Gov. Evers Requests Budget Corrections

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 list includes several provisions that JFC already plans to remove altogether.

The corrections include:

  • Requiring the Public Service Commission to submit a report on the Focus on Energy program to the governor, not JFC, for review. (JFC plans to remove this provision from the budget in its May 9 executive session.)
  • Shortening the definition of short term insurance plans under the pre-existing conditions protections provision from 36 months to 18 months. (JFC plans to remove this provision from the budget in its May 9 executive session.)
  • Instead of deleting a position, reallocating a position to service the Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan.
  • Adding $42.6 million in general obligation bonding to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to support the two-year extension proposed by the governor.
  • Extending the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program projects from 20 to 30 years.
  • Ensuring the 27 percent increase in registration fees applies only to heavy, not light, trucks.
  • Adding an effective date for increasing registration and title fees.
  • Repealing a nonstatutory provision in extraordinary session 2017 Act 369 allowing the legislature to intervene in certain lawsuits. (JFC plans to remove this provision from the budget in its May 9 executive session.)
  • Allowing retailers selling e-cigarettes to obtain tobacco licenses before the effective date of the inventory tax imposed in the bill. The bill classifies e-cigarettes as “tobacco products,” requiring e-cigarette retailers to obtain licenses.
  • Clarifying that the income tax rate reductions are ongoing, not one-time.
  • Exempting tax issues from the governor’s proposal to reinstate qui tam whistleblower lawsuits. (JFC plans to remove this provision from the budget in its May 9 executive session.)