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MADISON - The leader of the Wisconsin
Senate said Monday that he disagrees with changes made to the budget
in a couple key areas by the Assembly, presenting a roadblock to quick
passage.
Gov. Jim Doyle and other legislative
leaders have stressed they want the budget enacted by the start of the
fiscal year July 1 to start solving a projected $6.6 billion
shortfall.
The Assembly passed its version of the
two-year $62.2 billion spending plan early Saturday morning. They
altered the governor's plan for taxing oil companies and also removed
his proposal to change liability laws.
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker,
D-Weston, said Monday he preferred the governor's oil tax plan that
prevented those companies from passing it along to consumers. The
Assembly removed that prohibition and said oil companies could pass
along the cost of the tax up to 4 cents a gallon at the pump.
Decker also stood by the governor's
original proposal to change the state's liability laws, lowering the
threshold at which someone could be found liable for damages when more
than one person is at fault.
Businesses across the state lobbied
against the proposed change to the law known as "joint and
several" liability, saying it could result in more lawsuits,
higher costs and drive some people out of business.
The Assembly voted to remove the
governor's changes from the budget.
Decker said he wants to bring it back.
"Hopefully, we can salvage
that," he said before meeting in secret with Senate Democrats to
discuss the budget.
He will run into trouble with his
fellow Democrats, many of whom don't support it, said Sen. Jon
Erpenbach, D-Waunakee.
"It will be very hard to pass a
budget if that's in there," Erpenbach said.
Decker also will likely run into
opposition on the oil tax. Erpenbach and other Senate Democrats said
they wanted to keep the tax but also remove questions about its
legality.
The Assembly proposal is a step in the
right direction, but other ideas are out there, said Sen. Jim Holperin,
D-Conover.
"People are looking for a more
palatable way to get to where we need to go," he said.
The Senate will also be looking at
numerous changes made by the Assembly to regional transit authorities
that could raise sales taxes in some of the most populated parts of
the state, including Madison, Milwaukee the Fox Cities and Chippewa
Valley. The money raised would pay for commuter rail and other
transportation needs.
The plan also allows for an $18 rental
car tax in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee counties.
The budget raises more than $2.1
billion in taxes and fees and cuts most state agencies by 6 percent to
address a $6.6 billion budget shortfall. It also relies on $3.7
billion in federal stimulus money, additional state borrowing and
accounting moves to balance.
Even with the areas of contention,
Democrats were trying to find agreement quickly. Decker said he hoped
the Senate would meet no later than Wednesday to pass the budget.
"The governor wants this thing
done because it's bad news," said Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine.
"We want it done because it's bad news. The Assembly wants it
done because it's bad news. The pain and suffering is spread
throughout state government and local government."
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