Dem Gov. Tony Evers met twice with GOP legislative leaders this week as budget talks have ramped up, according to multiple sources.
WisPolitics reported earlier this week that the guv, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos planned to meet Wednesday morning. GOP sources told WisPolitics that Vos, R-Rochester, told his caucus there was a second meeting in the afternoon.
The sources said Vos didn’t provide any details on the discussions in caucus.
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Spokespeople for Evers, LeMahieu and Vos didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.
The meetings come after Vos and LeMahieu last week called on Evers to meet with them personally to advance budget discussions. LeMahieu said it was imperative that they meet by this week in order to finish the budget on time.
They also come as the Joint Finance Committee’s progress on the budget has been on hold. The committee met two weeks ago to strip 612 Evers proposals from the document and act on 10 agencies.
The co-chairs said they planned to wait for new revenue estimates from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau before taking any substantive action on the budget. But since those numbers were released last week showing the state would take in $355 million less through the end of the 2025-27 budget than previously expected, the committee has yet to notice a hearing.
