Hi, this is State Senator Howard Marklein. I am the co-chair of the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance.
Last month the Governor delivered his budget address. He proposed a budget that spends $119 billion over the next two years, a 20% increase over our current budget. It adds 1,302 employees to the state government’s payroll and raises taxes by $3.2 billion.
This proposed budget is 1,917 pages long, a stark contrast to our current 183-page budget. These extra pages are filled with policy. Policy that should be debated and vetted as it goes through the legislative process, not quietly snuck through among hundreds of other provisions.
We’ve been here before. The Governor’s proposal is irresponsible. It would quickly turn our state’s $4.3 billion surplus into a $4 billion deficit while raising your taxes.
Fortunately, Republicans in the legislature will write the state budget. We will craft a responsible, common-sense budget that works for Wisconsin just as we have done in the past.
In the coming months, the Joint Committee on Finance will hold public hearings across the state. We will talk with our constituents when we see them in our districts. We will meet with stakeholders and other legislators. We will explore every angle as we write the state budget.
The legislature will write a state budget that funds Wisconsin’s priorities and addresses our financial obligations. We cannot wait to hear from you along the way.
Video: https://youtu.be/nRg56Nh6ZVU
