March 3, 2017


Budget Process 101

With the budget process getting underway, I thought it would be beneficial to provide background on the budget  and how it will be shaped over the next few months. Last week, I held listening sessions in the district, and this was a crucial aspect of the entire development of the budget.

Before the budget makes its way into the hands of state legislators, all state agencies- such as the Department of Tourism, Transportation and Health Services make budget requests and present them to the governor. Oftentimes these are 'wish lists' where state agencies request funding for all their programs. After reviewing state agency requests, Governor Walker crafts his budget, delivers his budget address (which was given on February 8, 2017, you can watch it here) and then sends it to the Legislature for review.

Once in the Legislature, the Joint Committee on Finance, a committee made up of Republicans and Democrats from both the Senate and Assembly, go through the budget line by line, approving or making changes as they see fit.  However, before they begin that tedious process, they hold public hearings all around the state to take public testimony from anyone who wants to speak. Frequently, changes to the budget come directly from the testimony from the general public. All other members of the Assembly and the Senate are also given a chance to share their priorities and thoughts with the committee.

Following the public hearings and listening sessions, the actual process of making changes to the budget begins as the Joint Committee on Finance goes through the budget line by line, making changes or removing aspects all together. After this months-long process, the revised budget is sent to either the Assembly or the Senate, where they can again make changes if they see fit. If both houses make different changes to the budget, they must then convene a conference committee to reconcile versions passed by the two houses.

Once an identical version of the budget passes both houses, the Governor reviews the budget, issuing vetoes if wanted, and then signs this budget into law. If the legislature disagrees with any of the Governor's vetoes, they can  override them if they have enough votes.

As you can see, this is a very complex and laborious journey. However, I strongly encourage you to reach out to let me know your thoughts on the budget. As mentioned above, oftentimes changes to the budget are created by ideas from constituents. You can find information pertaining to the budget here. If you have any questions on any of this, please call my office oand we will do our best to answer your questions. 


Representative Nygren Wins National Award
 
Earlier this week in Washington D.C., Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) received the "Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service" from the American Medical Association (AMA). This award was in response to Rep. Nygren's leadership on combating the growing opioid and heroin epidemic in Wisconsin. I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Nygren as we continue the battle against opioid abuse.

Thanks largely to Representative Nygren, Wisconsin is leading the national fight on the prescription opioid epidemic. The HOPE Agenda, crafted by Rep. Nygren, has provided Wisconsin with innovative ways to tackle this growing issue. For information on the HOPE Agenda, click here.


Upcoming Event in District

The Reunite Families with Nature event will take place next Thursday, the 9th of March, at 6:00 p.m. I encourage families to attend this free event at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay. This is a great opportunity for families to attend the presentation of the book “Last Child in the Woods,” an introduction to the 30x30 Challenge, and a wooded walk to a campfire and sing-along.  For more information please click here.


In Closing...

Thank you for taking the time to read my E-Update. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact my office. Chris and Stamena look forward to working with you. Also, if you would like a State of Wisconsin 2015-2016 Blue Book or 2017 State Highway map free of charge, just send us an email!

                                Have a great weekend,                   

             Representative Joel Kitchens

 

 

     

As always, if you have any comments or thoughts regarding the subject of this
E-Update, please feel free to contact me.

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State Capitol Room 10 West - PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708
(608) 266-5350
Email: Rep.Kitchens@legis.wi.gov