Subscribers: This post has been updated to remove an inaccurate description of a committee action related to funding for DWD IT. The Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to boost funds to help those with disabilities find jobs and make it easier for veterans to qualify for help finding

The state would boost aid to maintain trails for off-road vehicles, help cover the costs of boating safety enforcement and buy body-worn cameras for DNR wardens under a GOP motion the Joint Finance Committee approved 12-4 along party lines. Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, said many of the provisions in the

The Joint Finance Committee approved a mix of $4.3 million in state and federal funds to address a bottleneck in meat processing, promote Wisconsin’s ag industry and cover grants for farmer mental health. The GOP package, approved 12-4 along party lines, calls for $30 million less for programs in the

The Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday will take up the Department of Transportation and the guv’s $2.4 billion capital budget. GOP lawmakers have already vowed to pare back Gov. Tony Evers’ building proposal, which includes just less than $2 billion in borrowing. The areas in DOT the committee will take

Gov. Tony Evers today called Republicans’ proposed state investment in K-12 education “paltry” and said vetoing the entire document is on the table unless they add more money. Evers’ call came days after the federal government warned the K-12 package the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved would not meet the

The UW tuition freeze that’s been in place for the past eight years would expire under a GOP motion the Joint Finance Committee approved today. Along with allowing the cap on in-state, undergrad tuition to go away, the motion would add $22.3 million in additional general purpose revenue for the

Wisconsin schools would get $128 million in general purpose revenue over the next two years, a fraction of what Dem Gov. Tony Evers originally proposed, under a motion the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved today. The GOP motion, approved 11-4 along party lines, also would transfer $350 million to the

The Joint Finance Committee will meet Wednesday to take up funding for several state agencies as well as the state’s unemployment insurance program. GOP lawmakers and Dem Gov. Tony Evers have been at odds over the UI program for much of the past year as it was plagued by delays

The GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee today reworked a $154 million pot of federal money to reward districts that provided in-person instruction for at least half of the 2020-21 school year. The motion, approved 11-4 along party lines, also would give priority to small, rural schools for a portion of the

GOP lawmakers are proposing to put $150 million into K-12 education now, while putting aside $350 million that could be released later. The proposed move comes with a federal requirement that the state maintain its current spending commitment to K-12 education in order to qualify for $2.2 billion in COVID-19

GOP lawmakers would have to put another $428 million into K-12 and higher education to ensure Wisconsin gets $2.2 billion from federal COVID-19 relief packages, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. That price tag is based on the actions of the Joint Finance Committee to date. If the GOP-controlled committee

Wisconsin will have to maintain its current funding commitment to K-12 schools to ensure districts qualify for the full $1.5 billion in federal money that’s part of the latest COVID-19 package, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. And the Legislature won’t know for sure if its K-12 spending plan meets

DOA Secretary Joel Brennan today raised concerns with the Joint Finance co-chairs over their efforts to cut vacant state jobs, arguing those unfilled positions were meant to help save money at the outset of the pandemic and were never meant to be permanent reductions. Brennan wrote to the co-chairs the

The GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee voted today to reject the guv’s call to pump more than $90 million into programs to help the homeless and provide assistance to those struggling to pay their water bills. In all, the committee approved $1.2 million over the biennium to boost funding for grants

The Joint Finance Committee voted to increase lobbying fees for the first time in more than 28 years, but by a fraction of what the Ethics Commission had requested. Lobbying principals now pay $375 a year to register and $125 per lobbyist — fees that were last modified in 1995.

The Joint Finance Committee will meet May 27 to take up K-12 funding and the UW System. The two areas are among the biggest drivers of spending in the state budget and are often put off until the end of the Joint Finance process. But the committee plans to take

Gov. Tony Evers announced today he will use $100 million in coming federal COVID stimulus funds to cover a first round of broadband expansion grants through the Public Service Commission using the money. Evers had previously announced he planned to use $200 million of the funds for infrastructure with an

Thursday’s Joint Finance executive session includes broadband provisions under the Public Service Commission. The committee also plans to vote on energy programs under the PSC along with: Administration — General Agency Provisions Administration — Housing and Homelessness Administration — Energy and Environment Administration — Personnel Management Administration — Information Technology

The Joint Finance Committee voted unanimously to create a new $10 million fund for the state’s veterans homes to help them cover the costs of a future natural disaster or public emergency. In doing so, Republicans on the committee knocked Gov. Tony Evers, saying he had failed to do enough

Wisconsin will get $700 million less from the latest round of COVID-19 stimulus funds than originally expected. In addition, the $2.5 billion now coming will be split into two payments a year apart. The drop in money the state will now receive is due to the unemployment rate returning to