Earlier this week JFC Co-Chairs Sen. Darling and Rep. Nygren announced the locations, dates, and times for the statewide public hearings on the budget proposal. The hearings are being held in the four corners of the state during the last two weeks of March, to gather information and input from Wisconsinites across the state.

This week the Joint Finance Committee also held our initial public hearings at the State Capitol, where we received briefings from major state agencies. Over the course of 3 days, we heard a total of 31 hours of testimony on the proposed 2015-17 state budget.

Day 1 Recap - Monday, March 2nd

• Department of Administration
Secretary Mike Huebsch answered questions about provisions in the proposed state budget. He focused on outlining Governor Walker's budget priorities: property tax relief, economic growth, and improving Wisconsin's jobs climate. My JFC colleagues shared our concerns and requested more details regarding education funding (both K-12 and UW System), transportation bonding, and the proposed new Milwaukee Bucks arena, among other issues.

• Department of Corrections
Secretary Ed Wall spoke in front of JFC on behalf of the Department of Corrections. He described the governor's vision to enhance safety for citizens around Wisconsin. Additionally, the secretary described issues with reversed seniority forced overtime for prison guards. DOC is currently in the process of rolling out a program that will rotate forced overtime at correctional institutions so new employees won't have to continually work consecutive overtime shifts.

• Supreme Court
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson testified on behalf of the Supreme Court. She stated that the courts provide a core state function, and as the judicial branch of government, they make up less than 1% of the state budget as a whole. In her testimony, Justice Abrahamson describes budget provisions that were requested by the courts and included in the governor's proposal. Specifically, she spoke of a provision that states that the Director of State Courts is authorized to plan for budgeting over the full two-year cycle, instead of one year at a time. In addition, the governor's proposal includes the creation of a Judicial Compensation Commission, which will study judicial compensation and make recommendation to the Joint Committee on Employment Relations.

• Department of Justice
Attorney General Brad Schimel spoke on behalf of the Department of Justice at today's briefings. He focused on the department's mission to ensure public safety. Important issues covered by AG Schimel include funding for district attorneys, State Justice Assistance Grants, and law enforcement officer-involved death investigations.

You can watch a recording of Monday's agency briefings on Wisconsin Eye here.

Day 2 Recap - Tuesday, March 3rd
• Department of Natural Resources
Secretary Cathy Stepp emphasized that the governor's budget proposal provides the DNR with the tools necessary to continue protecting and enhancing the environment in our state, and she spoke about how important it is to enforce the law using sound science and common sense. She spoke about the agency's commitment to accountability to the public, customer service, and eliminating instability and uncertainty of the past associated with DNR projects, something I agree is still a work in progress.

Some lawmakers expressed  concerns regarding proposed changes to Stewardship, including the possible moratorium and the level of debt service Wisconsin pays for stewardship land. Secretary Stepp confirmed that 70 cents of every dollar of GPR the department receives from the state is currently going toward stewardship debt service. That is equal to paying $1.6 million ever month -- or $1000 every 5 minutes -- just to cover the debt on our previous purchases.

• Department of Workforce Development
Secretary Reggie Newson of the Department of Workforce Development began his testimony by commenting on the importance of worker development programs, like the Wisconsin Fast Forward worker training program. The secretary also highlighted the governor's proposal to make high-demand programs eligible for grants, including Youth Apprenticeship and K-12 programs.

• University of Wisconsin System
UW System President Ray Cross appeared in front of the JFC on behalf of the University of Wisconsin. He focused on the budget provision granting autonomy and higher flexibilities for UW campuses statewide and the corresponding  $300 million budget adjustment for the System. While he said that the proposed cut is serious, he emphasized his willingness to partner with the Legislature to make sound decisions on behalf of our state's public universities and for the benefit of Wisconsin students.

Lawmakers on the Finance committee shared their sentiments regarding student debt, students' ability to graduate in 4 years, and class sizes -- concerns shared by all who attend, have attended, or plan to attend a UW college.

• Department of Public Instruction
State Superintendent Tony Evers appeared in front of the Finance committee. He expressed concerns with public school funding, and also emphasized his support for school accountability. After Superintendent Evers' testimony, lawmakers asked questions about school funding distribution and funding distribution fairness. Additionally, members asked the superintendent about the governor's alternative teaching licensure provision, and school accountability as it relates to local control.

• Department of Health Services
Secretary Kitty Rhoades  covered five of the department's main goals this biennium: continue the governor's entitlement reforms, expand the Family Care program statewide, promote effective service delivery models, promote independence and self-sufficiency, and reform government.

Lawmakers voiced concerns about the elimination of the IRIS program. In response to these concerns, Secretary Rhoades assured members that DHS has a strong commitment to self-directed care. She discredited claims that self-directed care is going away with the governor's proposal. Specifically, the secretary assured members that DHS will maintain self-directed care within the managed health care system of Family Care.

The governor's proposed changes to Family Care paired with the program's geographical expansion prompted the secretary to begin referring to the program as "Family Care 2.0." Secretary Rhoades stated many times that this budget focuses on efficiencies, effectiveness, and accountability. Most important to DHS is the continued improvement of "the delivery of care with the focus on the health outcomes of the total person" and to provide Wisconsin residents with the necessary resources to be independent and move into the workforce.

You can watch a recording of Tuesday's agency briefings on Wisconsin Eye here.

Agency Briefings Day 3 - Wednesday, March 4th
• Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Mark Gottlieb emphasized the importance of Wisconsin's infrastructure, and said that agriculture and tourism -- two of Wisconsin's most important revenue sources -- depend on a safe and efficient multi-modal transportation system. The secretary went on to outline the department's proposed budget as it relates to investments to infrastructure, aids to local governments, department operations, revenues, and bonding.

The majority of the discussion revolved around the high level of bonding for transportation as proposed in the governor's budget. Lawmakers expressed concerns with continued borrowing, and members agreed that transportation funding should not be continually passed along to future legislatures. With over 3 hours of briefing with the DOT, members made it clear that they were looking for other ways to provide the department with funding other than bonding. The JFC will investigate possible alternatives to bonding as the budget process continues.

• Department of Revenue
Secretary Rick Chandler of the Department of Revenue (DOR) described the department's key issues: property tax relief, tax simplification, anti-fraud efforts, and the Unclaimed Property Program. The secretary also highlighted Governor Walker's commitment to tax relief and the work done by the legislature in past budgets to ensure that we hold the line on property taxes. There was also discussion about the importance of simplifying our state's tax code.

• Department of Children and Families
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Eloise Anderson emphasized the importance of the American Dream and what the department's role is in helping to make this dream attainable for all Wisconsinites. Secretary Anderson stated that the governor's budget proposal aligns with the department's goals to ensure that people have the means to learn important skills that lead to gainful employment, improve children's access to quality early childhood education, and help to guarantee that our most vulnerable friends and neighbors are safe and cared for.

• Department of Financial Institutions
• Department of Safety and Professional Services
The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Secretary Ray Allen and the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dave Ross appeared before the JFC together, as the governor's proposal includes a provision to consolidate these two agencies into one: the Department of Financial Institutions and Professional Standards. Both secretaries touted the idea of the "one stop shop" for Wisconsin businesses. They stated that this merger would be an effective and efficient way to streamline government and reduce spending. One of the governor's main goals with this proposal is to reduce the overall size of government, which is supported by both DFI and DSPS. JFC members asked questions about the effectiveness of the proposed agency merger and this is a discussion that will be ongoing.

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
• Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
Reed Hall, the CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) appeared before the JFC with Executive Director Wyman Winston of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), as the governor included a merger of these two authorities in his proposed budget. Both Mr. Hall and Mr. Winston explained that WEDC and WHEDA currently work together on many economic efforts in our state. It is for this reason that the proposed merger would help to streamline these economic efforts by making them more effective and efficient.

You can watch a recording of Wednesday's agency briefings on Wisconsin Eye here.

Congratulations to Jim Wise of Tomahawk, who has been recognized with the Jefferson Award from WAOW in Wausau. The awards are presented to those with outstanding personal acts with a community impact.

You may remember Jim from the news last summer, when the Bearskin-Hiawatha Trail was completed. That project had been over 27 years in the making, and through Jim's leadership we were able to secure commitments from the DNR and Governor Walker that saw the trail finished. This is just one of Jim's many accomplishments.

Jim is also active in the Tomahawk Main Street Group and Tomahawk Farmer's Market, and we all thank him for an outstanding example of true community service.

Have a good weekend,

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