State budget talks plod on; Wisconsin last state without spending plan for July 1 year

Madison - Wisconsin is the only remaining state whose fiscal year started July 1 that does not have a new spending plan, a national group said Tuesday.

California and Illinois also did not adopt a new budget by July 1. But California lawmakers agreed on a version of a budget Tuesday afternoon, said Arturo Perez, an analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Illinois legislators agreed on a budget Aug. 17.

No such accord has been seen in Wisconsin's Capitol, where a special eight-member committee of legislators met again Tuesday but made no progress at breaking a monthlong impasse over the new state budget. The panel will meet again Thursday.

Four Democrats and four Republicans serve on the committee. Republicans control the Assembly, and Democrats run the Senate.

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats gave Republicans a 33-point package they said would provide enough money to buy and preserve recreational land and to address fishing, hunting and water-quality issues.

Republicans said they would consider the proposals. But they said they could make no commitments because their chief negotiator, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem), was ill and had to miss the meeting.

Republicans asked Democrats to respond to their 57-point package related to the funding of public schools, most of which will open in the next two weeks. Democratic legislators and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle say the GOP plan does not provide enough money for schools.

Although the 2007-'09 budget cycle began July 1, state government spending will continue at the previous level until the governor signs a new budget into law.

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