Some agreement, some delays as Wisconsin budget negotiations continue

(The Center Square) – The Republicans who are writing Wisconsin’s new state budget say they are making progress with Gov. Tony Evers, but there are still gaps.

Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green on Thursday said the state’s budget writing committee, the powerful Joint Finance Committee, is holding off on approving the governor’s request for new high speed internet spending, for now.

Marklein says lawmakers still have not seen the governor’s plan.

“The governor announced on Tuesday $100 million in federal money for broadband expansion. We don’t know what that’s going to look like,” Marklein told reporters at the Statehouse. “The governor has stated the details of that will be available on June 1, and so we believe it is prudent to wait until after that to takeup the public service commission’s [budget].”

Part of the delay is to sort out how much state money Evers wants. He originally proposed spending $200 million in state dollars on the same internet projects. Marklein last week said he supported broadband expansion across the state, but only if the state’s money is spent wisely.

While faster internet projects are being delayed, the Republicans budget chiefs said there are some areas where they and Evers ares on the same page.

“There are a lot of areas of agreement as we work through the budget process,” Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said. “There are a lot of areas of agreement with the governor in investments in tourism, election security positions, and even a [new] ethics position.”

Born said he’s confident there are areas where lawmakers and the governor can find common ground.

Marklein and Born and the rest of the Joint Finance Committee have until the end of next month to present a state budget to Evers. It remains to be seen what he will do with it. Evers hasn’t said what, if anything, he plans to veto out of the Republican’s spending plan.

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