GOP tensions over the state budget continued to spill into the open today as JFC Co-chair John Nygren accused Senate Republicans of allowing a handful of members to “railroad” the process. Fellow Co-chair Alberta Darling acknowledged her Senate GOP colleagues are not on the same page yet on the guv’s

The state would restrict access to the homestead tax credit, but impact fewer people than the guv’s version, under a motion the Finance Committee approved 12-4. Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, said Republicans generally want to those who need it, but by giving them a hand up, not a hand out.

The Joint Finance Committee scrapped Gov. Scott Walker’s plan for settlement money from Volkswagen, opting instead to fund a $32 million statewide transit capital assistance program. Originally, the guv planned to provide Milwaukee County $26 million over the next two years to buy new buses, as well as direct $16

The state would take over operations of the the Circus World Museum under a proposal the Joint Finance Committee approved unanimously today. The state already owns the facilities, artifacts and site. Under the guv’s plan, it would take the next step and take over management from the private foundation that

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 at LIRC. The three-member, quasi-judicial commission now reviews administrative decisions

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 have frozen tuition for the next two years and given

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. WTCS leaders had asked lawmakers to reject that proposal, saying

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 agency still can’t fully keep track of the number

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 receiving food stamps. The committee also is slated to take

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. He’s also called for using $35 million in general purpose

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 working. The co-chairs said their respective houses instead plan to

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 a place for them while also cutting off the option

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 repealed the requirement that campaign committees list employer information for

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 judges and is a carryover from the old Government Accountability

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 positions, including just more than $3 million in 2016-17. But

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 money would be used to modify IT systems and meet

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 Supreme Court, meanwhile, would provide $37,800 during 2017-19 to help

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 … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t

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, bristled at Dem complaints over how the programs are funded