The Joint Finance Committee wrapped up its work on an $111.1 billion budget today by approving a package that includes $1.4 billion in new state money to cover Medicaid costs, a series of transportation-related fee increases and the eventual closure of Green Bay’s prison. A significant portion of the package reflects the deal that Dem Gov. Tony Evers struck with GOP legislative leaders on education, child care and pieces of the Department of Transportation budget.

Meanwhile, GOP legislative leaders are moving to set up an extraordinary session to vote on the budget.

The Joint Finance Committee nixed Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ call to raise hunting, fishing and other permits by $51 million and rejected additional positions for the state crime lab as it got back to work on the state budget.

The Joint Finance Committee convened shortly after 10:15 p.m. to begin voting again on areas of the state budget, more than 12 hours after its originally scheduled start time.

The Joint Finance Committee will meet tomorrow to restart its work on the state budget with an agenda that includes more than 50 topics, ranging from the UW system to Transportation.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he spoke with Gov. Tony Evers this morning about negotiations on the state budget after the Senate stepped away from bipartisan budget talks last week. 

The Joint Finance Committee will meet Thursday to take up 23 state budget items, including the state Building Commission and the Department of Justice. 

The Joint Finance Committee will meet on Tuesday to take up 12 areas of the state budget, including Corrections and the UW System. 

Seniors would see a new tax break on their retirement income, while others would see some of their wages taxed at a lower rate under a GOP plan the Joint Finance Committee approved along party lines.

The bulk of the increase in the GOP motion — approved 12-4 along party lines — would go into special education. That includes $229 million in the main fund used to reimburse districts for special education costs and another $54.6 million for high-cost special education. 

Co-chair Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, told reporters ahead of the committee meeting this evening that he tax cut will include expanding the income now covered by the second-lowest of the state’s four tax brackets. 

The GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee approving boosting the amount of state money going into youth apprenticeship programs and meat inspections, though it was significantly less than what Dem Gov. Tony Evers proposed.

Gov. Tony Evers had backed the state Supreme Court’s call for an Office of Marshals to add 8.4 full-time equivalent staff in addition to the 1.6 positions now working for the court. His budget included nearly $2.3 million to cover the costs.

Thursday’s votes will be the first on two main drivers of state spending. The Department of Public Instruction accounted for nearly 35% of all general fund appropriations in the 2023-25 budget when it was signed into law, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Shared revenue, another item on the committee’s Thursday agenda, is the third-largest general fund appropriation.

The Joint Finance Committee voted unanimously today to increase bonding authority by $732.3 million to provide more revolving loans for clean water and safe drinking water projects. The move would cover for the next four years the state’s requirement for providing matching funds to qualify for federal grants.

GOP legislative leaders late today declared budget negotiations with Dem Gov. Tony Evers had reached an impasse and said they will now turn to the Joint Finance Committee to build their proposal.

The Joint Finance Committee will meet tomorrow to take up 10 areas of the state budget, including the Elections and Ethics commissions.