Senate Republicans To Introduce Own State Budget

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he looks forward to seeing Senate Republicans’ ideas when they introduce their own state budget.

Senate Republicans are getting ready to introduce their own version of the state budget as their stalemate with Assembly Republicans over transportation funding drags on.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, plans to introduce the spending plan at a news conference Tuesday. His spokeswoman, Myranda Tanck, said it will include everything that the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has already voted on as well as plans for tax changes, funding roads and funding state schools. She declined to offer any details.

The move could deepen the impasse between Senate and Assembly Republicans over transportation funding. Senate Republicans want to borrow an additional $750 million to fund roads. Assembly Republicans have balked at more borrowing and want to find new ways to raise more revenue for road work.

Vos, R-Rochester, has said if Senate Republicans won’t raise revenue to pay for additional borrowing, the only option left is keeping road funding flat. That would slow down or stop work on major interstate projects in southeastern Wisconsin.