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It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over — Vos Move Could Delay Budget Signing
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 19, 2017
From WisPolitics.com …
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos wants to talk with Scott Walker about the veto promises he issued to win Senate passage before sending the budget to the guv, a move that could delay the timetable for signing it.
Walker has said he wants to sign the budget before fall begins, which is Friday, and some have been expecting a mid-week ceremony. But that can’t happen without Vos signing the budget, which would allow the document to be sent to Walker.
Vos Chief of Staff Jenny Toftness said in an interview the speaker was hoping for a meeting with Walker soon to discuss the vetoes, which included some priorities for the Rochester Republican.
She noted Walker just returned this weekend from a trade mission to Japan and South Korea and spoke with some Senate Republicans about the promised vetoes ahead of Friday’s vote.
“The Assembly just wants the same opportunity,” Toftness said. “Hopefully we can get it done by the end of the week.”
The development is the latest twist in a tense budget process that pushed the document more than two months into the start of the new fiscal year. The bill also didn’t cobble together enough GOP votes in the Senate for passage until Sens. Chris Kapenga, of Delafield; Steve Nass, of Whitewater; and Duey Stroebel, of Saukville, received promises from Walker on a package of vetoes. With their support, the bill passed 19-14.
The promised vetoes would nix money for a tolling study, something Vos and Assembly Republicans have been pushing for to look for new revenue options in transportation. The guv also has promised to use his veto pen to: cut off school districts from a property tax exemption that allows them to exceed caps for energy efficiency projects; and $1 million the Joint Finance Committee put aside for renovations of the Capitol basement.
Vos supports the energy efficiency exemption and has been deeply involved in the Capitol’s centennial as co-chair of the commission planning the celebration.
Before the budget can be sent to Walker for his signature, Senate President Roger Roth, R-Appleton, and Vos, R-Rochester, have to sign the bill.
Roth’s office said he has already signed it, and once Vos does as well, the bill can be sent to Walker, who would then have a week to add his signature.
Nass aide Mike Mikalsen said Vos’ priorities were not targeted in the discussions the three GOP lawmakers had with Walker on promised vetoes.
Their original list of demands included provisions they wanted to see added to the budget before they would sign on. Among them was boosting the income limit for the statewide school choice program to 300 percent of the federal poverty limit, something Vos supports.
Once it was clear the budget would not be amended to meet the three senators’ demands, Mikalsen said the focus turned to what could be eliminated.
Walker has promised to veto language that would pre-empt local governments from placing some regulations on quarries that produce aggregate for road or construction projects.
Mikalsen said that provision was starting to receive sharp criticism from business groups, which is why the three targeted it.
He added they expect Walker to keep his veto promises, regardless of any meeting with Vos.
“We understand there is this issue,” Mikalsen said. “But the speaker does not dictate for all members that they cannot work with the governor to receive vote assurances.”
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