Budget Committee Leaders Say They’ll Likely Pass Most Of Walker’s Proposal

Republican lawmakers on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee predict Gov. Scott Walker will get much of what he wants passed in the next budget.

The governor’s proposed budget goes to a Senate and Assembly that are controlled by even larger Republican majorities than the last time a budget was passed in 2013. Finance Committee Chairman John Nygren was asked at a WisPolitics luncheon if this would ease passage of the governor’s spending plan.

“I would say last time, it was 95 percent of the time we were going to be with him. Maybe this time it’s going to be 94 or 93 percent of the time. We’re still going to be with him a majority of the time,” said Nygren.

Sen. Luther Olsen, the Finance Committee’s vice-chair, noted constituents still need to weigh in.

Olsen and Nygren said there’s some reluctance to give up control over the University of Wisconsin System by making it a public authority. They said there’s also concern about the high level of borrowing for transportation, along with freezing land purchases under the state’s Stewardship Fund.