Documents show UW-Madison will take biggest hit under $250M cut to UW System
MADISON — New documents show the University of Wisconsin-Madison will take a nearly $59 million hit this budget year under a total $250 million cut to the UW System in the state budget.System officials released their 2015-16 budget Monday, July 6th.The plan also shows UW-Milwaukee taking an $18 million cut.The other 11 four-year campuses will see cuts ranging from $851,000 to $7.7 million.The budget materials did not include details on how the campuses will deal with the cuts.
Lawmakers approve transportation budget; critics say delaying construction projects will cost jobs
MADISON -- Lawmakers on the powerful Joint Finance Committee are wrapping up work on the state budget.
Barrett, Abele meet with Republican leaders on arena funding proposal as Dems request meeting
MADISON -- State and local officials met Thursday morning, July 2nd at the Governor's Office in Madison to talk about the proposed Milwaukee Bucks arena in downtown Milwaukee, but with even more company.
Two-year state budget up for passage by committee: Here are the highlights
MADISON— The two-year state budget up for passage Thursday, July 2nd by the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee is expected to be taken up by the Assembly on Tuesday.
Assembly, Senate leaders say they have $850M deal to fund road work in the state
MADISON -- Republican lawmakers have a plan to fund road work, clearing the way for the Legislature's finance committee to finish up the state budget.Work on the budget has been at a standstill for more than a month, partly because legislators were struggling to find a way to reduce Governor Scott Walker's proposal to borrow $1.3 billion for roads.Assembly and Senate leaders told reporters Wednesday, July 1st they've reached a deal that calls for $850 million.
Deal reached on new state budget; Bucks arena funding, prevailing wage to be in separate bills
MADISON -- Republican legislative leaders have reached a deal on a new state budget that removes the Milwaukee Bucks arena funding proposal and prevailing wage reforms -- to be taken up later as separate bills.Joint Finance Committee co-chair Rep.
Coalition warns against possible budget provision it says could limit transparency about rent-to-own products
MADISON -- A coalition of faith leaders, low-income advocates and consumer groups is warning against a possible budget provision that could limit transparency about rent-to-own products.Peter Skopec, director of the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group, said Monday, June 29th that he anticipated exemptions would be added to the state budget for companies that offer rent-to-own goods.
Walker says framework of budget deal likely in next few days; others not so optimistic
MADISON -- Governor Scott Walker on Wednesday, June 24th said the framework of a budget deal to break a nearly month-long impasse is likely in the next few days.Walker did not say Wednesday what the deal may look like.But Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says in response, "It sounds like the governor is more optimistic than I am."Walker is downplaying the budget delay, noting that only three budgets have been signed before July 19th since 1983 and two of those were when he was governor.He also defends his involvement in the budget negotiations, saying he has been more active this year than ever before.Meanwhile, Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he still does not have the votes to pass the state budget.Fitzgerald said Wednesday that he is still working with Republican senators who want to see items "included, eliminated or modified."The budget-writing Joint Finance Committee has not met since May 29th and has no meetings scheduled.Republican leaders said Tuesday their goal was to be done by July 1st, which is unlikely.Fitzgerald says Republicans have yet to reach agreement on several key issues, including whether to delay work on the Zoo Interchange near Milwaukee to deal with cuts in road funding, whether to remove a financing deal for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena from the budget and what changes to make to the state's prevailing wage law.
Lawmakers still struggling to finalize budget: Bucks arena, transportation funding the sticking points
MADISON -- Lawmakers in Madison are working to finalize a state budget by the end of the month.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald: "I don't know where we're at" on state budget
MADISON — Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he does not think the Legislature is any closer to reaching a deal to break an impasse on the state budget.Fitzgerald said Tuesday that he has not spoken with Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos about unresolved budget issues since last week.
"These are big decisions:" As deadline approaches quickly, lawmakers still haven't finalized state budget
MADISON -- Lawmakers in Madison are working to finalize a budget as a deadline looms.
Preparing for the worst: UW System officials plan to deal with proposed $250 million in cuts
MILWAUKEE -- For months, speculation has swirled about how the UW System would handle a $300 million cut proposed in Governor Scott Walker's budget.
Facing millions in cuts, MPS School Board passes budget
MILWAUKEE -- Facing millions less in state and federal funds, the Milwaukee Public School Board has passed a more than billion dollar budget for next year that will add positions and programs.The school district faces $28 million in cuts in funding from state and federal funding.
Frenzied week ahead in Madison as Joint Finance Committee works to finalize two-year spending plan
MADISON (AP) — A frenzied week of backroom deals, lobbying and votes on the Wisconsin state budget awaits as a legislative committee looks to finish its work on the two-year spending plan.Many major decisions are still up in the air as the Joint Finance Committee meets for the final scheduled times Wednesday and Friday.Among the unresolved issues for the Republican-controlled committee is whether to go along with Gov.
Wisconsin unemployment drops to 4.4 percent in April
MADISON (AP) — Wisconsin's unemployment rate dropped to 4.4 percent in April, down from 4.6 percent in March.The state Department of Workforce Development reported the latest figures Thursday.
Governor Walker calls proposed $300M cut to UW System "manageable," "realistic"
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gov.
Governor Walker sticking by his timeline: No presidential announcement until state budget signed
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Governor Scott Walker is sticking by his timeline for announcing whether he will be running for president.While Walker is widely assumed to be a candidate, he has yet to officially announce his campaign.
Budget provision approved: SCOWIS chief justice, other six justices would be paid the same
MADISON (AP) — The chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court would no longer earn $8,000 more than the other six justices under a budget provision that has been approved by a legislative committee.The Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday, May 5th voted to go along with Governor Scott Walker's proposal doing away with the pay differential.The Republican-controlled committee voted 12-4 along party lines to go along with Walker's proposal.The vote came as two justices Patience Roggensack and Shirley Abrahamson disagree over which of them is chief justice.
GOP lawmaker pushing bill that would repeal prevailing wage law wants to revise it
MADISON (AP) — A GOP lawmaker pushing a bill that would repeal Wisconsin's prevailing wage law wants to revise the proposal.Republicans are divided over the proposal.
UWM chancellor says expected budget cuts could mean students taking longer to graduate
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone was the speaker at a Milwaukee Press Club luncheon on Wednesday, April 15th, and he talked about the expected cuts in the state budget and how they are going to affect the university.Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal includes slashing the UW System’s budget by $300 million, freezing tuition for two years and decoupling the system from state oversight.