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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
The co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee today floated the possibility of breaking transportation off from the budget and putting it into a separate bill as their caucuses continue to be at odds over how to fund road work for
A Wisconsin driver who owns a typical sedan would pay $39 more in taxes on their fuel purchases annually, while the owner of an SUV would pay $54 more a year, under Rep. Dale Kooyenga’s transportation and tax plan. In
The Joint Finance Committee will start to work through the Department of Administration when it meets Tuesday. The committee, which next meets tomorrow, also will take up the Elections and Ethics commissions, the Department of Children and Families, and State
Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, says the latest Fiscal Bureau projections showing flat revenues from earlier estimates is good news. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau today informed the Joint Finance co-chairs the state likely wouldn’t see additional revenues in the next few
Some Wisconsinites would end up paying more in income taxes under Kooyenga’s plan compared to current law, according to a new analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Those paying more would fluctuate over the next dozen years as the state
The committee shot down Dem amendments seeking to force AG Brad Schimel to spend more money to process sexual assault kits and to reduce the agency budget following a report by a liberal group on how much the Department of
The committee tweaked the guv’s plan to provide $1 million annually to reimburse cities for the overtime costs racked up by beat patrol police officers. JFC changed it to require the Department of Justice to lapse $2 million from settlements
The committee approved 14-2 requiring WEDC to provide a $100,000 grant in 2017-18 from existing funds to the Marathon County Economic Development Corp. for a revolving fund to support minority-owned businesses. To qualify, 30 percent of the business would have
The Joint Finance Committee signed off on Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to bring back WEDC’s loan program, but tweaked his proposal to give the agency more flexibility in how it funds the loans. Walker had proposed only allowing the agency
The Joint Finance Committee is expected to reject the contracts Gov. Scott Walker’s administration reached as part of a plan to move toward self-insurance for state employees, the co-chairs said today. Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, said the committee would instead
Assembly Republicans today pitched eliminating credits for married couples and renters and stopping local governments from enacting new wheel taxes as part of a far-reaching plan that would raise revenue for transportation while putting Wisconsin on the path to a
The Joint Finance Committee will take up Veterans Affairs, the PSC and the Medicaid Services Administration when it meets May 11. The committee also plans to take up Financial Institutions and Safety and Professional Services. It’s scheduled to meet at
The Joint Finance Committee will vote on WEDC’s budget along with the guv’s proposals for the Department of Justice and the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board when it meets May 9. The other areas on the agenda are: secretary
The JFC voted unanimously to approve the guv’s call to add $5.8 million in general obligation bonding authority for the safe drinking water loan program, which provide low-interest loans to municipalities for public drinking water systems. Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee,
The Joint Finance Committee today nixed Gov. Scott Walker’s plans to transfer the Judicial Commission to the state Supreme Court and eliminate the Judicial Council. But it put off action on his call to give judges a 2 percent race
The Joint Finance Committee will take up the court system, Insurance and Employment Relations when it meets Monday for its first executive session on the budget. That includes the Judicial Commission, which Gov. Scott Walker wants to put under the
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. Walker’s plan originally included automatic fire sprinkler contractors as well.
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 before both houses of the Legislature. But Rep. Katrina Shankland,
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 biennium in assessments on some electrical utilities and cooperatives. There
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 both houses of the Legislature. The motion approved today largely
The co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee today floated the possibility of breaking transportation off from the budget and putting it into a separate bill as their caucuses continue to be at odds over how to fund road work for the next two years. Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, acknowledged that
A Wisconsin driver who owns a typical sedan would pay $39 more in taxes on their fuel purchases annually, while the owner of an SUV would pay $54 more a year, under Rep. Dale Kooyenga’s transportation and tax plan. In addition, a married couple with one child and an income
The Joint Finance Committee will start to work through the Department of Administration when it meets Tuesday. The committee, which next meets tomorrow, also will take up the Elections and Ethics commissions, the Department of Children and Families, and State Fair Park on Tuesday. It also will take up Care
Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, says the latest Fiscal Bureau projections showing flat revenues from earlier estimates is good news. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau today informed the Joint Finance co-chairs the state likely wouldn’t see additional revenues in the next few years beyond the growth LFB had projected in January. But
Some Wisconsinites would end up paying more in income taxes under Kooyenga’s plan compared to current law, according to a new analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Those paying more would fluctuate over the next dozen years as the state moved toward a 3.95 percent flat tax and eliminated some
The committee shot down Dem amendments seeking to force AG Brad Schimel to spend more money to process sexual assault kits and to reduce the agency budget following a report by a liberal group on how much the Department of Justice spent on “swag.” Dems have been taking shots at
The committee tweaked the guv’s plan to provide $1 million annually to reimburse cities for the overtime costs racked up by beat patrol police officers. JFC changed it to require the Department of Justice to lapse $2 million from settlements it receives that is not already committed to other purposes.
The committee approved 14-2 requiring WEDC to provide a $100,000 grant in 2017-18 from existing funds to the Marathon County Economic Development Corp. for a revolving fund to support minority-owned businesses. To qualify, 30 percent of the business would have to be owned by a person who is a member
The Joint Finance Committee signed off on Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to bring back WEDC’s loan program, but tweaked his proposal to give the agency more flexibility in how it funds the loans. Walker had proposed only allowing the agency to issue loans that are funded with the repayment of
The Joint Finance Committee is expected to reject the contracts Gov. Scott Walker’s administration reached as part of a plan to move toward self-insurance for state employees, the co-chairs said today. Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, said the committee would instead look to match the $60 million in savings Walker had
Assembly Republicans today pitched eliminating credits for married couples and renters and stopping local governments from enacting new wheel taxes as part of a far-reaching plan that would raise revenue for transportation while putting Wisconsin on the path to a flat income tax. The plan included a hodgepodge of proposals
The Joint Finance Committee will take up Veterans Affairs, the PSC and the Medicaid Services Administration when it meets May 11. The committee also plans to take up Financial Institutions and Safety and Professional Services. It’s scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. See the hearing notice. … Please log
The Joint Finance Committee will vote on WEDC’s budget along with the guv’s proposals for the Department of Justice and the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board when it meets May 9. The other areas on the agenda are: secretary of state, Military Affairs and the Legislature. The committee is
The JFC voted unanimously to approve the guv’s call to add $5.8 million in general obligation bonding authority for the safe drinking water loan program, which provide low-interest loans to municipalities for public drinking water systems. Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, sought to amend the program to allow more money to
The Joint Finance Committee today nixed Gov. Scott Walker’s plans to transfer the Judicial Commission to the state Supreme Court and eliminate the Judicial Council. But it put off action on his call to give judges a 2 percent race in each of the next two years. The commission oversees
The Joint Finance Committee will take up the court system, Insurance and Employment Relations when it meets Monday for its first executive session on the budget. That includes the Judicial Commission, which Gov. Scott Walker wants to put under the control of the state Supreme Court, and the Judicial Council,