Earlier this month, Gov. Scott Walker provided agencies with directives for preparing their budgets for the 2019-21 biennium. Walker requested agencies be “aggressive” in identifying savings and emphasized that agencies be “good stewards of taxpayers’ money.”
In a letter to agencies, Walker asked agencies to focus on making higher education more accessible, improving Wisconsin’s health care systems, reducing opioid addiction, creating safe and reliable transportation, increasing access to broadband, and reducing tax burdens for working families.
In addition to the letter, Walker outlined Major Budget Policies for 2019-21. Walker’s policies note that there will be zero growth in overall GPR appropriations in the next biennium, with a few exceptions including education, basic cost-to-continue for state institutions, entitlement and assistance programs, and standard budget adjustments. In the policies, Walker also advises agencies to ensure programs align with agency missions and core work and directs agencies to consider additional federal grant and waiver opportunities, among other directives.
State agency budget requests are due Sept. 17, 2018.