Marketplace Today Blog

By Patrick Marley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gov. Jim Doyle rewrote portions of the state budget through vetoes Monday.

Doyle signed the budget at 11 a.m. Monday at the governor’s mansion. Doyle has one of the most powerful veto pens in the country, which allows him to approve spending bills while rewriting portions of them.

The budget closes a record $6.6 billion shortfall over two years by raising $2.1 billion in taxes and fees, spending federal economic stimulus money, cutting state agencies and reducing aid to local governments and schools.

By acting Monday, Doyle and legislators completed the budget before the start of the fiscal year for the first time since 1977. Past budgets have dragged on for months past the July 1 start of the fiscal year, with the last one delayed until October over partisan differences.

“I knew we could avoid irreparable harm to our services — and our people — by making sure we made responsible cuts that took the path of least destruction,” Doyle said in a statement. “I knew we could still invest in our future to strengthen Wisconsin for generations to come. We have done just that, and on time.”

Republicans voted against the budget, saying it was too costly at a time of economic distress. Assembly Republican Leader Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon in a statement called it “a terrible budget riddled with pork projects, job-killing special interest policy items and billions in new spending.”

Doyle reduced the state’s film incentives program to $500,000 a year. The existing program has been open-ended, with Doyle and other critics saying it was too generous. Legislators wanted to cap it at $1.5 million a year, but Doyle put in a lower limit.