Senate expected to pass its version of budget fix today

Talk about it

Wisconsin senators are expected to pass their own version today (Tuesday) of a bill that gets rid of the state’s $650 million budget shortfall.

It differs strongly from two other plans pushed by the GOP Assembly and Gov. Jim Doyle. That’s because it tries to close business tax loopholes.

Doyle says it won’t be realistic because the Assembly is sure to block it.

After today’s vote, the package will go to a conference committee. An agreement could take months.

There’s one thing the two parties agree on now –- at least some of the state school aid in the current budget should be accounted for in the next budget.

Only the Doyle plan refuses to do that.

The governor says it’s wrong to push the state’s fiscal problems into the future and the Wisconsin Taxpayers’ Alliance agrees.

The Assembly wants to push $125 million of school payments into the next budget.

Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, favors his party’s plan to delay $65 million. That way he says the schools won’t suffer because of what he calls the Legislature’s budget shenanigans.

Bill Andrekopolous, Milwaukee school superintendent, agrees. He says it prevents a cut in school aid now.

Tags: wisconsinnews, budgetshortfall, vote