary of State
• Board on Aging and Long-Term Care
• Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board
• Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
• Legislature
• Employment Relations Commission
• Ethics Commission
• Financial Institutions
• State Treasurer
• Educational Communications Board
• Historical Society
• Medical College of Wisconsin

For the latest information about the state budget process, visit the following links:

• Issue update page: 2023-25 State Budget
• Blog post category: State budget
• Article: Assembly Republicans Release Shared Revenue Proposal