PITCH FOR INCREASED
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, SAYING
REPUBLICANS SPENT EIGHT YEARS
KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ON
A LONG-TERM FUNDING SOLUTION.
>> WE'RE GOING TO BE INCREASING
FEES FOR TITLES AND HEAVY
TRUCKS, AND WE DO HAVE TO RAISE
THE GAS TAX.
BUT AS I PROMISED ALL ALONG,
WE'RE SURE AS HECK NOT GOING TO
RAISE THE GAS TAX BY A DOLLAR.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> GONNA BE LESS.
IT'S GOING TO BE LESS.
WE'RE GOING TO RAISE IT EIGHT
CENTS A GALLON, WELL BELOW WHAT
THEY DID OVER THE RIVER RAISING
IT BY 20 CENTS IN MINNESOTA AND
18 CR CENTS IN OHIO.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE ALSO
GOING TO REPEAL A HIDDEN TAX
THAT COSTS YOU 14 CENTS A GALLON
ON GAS.
THAT MEANS OUR PLAN ACTUALLY
MAKES POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PAY
LESS AT THE PUMP THAN YOU DO
RIGHT NOW.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> LAST NIGHT, THE BUDGET TOOK
THE NEXT STEP FORWARD WHEN IT
WAS FORMALLY INTRODUCED TO THE
JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.
EARLIER TODAY I CAUGHT UP WITH
THE REPUBLICAN CO-CHAI OF JFC,
JOHN NYGREN.
>> LET'S START WITH YOUR FIRST
IMPRESSIONS OF GOVERNOR EVERS'
BUDGET.
>> FIRST, I THINK THE IMPRESSION
WOULD BE DISAPPOINTMENT.
HE'S USED RHETORIC ABOUT FINDING
COMMON GROUND, THINGS THAT ARE
NONDIVISIVE, YET WE KIND OF HAD
THE INSIDE OF THINGS THAT HAD
BEEN ROLLED OUT.
IT'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY OF BEING
ABLE TO WORK WITH US.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY FROM
REPUBLICANS' PERSPECTIVES,
THERE'S NONSTARTERS, TAX
INCREASES, TAX INCREASES, BUT
THINGS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW,
DRIVER'S CARD FOR ILLEGAL IM
IMMIGRANTS.
THAT'S A A VERY DIVISIVE ISSUE,
COUNTER TO THE RHETORIC HE'D
BEEN USING.
>> TYPICALLY A GOVERNOR USES
THEIR FIRST BUDGET TO LAY OUT
PRIORITIES, GOVERNOR WALKER,
GOVERNOR DOYLE, THOMPSON.
AND THEN WITH THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT
OF CHANGE IN THAT BUDGET.
SO WHY IS IT A SURPRISE THAT HE
WOULD LAY OUT SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT EVEN HE MAY KNOW HE MAY NOT
GET BUT SAY THIS IS WHAT I
BELIEVE.
>> UNWITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST SURPRISES
IS THE RHETORIC HE USED.
HE CAMPAIGNED AS A MODERATE
PERSON, THAT HE WOULDN'T RAISE
TAXES.
NOW HE IS.
USING HIS OWN WORDS.
YOU MENTIONED DOYLE.
WE'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT
REACTION TO HIS FIRST BUDGET.
TONY EVERS I THINK GENUINELY IS
A NICE MAN, COMES ACROSS AS A
VERY GENTLE MAN.
BUT GOING BACK TO LOOKING
REPUBLICANS' REACTION AND SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT GOVERNOR
DOYLE DID IN HIS FIRST BUDGET,
THIS IS EVEN FARTHER TO THE
LEFT.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY CONTRARY TO
WHAT HE'S PRESENTING HIMSELF AS.
>> SO ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT
WE HEARD ABOUT FIRST LAST NIGHT
WAS TRANSPORTATION FUNDING,
EIGHT CENTS A GALLON INCREASE IN
THE GAS TAX.
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN LOOKING
FOR YEARS TO TRY TO FIND A
SOLUTION UNDER GOVERNOR WALKER.
ARE YOU STILL COMMITTED TO THE
IDEA THAT MORE REVENUE IS NEEDED
IN TRANSPORTATION?
>> I THINK WE'RE STILL LOOKING.
REPUBLICANS IN THE ASSEMBLY HAVE
HISTORICALLY BEEN LOOKING FOR A
LONG-TERM FUNDING SOLUTION.
WE STILL HAVE -- WE ARE NOT A
UNICAMERAL.
WE HAVE TWO BODIES.
GOVERNOR EVERS, AS MAJORITY
LEADER POINTED OUT LAST NIGHT,
WE STILL HAVE A VERY
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS
IN BOTH HOUSES BUT SPECIFICALLY
IN THE SENATE THAT WE HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO GET SUPPORT TO PASS
ANYTHING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE THAT
WE'RE COMMITTED TO FIND A
SOLUTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE PROPOSAL
THAT GOVERNOR EVERS PUT OUT LAST
NIGHT WILL MEET THAT
OPPORTUNITY.
>> HE SAID HE'S COMMITTED TO THE
LOWEST AMOUNT OF BONDING FOR
TRANSPORTATION THAT WE'VE SEEN
IN A COUPLE -- OR GENERATION.
ARE YOU IN LINE WITH THAT?
IT SEEMS LIKE REPUBLICANS HAD
TRIED TO LIMIT BONDING.
>> I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS OFF
THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I
BELIEVE GOVERNOR WALKER'S LAST
BUDGET WAS THE LOWEST BONDING IN
A GENERATION.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THIS DEBT
AND BURDEN ON OUR CHILDREN.
WE WANT TO PAY FOR IT NOW.
I THINK TRANSPORTATION, THERE'S
SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FIND
A COMPROMISE.
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A
RUBBER STAMP, THAT'S FOR SURE.
>> NOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
BUDGET AS A WHOLE WHEN YOU START
REMOVING THINGS LIKE MEDICAID
EXPANSION OR THE ELIMINATION OF
SOME OF THE MANUFACTURING TAX
CREDITS THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE
SAID IS A NONSTARTER.
DOES THE WHOLE THING FALL APART?
>> WHERE WE START IS THE BIGGEST
QUESTION.
PEOPLE THROW OUT THE IDEA OF
STARTING WITH A BASE BUDGET.
I THINK FOR ME AND YOU WHO HAVE
BEEN AROUND A FEW YEARS, MAYBE
WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
I DON'T THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDS THAT.
THAT'S MORE INSIDE BASEBALL.
THE QUESTION COMES DOWN TO WHICH
PIECES OF GOVERNOR EVERS' BUDGET
ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER WITH HIM ON.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO
FOCUS ON -- WE'RE GOING TO WANT
TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE
FOR K-12 EDUCATION.
THIS ONE IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE
LAST ONE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE
REALISTIC.
WE CAN'T SPEND MORE MONEY THAN
WE HAVE.
THIS BUDGET INCREASES THE
STRUCTURAL DEFICIT BY $850
MILLION, MEANING WE'RE NOT GOING
TO HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT
INTO OUR NEXT BUDGET, INCREASING
THE GAP DEFICIT BY 75%, AFTER IT
WE HAD REDUCED IT BY NEARLY 60%.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS BUDGET IS
SUSTAINABILITY.
>> GOVERNOR WALKER'S, ONE OF HIS
BUDGET PRIORITIES WAS KEEPING
PROPERTY TAXES AT OR BELOW WHEN
HE CAME INTO OFFICE OR 2014,
DEPENDING ON THE MOMENT IN TIME
WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THIS HAS 1.7% INCREASES IN THE
FIRST TWO YEARS, $50 ON AVERAGE,
MEDIAN TAXPAYERS' HOME.
IS THERE EXPECTATION THAT SOME
INCREASE IS OKAY?
>> MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE
NUMBERS, THIS IS A WORKING -- WE
WERE UP PRETTY LATE LAST NIGHT
RUNNING THE NUMBERS.
IT'S $150 INCREASE IN PROPERTY
TAXES ON THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME.
SO DO I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO BUY DOWN PROPERTY
TAXES THROUGHOUT THE STATE?
I DO NOT.
SHOULD WE BE BUYING DOWN THE
GROWTH OF YOUR PERSONAL -- YOUR
HOME'S VALUE?
I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE
EXPECTATION, THAT AS YOUR HOME
BECOMES MORE VALUABLE, TAX
BURDEN COULD GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE $150 NUMBER
IS APPROPRIATE.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS SAID WE CAN'T
AFFORD TO PLAY POLITICS WITH THE
BUDGET.
BUT THE BUDGET IS INHERENTLY A
POLITICAL DOCUMENT.
SO IS THAT NAIVETY OR IS HE
PLAYING TO AN AUDIENCE THAT
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT?
>> IT'S THE RHETORIC HE'S USING
TO WORK TOGETHER.
HIS PROPOSAL IS ANYTHING BUT,
ANYTHING BUT A UNIFYING
DOCUMENT.
IT'S ACTUALLY VERY
CONTROVERSIAL, AS WE SAID, A
NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE IN IT.
REGARDLESS WHERE THE PUBLIC IS
ON THINGS SUCH AS IN-STATE
TUITION FOR CHILDREN OF ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS, THE DRIVER'S CARDS,
TAX INCREASES, MARIJUANA.
THOSE ARE ALL VERY DIVISIVE
ISSUES THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO
BE CONSIDERED, THEY SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED -- WE SHOULD HAVE
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THEM,
SEPARATE, IN A DIFFERENT
DOCUMENT.
SO I THINK THERE'S A POSSIBILITY
WITH SOME OF THOSE MORE
CONTROVERSIAL ITEMS THAT WE
MIGHT MAYBE SEND THEM TO A
SEPARATE COMMITTEE, THE STANDING
COMMITTEES, AND HAVE THEM REVIEW
THOSE MORE IN-DEPTH.
>> REPUBLICANS HAVE RETAINED
SOME OF GOVERNOR WALKER'S OLD
BUDGET WRITERS.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAVE DONE
THAT.
HOW CAREFULLY WERE YOU CRAFTING
THE LANGUAGE YOU USE WITH
GOVERNOR EVERS' VETO PEN IN
MIND?
>> THE BIGGEST CONCERN IN
WISCONSIN GOVERNMENT IS THE
POWER OF THE VETO PEN.
NOW, WHILE WE'VE RESTRICTED THAT
OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I
BELIEVE IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THE
GOVERNOR HAS THE MOST POWER VETO
PEN IN THE NATION, STILL RETAINS
THAT.
SO THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING
THAT WE WILL BE WATCHING.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE
SEEING -- WHILE DEMOCRATS HAVE
COMPLAINED ABOUT POLICY IN THE
BUDGET UNDER GOVERNOR WALKER, I
WOULD POINT OUT WE PULLED ALL
THOSE ITEMS OUT IN THE LAST
BUDGET.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE
SEEING US TO BE PUTTING MORE IN.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THOSE
OUT.
BECAUSE THOSE POLICY INITIATIVES
ARE THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR
CREATIVE VETOING.
I'VE GOT GREAT STAFF.
SOME OF THEM DID WORK IN THE
WALKER ADMINISTRATION.
WE'VE GOT A GOOD EXPERTISE TO
HELP US OUT.
>> REPRESENTATIVE NYGREN, THANKS
FOR YOUR TIME.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.