Assembly passes budget reform

The state Assembly passed an altered version of Gov. Scott McCallum's Budget Reform Act after an abundance of contentious debate early Friday morning. 

 

 

 

The bill, introduced to solve the $1.1 billion budget shortfall that the state faces, was challenged in vain by Assembly Democrats.  

 

 

 

State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said he was disappointed with Thursday night's contentious process of debate and the Republican's final plan. 

 

 

 

\It was a bad budget package. ... [The Republicans] weren't going to budge on any amendments,"" he said. ""It really showed what the Republicans in the Assembly are all about. It's about cutting shared revenue, it's about cutting funds to the university and increasing tuition, it's a bill damaging environmental projects ... and their going to have to justify that to the public and voters."" 

 

 

 

Cuts proposed by the Republican caucus to the UW System totaled an approximate $108 million, according to a UW System analysis. Originally, under McCallum's proposal, cuts amounted to $50.5 million. 

 

 

 

""It's a huge hit to the university system,"" Pocan said. ""It essentially means a tuition increase of 8 percent. For students it's clearly not a good bill."" 

 

 

 

Republicans are very pleased with the final package passed Friday morning, according to Steve Baas, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha. He added that the UW System fared well in the GOP budget, compared to other state agencies. 

 

 

 

""The UW System should not be complaining about anything. The typical state agency in this budget is facing about a 14 to 15 percent reduction,"" Baas said. ""The UW System is looking at a reduction of only about 7 percent."" 

 

 

 

""It's pretty clear in the Republican version of the budget that we've treated the UW System with kid gloves,"" he added. 

 

 

 

One of the details ironed out over the past week in the Republican caucus and passed by the Assembly today was the restructuring of the distribution of shared revenue. Shared revenue is the funding local goverments receive from the state for the implementation of basic municipal functions. 

 

 

 

""The way we have changed the distribution also rewards local governments for being fiscally responsible,"" Baas said.  

 

 

 

According to Jim O'Keefe, legislative lobbyist for the city of Madison, local governments in Dane County make out better under the new plan. 

 

 

 

""In the Joint Finance Committee ... they said no communities will lose more than 65 percent of its previous year's payment,"" O'Keefe said. ""What [the Republicans] are saying now is that no one will be able to lose more than 30.5 percent."" 

 

 

 

Despite the importance of today's decision, O'Keefe said this is not the end of the road. 

 

 

 

""This is just one more step in a fairly lengthy process and you shouldn't think this will be the last word on what happens with shared revenue,"" he said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlights of proposed budget cuts according to UW System analysis: 

 

•  
   
  
• Gov. Scott McCallum's proposed budget cuts:  
   
  
• Joint Finance Committee action subtotal:  
   
  
  • Additional 1% cut to state agencies UW System share:  
     
    
  • Proposed 8% resident undergraduate tuition cap in 2002-'03 (fee reduction):
   
   
   
   
  
• Assembly action subtotal:  
   
  
  • Additional 1.5% cuts to state agencies UW System share:  
     
    
  • Reduced funding for travel:  
     
    
  • Elimination of study abroad appropriation:
   
   
   
   
  
• Further GPR reductions subtotal:  
   
  
  • Students pay 100% cost for retaking previously failed courses 
     
    
  • One-time out-of-state tuition 10% surcharge:  
     
    
  • Students pay 100% cost after 165 credits: