MADISON- As the June 30th budget deadline approaches, Republican lawmakers are still divided on key issues. In particular, transportation funding and K-12 education have been contentious. Infighting among state Republicans has been at high levels throughout this round of budget talks, and it appears that the dysfunction may continue.
Shawn Johnson at Wisconsin Public Radio reports:
Republicans who run the state Legislature remain at odds over major pieces of Wisconsin’s budget, with no end in sight to the dispute over how much the state should pay for roads.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced Wednesday that Fitzgerald supports borrowing $850 million for roads in the next budget. That’s $350 million more than Gov. Scott Walker proposed in the budget he unveiled earlier this year.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters that’s a non-starter for Assembly Republicans without a long-term tax or fee to help pay off debt.
“I am very confident where our caucus is at, and they have said that we are not going to continue to borrow and spend without a long-term answer,” Vos told reporters. “And that’s why we are where we are.”
Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, the co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, had previously hinted the panel could meet Thursday to take more votes on the budget. But by Wednesday afternoon, Nygren announced that meeting wouldn’t happen.
In addition to transportation, Republicans are still negotiating the proposed budget for K-12 schools, which would affect how much the state cuts property taxes on the typical home in Wisconsin.
Read more at Wisconsin Public Radio.
