Budget Committee Votes To Eliminate DNR Positions, Reject Land-Buying Freeze

Committee Passes Wide-Ranging DNR Motion In 12-4 Vote

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Wisconsin’s Stewardship Program would be preserved while DNR scientist jobs would be cut under a measure that was approved by the Legislature’s budget committee Friday.

Gov. Scott Walker proposed effectively freezing new land stewardship purchases for 13 years, but the motion by Republican lawmakers would keep the stewardship program intact. It would set aside up to $33 million for Stewardship purchases annually, in part by making changes to how the state bonds for the program.

“We were able to kind of sharpen our pencils and find a way to take care of a priority,” said Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton.

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The motion limits stewardship borrowing authorization to $33.3 million annually through fiscal year 2019-20. The last state budget limited stewardship bonding to no more than $50 million from 2016-17 through 2019-20.

The motion also adopted the governor’s plan to cut 29 scientist and educator jobs at the DNR, a move Democrats called a vengeful act.

“When you take science out of the DNR, it’s kind of like taking physicians out of hospitals,” said Taylor.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, four of the scientist positions and two of the education positions are vacant. The changes would leave the science bureau with about 18 researchers and the agency with seven educator positions. Republicans downplayed the cut, saying it represented only a small piece of the DNR’s budget.

The motion was passed on a 12-4 vote.