The Joint Finance Committee scrapped — for now — Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to eliminate the Labor and Industry Review Commission, which handles unemployment, worker’s comp and civil rights cases. But the committee voted to delete 7.8 vacant vacant positions

The Joint Finance Committee today rejected Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to freeze tuition at the Wisconsin Technical College System, opting to boost funding for financial aid instead. The committee also rejected Dems’ efforts to make WTCS tuition free. Walker’s proposal would

The Joint Finance Committee today rejected Walker’s plan to tweak the performance funding formula at the Wisconsin Technical College System. WTCS has had its system in place since 2014-15 but Walker’s proposal would’ve made significant changes to how its formula works.

The Joint Finance Committee today rejected a Dem move to re-open the WEDC part of the biennial budget after yesterday’s audit. The audit flagged several improvements that WEDC has made over the past two years but also highlighted concerns that

The Joint Finance Committee will take up Health Services May 25, including the Medicaid and FoodShare programs. Gov. Scott Walker has proposed a pilot program requiring parents of school-aged children to work at least 80 hours a month to continue

The Joint Finance Committee will take up the UW System budget on Tuesday. Gov. Scott Walker has proposed freezing tuition for in-state undergrads in the first year of the 2017-19 budget and then cutting it 5 percent in the second.

GOP members of the Joint Finance Committee nixed the guv’s call to create a refundable tax credit for young adults who “age out” of placement in the state’s foster care program, as well as young adults with disabilities who are

Joint Finance voted 13-3 to overhaul how violent sex offenders are released back into the community to stop counties from sending them elsewhere. The motion would give counties more flexibility in housing released offenders to make it easier to find

The committee shot down along party lines Dem motions to again require the disclosure of a donor’s employer on campaign finance reports, details any time a campaign committee moves money to a legal defense fund and to repeal voter ID. Republicans

The committee also approved 12-4 cutting in half the per diems for members of the Elections and Ethics commissions. The guv had wanted to reduce them by nearly 90 percent. The $454.11 they now receive matches the pay for reserve

The committee approved 12-4 continuing to fund 21 positions at the Elections Commission, five more than the guv proposed, but one fewer than the agency wanted. Federal funds through the 2002 Help America Vote Act have been used for 22

Joint Finance unanimously approved Department of Children and Families’ request to increase its expenditure authority by $3.3 million through its federal child care and development block grant despite concerns from Dem members the agency wasn’t there to answer questions. The

The Assembly and Senate would provide a combined $412,600 in GPR over the next two years to help cover the costs of 21 new cameras in the Capitol for the public affairs network WisconsinEye, under a motion JFC approved. The

The Joint Finance Committee is taking up the state’s Tech College System when it meets next Thursday. Also on the schedule is Shared Revenue, the Historical Society and the Labor and Industry Review Commission. See the session notice: https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/20170511JFCExec.pdf …

The Joint Finance Committee jousted today over funding for Wisconsin veterans programs, particularly for the home in King, which has been the subject of several critical stories over conditions there. GOP Rep. Dale Kooyenga, the only veteran on the committee,

The committee unanimously shot down Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to no longer require journeyman electricians, plumbers and automatic fire sprinkler system fitters, along with cosmetologists and barbers, to take an exam to become licensed if they have completed an apprenticeship.

The committee rejected 12-4 a Dem motion that would have authorized public water utilities to provide financial assistance to private property owners looking to replace water service lines that contain lead. The proposal is identical to standalone legislation now pending

The committee rejected the guv’s proposal to eliminate the program that aids farmers who believe their dairy herds are being affected by stray voltage. The program, housed at the PSC and DATCP, is funded by nearly $1.1 million over the

The committee for a third time approved putting more money into broadband expansion grants. But JFC tweaked how it would impact a funding source going forward. A bill to expand the grants has already passed the committee twice and cleared