Watching the budget “fix” press conference via WisconsinEye. Mark Pocan and Mark Miller are by Governor Jim Doyle’s side, so little hope for Joint Finance action.
5% across the board cuts to most state functions; 2.5% cut to education, 2.5% cut to shared revenue.
More double talk about stimulus money and education funding.
Seems to leave the door open to maybe a temporary delay on ending the Qualified Economic Offer.
Claims to “protect” education. Revenue cap allowable increase will be reduced.
Lots of talk about “protecting property taxpayers.” Nothing about investing in the future of our students or our state.
Not good.
I guess that we have answers to this quiz.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 
Madison.com is linking their letter and offers the following information:
Click to access morgan%20letter.pdf
FRI., MAY 22, 2009 – 12:39 PM
State budget blog: Updates from Friday’s Joint Finance Committee
By JASON STEIN 608-252-6129
jstein@madison.com 12:37 p.m.
The co-chairmen, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, have entered the room and we should be starting shortly.
—
12:09 p.m.
While most everyone else is starting their Memorial Day weekend today, lawmakers
on the budget committee have a full day’s work ahead.
Thursday evening the co-chairmen of the commitee and Gov. Jim Doyle announed their plan for dealing with a $1.6 billion drop in tax revenues caused by the falling economy. See the story here.
This morning Administration Secretary Michael Morgan put out a letter providing a few more details on the agreement announced Thursday.
Click to access morgan%20letter.pdf
The letter shows the agreement includes:
* $292 million in cuts to state funding for schools over the next two years.
Taking into account federal stimulus money and increases in local property taxes, schools should still be able to bring in 5 percent more money over the next two years, according to the agreement.
* $50 million in additional cuts to state Medicaid health care for the poor or to the medical caregivers who provide it.
*123 million in cuts to state aid to local governments, though the impact will
actually be much less because local governments will receive $100 million from a cell phone surcharge that had been aimed at funding 911 centers.