Every two years, Wisconsin goes through a grueling budget setting process. Last week, the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee cancelled their meeting despite the looming June 30 deadline for the next state budget. To make sense of the situation, host Douglas Haynes is joined by two veteran journalists, Jessie Opoien and JR Ross. 

Issues like childcare and education are front and center for state lawmakers and for Wisconsin residents. Opoein says that spending for the UW System is a sticking point on both sides of the aisle. The proposed $87 million cut isn’t enough for some Republicans, but any cuts are a non-starter for Governor Evers.  Ross puts the budget process in the context of larger electoral politics. As politicians prepare for next year’s midterm elections, some are wondering how they can use the state budget to defend their seats. 

They also break down the state’s lingering COVID funds, how new tax brackets will (or won’t) impact regular folks take-home pay, the challenge of addressing Medicaid, and the state’s longstanding disinvestment in higher education.  If the current budget is vetoed by Governor Evers, the state will revert to the previous budget. 

Jessie Opoien covers state government and politics for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

JR Ross is the editor of WisPolitics.com, the state’s premier political news service. He’s been covering Wisconsin politics for more than 25 years.

Featured image: photo of the Wisconsin state capital via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). 

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