MacIver Institute pushing for budget process reforms after impasse

(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin conservative policy group is suggesting the state rethink its budget process after negotiations between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders failed to succeed in reaching a compromise.

Now, those Republican leaders say they will push forward creating a budget through the state’s Joint Finance Committee. The committee is set to meet again at 1 p.m. Tuesday with 16 agenda items including adjusting revenue projections for lottery administration, state and local finance, excise tax regulation and enforcement, tax administration and department wide expenses.

The MacIver Institute says the state should consider budget reforms, which it has pushed for for years.

That would include starting the budget process from scratch at $0 rather than using prior spending assumptions, thus analyzing spending from all departments.

The group also is pushing for efforts to enact spending reductions with a goal percentage, cutting funding for unaccountable programs, cut programs that don’t have funding for legislative oversight and requiring all state agencies to write and submit full operational budgets.

“It’s as basic as it sounds,” MacIver wrote. “State agencies should actually have to draft and submit budgets that supports their mission statement. They don’t now.”

Tuesday’s Joint Finance meeting will include four changes to workforce development budget items, three related to insurance, two related to agriculture, trade and consumer protection along with supreme and circuit court funding and spending for the state’s historical society.