As we come off of Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday, many of you are probably pretty busy either recovering from the recent holiday weekend, celebrating a good hunt, or getting ready for the Christmas season. I'll keep this e-update brief, and will just share a few items that may be of interest to you. As always, please feel free to reach out to me on issues that are important to you. I look forward to learning your thoughts.
Budget Update Before Christmas
If you are like me, keeping track of your personal budget is a common part of your daily life. We all have to figure out how to make the money go as far as possible, while also keeping money set aside for unexpected expenses. Christmas is coming up and budgeting can become an even bigger part of our daily lives, what with making sure we don't end up with a budget deficit at the start of the new year.
As a legislator, I make it a point to approach the state budget like I would my personal budget, and use the same financial viewpoint. I am proud to say that because of responsible budgeting in recent years, the Department of Administration (DOA) has confirmed that Wisconsin will end this fiscal year with a surplus.
Based on this fiscal report from the DOA, Wisconsin's fiscal condition is the best it has been in at least a generation. This is on top of a 2018-2019 gross ending balance estimated to be $622.6 million, higher than the original estimate. As a result of the decisions we made in this budget, our revenue estimates are the best we've seen since 2002, showing an additional $2.1 billion in state revenue.
Just like setting money aside for the future is a smart financial decision in our personal lives, it's also smart to do when dealing with the state budget. That is why we as legislators have continued to build a strong rainy-day fund for Wisconsin. At the end of this fiscal year, the DOA projects we will be able to add $82.6 million to Wisconsin's rainy day fund, bringing the total in that account (before interest) to $402.6 million.
While making these financial decisions, it was important to not forget about the bills that will come due in the future, otherwise known as the GAAP deficit. Because of hard work over the recent years, according to our latest available balance, the GAAP deficit continues to drop, and has been cut nearly in half from 2011 to 2017.
These are only a few of the ways that the reforms of recent years have been paying off for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. As we head toward the Christmas season, the New Year, and into the new budget season, I will work to keep the progress we made in recent budgets going into the future. If you have any ideas on what you would like to see in the upcoming budget, feel free to reach out, as I keep track of each comment and suggestion I get and take them into consideration during budget time.
Congratulations Hunters!
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the recent gun hunting season this month. I am glad to announce that this was the safest hunting season on record! Whether it was your first hunt or you are an experienced hunter, I hope you had a safe, fun and successful hunt! It's been great seeing all the deer people from around the district got this season, and how so many people have made it their family tradition.
Seeking Input from Women Veterans
Recently, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs contacted my office to let me know about a survey they are doing right now of women who have served in the military. The information they get from it will help the department better shape their Women Veterans Program and the department as a whole, and all responses they get will be kept confidential.
If you are a woman who is a Wisconsin resident and who has served in the military, regardless of component, length of service, or era, they would love to hear from you. To take the survey, either visit https://lnks.gd/2/8Pv3Tw or click on the image below. The deadline to complete the survey is December 7, 2018.
Thank you for your service!
Stay Up to Date
One of the best ways to stay up to date with what is going on in Madison is to sign up for the legislature's notification tracking service. This service allows you to follow legislative activity in Madison. Once you create a free account you can sign up to receive notifications about specific bills or committees as well as legislative activity pertaining to a subject area (i.e. agriculture, veterans). You can sign up for this service at notify.legis.wisconsin.gov.
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If you have any thoughts regarding the subject of this E-Update, please feel free to contact me.
State Capitol Room 109 West - PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0087 or (608) 266-7506 Email: Rep.Edming@legis.wisconsin.gov
