MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ) – One Northeast Wisconsin community will play host to the sixth and final stop on this spring’s tour of the proposed two-year state budget.
The Joint Finance Committee is looking to get public feedback on the document Governor Scott Walker proposed earlier this year.
Representative John Nygren is on the committee and says citizen input is important, as it has led to alterations in previous years.
The Marinette Republican cites a large number of concerns raised in 2013 over proposed changes to the prescription drug program that makes medication affordable for seniors.
“It helped us make decisions that maintained the integrity of the program, for not only that cycle but now this cycle, we’re not even seeing any proposed changes by the governor.”
Through the first five hearings, Nygren says a reoccuring concern is one that he shares: transportation funding.
Governor Walker’s proposal allocates $6,100,000,000 for transportation, which includes $500,000,000 in borrowing.
Walker is opposed to raising the gas tax to pay for road projects.
Critics say the governor’s proposal does not address a projected $1,000,000,000 shortfall within the Department of Transporation.
Nygren concedes “yes, we might see some revenue increase for transportation, but we’re going to offset that with other cuts so that the net to the taxpayer is flat.”
He says the state needs to deal with the level revenues that have come along with increasing costs.
Despite concerns with transportation funding, Nygren calls the overall reaction to the proposed budget ‘positive.’
Nygren notes rave reviews for the governor’s proposed increase in K-12 education funding.
Friday’s hearing runs from 10 am to 5 pm in the Marinette High School auditorium.
Wisconsin’s budget tours started back in 1985.
