As the Joint Finance Committee continued hearings on the biennial budget, there was bipartisan support for a provision ensuring legislative oversight. However, legislators were divided along party lines over child support enforcement with the Republican majority voting to end funding.
The committee voted 13-3, with Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, joining the Republicans to amend part of the budget which would have given the Department of Administration Secretary the authority to eliminate vacant full-time positions in the state government. Democrats who voted against the provision said they wanted to eliminate it entirely.
""We are not going to allow the power grab to happen,"" said Co-Chair Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills. ""We're not going to let him [DOA secretary Mike Huebsch] just take it and run. We are going to have legislative oversight.""
The JFC also voted along partisan lines to deny funding to child support enforcement programs.
State Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, accused Republicans of attacking programs they had even admitted were successful. ""This budget is a true tragedy, with the GOP putting special interests first and children last,"" Grigsby said in a statement.
In response to Democratic legislators' accusations that Gov. Walker's budget proposal attacks senior care, two Republican representatives voiced support for the program Tuesday.
However, State Rep. Joe Knilans, R-Janesville and state Rep. Roger Rivard, R-Rice Lake, voiced support for SeniorCare, arguing it would remain intact under Walker's proposed budget.
""Some tweaks may be needed to keep the program solvent and running but any reports that it is on the chopping block are absurd and are designed to scare our seniors,"" Rivard said in a statement.
""The elimination of this successful program would place more of a cost burden on seniors and would devastate the finances of those who rely on fixed incomes to get by, and that is just unacceptable,"" Knilans said in a statement.
