Walker Will Introduce Budget To Legislature In Tuesday Night Address

Gov. Scott Walker will unveil his next two-year state budget on Tuesday night, fleshing out the details on what he wants to cut to fill Wisconsin’s budget shortfall.

Walker needs to cut about $280 million from the current state budget to make it balance by the end of June. Then, he’ll need to cut about $650 million more from the next budget that runs through mid-2017. Where all those cuts will come should be clearer after his address in the state Capitol.

Walker did announce plans to cut $300 million from the University of Wisconsin System, but he’s said he wants to keep funding for K-12 education largely intact. He’s had little to say about other big areas of the budget like Medicaid, prisons and shared revenue.

Beyond those details, Walker’s will be watched for his presentation of the budget, not only in Wisconsin but in the early presidential primary states as well. If there was any doubt of that, the Des Moines Register reported that on Monday night, Walker held a “tele-town hall” with Iowa residents.