John Nygren Archives - WisPolitics

Wachs out-raises Assembly colleagues in the first six months of 2017

Friday, Jul 21, 2017

Rep. Dana Wachs pulled in nearly $42,000 in the first half of the year, far outpacing his Assembly colleagues. But the Eau Claire Dem, who’s weighing a bid for governor, also spent $44,186 over the period, leaving only $13,497 in the bank. The next highest fundraiser was Rep. Bob Kulp, R-Stratford, who gathered $30,100 from January to June, but has $57,761 in the bank, according to his latest camp… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options. Username or E-mail Password

GOP legislative leaders report progress on budget deal

Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017

GOP legislative leaders reported progress on hammering out a budget deal today but will meet again tomorrow as they work through major items like K-12 education, taxes and transportation. Participants’ spokespeople provided no specifics, though, and a notice for a possible Joint Finance Committee meeting on Thursday hasn’t been sent out yet. Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Districts that lose students to open enrollment concerned about aid boost

Friday, Jun 16, 2017

Suburban school districts are applauding an open enrollment aid boost in the Assembly GOP education plan, saying it would direct dollars to those actually teaching the transferring students. But rural districts and others that lose large numbers of students to other districts through open enrollment worry that giving up an additional $1,440 per student under the plan would hurt their ability to te… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Agreement on transportation, taxes needed to break budget stalemate

Friday, Jun 9, 2017

To break the state budget impasse, GOP lawmakers need three dominoes to fall. The most important for the general fund piece of the budget is an agreement on the benchmark they’ll use for the property taxes on the median-valued home in 2018. The most difficult, budget watchers say, will be transportation. With the Joint Finance Committee taking a hiatus this week and the close of the fiscal year ra… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

GOP leaders announce Thompson Center at UW-Madison

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Wisconsin Republicans today announced plans for a center at UW-Madison named after former Gov. Tommy Thompson, whose tenure was highlighted at an all-day symposium at the Capitol. They said the center would foster research into public policy and bring speakers to System campuses from diverse viewpoints. Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has been pushing for more conservative voices on campus and has… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Senate, Assembly GOP at odds over UW tuition

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

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 proposed tuition cut for the UW System. But she said it’s just a reflection of the diversity in he… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Groups begin push on forestry tax; co-chairs say fate still up in the air

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee say their caucuses are debating whether to sign off on the guv’s push to eliminate the forestry property tax. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Realtors Association has launched a paid broadcast and mail campaign pushing GOP lawmakers to back the proposal, and the conservative Americans for Prosperity is poised to start a digital campaign doing the same. Gov. Sc… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

JFC co-chairs float possibility of separate transpo budget

Thursday, May 11, 2017

The co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee today floated the possibility of breaking transportation off from the budget as their caucuses remain at odds over how to fund road work for the next two years. But the guv and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald oppose the idea, their offices said. A Fitzgerald spokeswoman added transportation and the rest of the budget are so intertwined that “ext… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

LFB: State won’t see revenue bump beyond prior projections

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

JFC Co-chair John Nygren says the latest Legislative Fiscal Bureau projections showing flat revenues from earlier estimates is good news. The LFB today informed the Joint Finance co-chairs the state likely wouldn’t see additional revenues in the next few years beyond the growth the agency had projected in January. But Nygren told reporters today other states have seen revenue downturns, so he’s ha… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Fitzgerald doesn’t ‘see the momentum’ for Assembly GOP transpo plan

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The tension between Republicans on transportation funding hit a new level today, with Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald saying he doesn’t “see the momentum” for the new Assembly Republican plan. Assembly Republicans, meanwhile, said the Senate should lay out its own proposal so lawmakers and the guv could “negotiate a deal that’s good for Wisconsin.” They dismissed a funding suggestion Fitzg… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Nygren says LFB projections showing flat revenues is good news

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

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 Nygren told reporters today other states have seen revenue downturns, … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

JFC co-chairs applaud Kooyenga for offering transpo plan

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The JFC co-chairs also applauded Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, for putting forward a transportation plan, and Nygren said he was disappointed in the guv’s response. Over the weekend, Walker knocked the proposal as a gas tax hike. It would lower the excise tax, add the state sales tax to fuel and pare back minimum markup. Nygren said Walker was “somewhat complimentary” at first, but his languag… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

JFC plans to reject self-insurance contracts, DOA defends plan

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker and DOA Secretary Scott Neitzel today knocked the Joint Finance Committee’s plans to reject the administration’s moves to self-insure state workers. Walker tweeted about the JFC co-chairs’ comments that they expect the committee will reject the contracts his administration reached as part of the self-insurance plan. “Wrong direction to dismiss $60 million worth of proven savings … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

JFC co-chairs outline key issues as committee prepares to tweak Walker’s budget plan

Friday, Apr 21, 2017

JFC Co-chair John Nygren said repealing the prevailing wage on state projects could still work its way into the budget as part of an overall package to address transportation funding. Fellow Co-chair Alberta Darling, meanwhile, said Senate Republicans are working on their own transportation package. Both lawmakers called the issue the lynchpin to putting the final touches on a budget later this ye… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Nass, Nygren spar over UW tuition freeze in statements and tweets

Thursday, Apr 20, 2017

Two GOP lawmakers took to Twitter and statements this afternoon to debate the UW System budget and the tuition freeze. It began when Sen. Steve Nass sent out a press release criticizing comments that Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair John Nygren has made, showing he’s open to ending the in-state tuition freeze and also eliminating the proposed 5 percent tuition cut in the second year of the budget… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.