FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE INTERVIEWED MAJORITY LEADER FITZGERALD AHEAD OF THE RELEASE OF THE SO-CALLED 999 BUDGET MOTION THAT INCLUDES ALL MANNER OF INSERTS, INCLUDING THE INSERT THAT SHARPLY CURTAILS PUBLIC ACCESS TO LEGISLATORS’ WORK PRODUCT AND COMMUNICATIONS. SENATOR FITZGERALD ASSURED ME THE WRAP-UP MOTION ONLY INCLUDED SMALL CONSTITUENT MATTERS. NOT SO IF YOU’RE AN ADVOCATE OF OPEN GOVERNMENT. THE BUDGET NOW HEADS TO THE FULL LEGISLATURE. THE ASSEMBLY IS SCHEDULED TO BE IN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO TAKE IT AND OTHER MEAUSURES UP NEXT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. WE ARE NOW JOINED BY ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER REPRESENTATIVE PETER BARCA. AND REPRESENTATIVE BARCA, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

PETER BARCA:

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU FREDERICA. WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF EACH OTHER THE LAST FEW DAYS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THAT’S RIGHT. SO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE WRAPPED UP ITS WORK AND THEIR FINAL MOTION AS WE’VE SAID INCLUDED THOSE SEVERAL ITEMS SLIPPED INTO THE BUDGET. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THOSE?

PETER BARCA:

I WAS ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED. AND AT A TIME I WOULD THINK I COULDN’T BE ASTOUNDED ANYMORE WITH ALL THE EXTREME THINGS THEY’VE DONE, THIS ONE LITERALLY KNOCKED ME OFF OUR CHAIR. I JUST – HARD TO IMAGINE THAT IN A STATE LIKE WISCONSIN THAT BELIEVES IN CLEAN, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT THAT ANYBODY WOULD HAVE THIS FAR-REACHING OF A CHANGE. BILL LUEDERS, WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE WISCONSIN FREEDOM FOR INFORMATION COALITION HAD STATEMENTS THAT SAID IT’S AN OUTRAGEOUS AFFRONT TO WISCONSIN’S TRADITION OF OPEN GOVERNMENT. BUT LISTEN TO THIS. HE SAID I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN A QUARTER CENTURY OF INVOLVEMENT. A QUARTER CENTURY OF INVOLVEMENT. SECONDLY HE SAID, IF WISCONSIN WANTS TO TAKE A GIANT LEAP INTO CORRUPTION, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD MOVE FOR THEM TO MAKE. I MEAN, AND THAT’S REALLY WHAT’S AT STAKE. AND THIS ISN’T A DEMOCRAT-REPUBLICAN ISSUE. IT’S NOT A CONSERVATIVE-PROGRESSIVE ISSUE. IT’S JUST PLAIN, CLEAN, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT. THE OLD SAYING WAS DON’T PICK A FIGHT WITH PEOPLE WHO BUY INK BY THE BARRELFUL. AT THIS POINT I THINK THEY ARE JUST SO DRUNK WITH POWER THEY THINK THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WAS INSERTED?

PETER BARCA:

OBVIOUSLY THEY’RE TRYING TO COVER SOMETHING UP. AS A MEMBER OF THE WEDC BOARD, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY EMBARRASSING AND POTENTIALLY CORRUPTION LEVEL RELATED ITEMS THAT WE HAVE UNCOVERED. IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE FOUND. OBVIOUSLY I BELIEVE SOMEBODY’S TRYING TO COVER SOMETHING UP AND THEY DON’T WANT US TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE RECORDS ANY MORE. NOW CERTAINLY THEY’VE BEEN EMBARRASSING, TO FIND OUT THAT THEY — AFTER LEARNING THIS GUY FROM BCI WAS GOING TO USE THE MONEY FROM THE TAXPAYERS TO PAY OFF HIS MASERATI AND A NUMBER OF OTHER LUXURY VEHICLES. POTENTIALLY THERE’S CORRUPTION. WHEN YOU HAVE THE GOVERNOR’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND HIS TOP AIDE PUSHING FOR THESE KINDS OF LOANS? SOMEBODY HAS TO BE COVERING UP SOMETHING IN MY JUDGEMENT THAT YOU WOULD PUSH FOR THIS SWEEPING OF A CHANGE. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, I MEAN, LITERALLY PEOPLE WILL VIRTUALLY HAVE NO ACCESS TO EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE, TO RECORDS, TO THE BILL DRAFTS WHERE YOU TRACK EXACTLY WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT WAS AND WHAT GROUPS WERE INVOLVED IN DRAFTING IT. IT’S TRULY UNBELIEVABLE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

LET’S MOVE ALONG TO THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE. REPUBLICANS ON JOINT FINANCE SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY MADE SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL, PARTICULAR MENTIONING K-12 AND THE UW SYSTEM. HOW DO YOU REGARD JOINT FINANCE’S WORK?

PETER BARCA:

I THINK THEY MADE IT WORSE IN SO MANY RESPECTS, BECAUSE WHILE THEY MADE SOME SMALL CHANGES IN THE PER-PUPIL AMOUNT, THAT CERTAINLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS WELCOME, ON THE OTHER END OF THE TABLE, THEY TOOK UP TO $800 MILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND THEY’RE GOING TO TRANSFER THOSE FUNDS FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PRIVATE VOUCHER SCHOOLS, WHICH ASIDE FROM THE SHEER MAGNITUDE OF $800 MILLION IS THE NOTION THAT HOW DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAN ANYMORE WHEN EVERY YEAR THEY’RE GOING TO RAMP UP THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT THE TAXPAYERS WILL PAY FOR TO GO TO THESE PRIVATE VOUCHER SCHOOLS. THEN TRANSPORATION, THEY ADDED ABSOLUTELY NO REVENUE, BUT THEY CUT THE AMOUNT OF BORROWING WHICH IN THAT SENSE IT’S GOOD. WE SHOULD HAVE LESS BORROWING. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO FUND TRANSPORTATION WHICH THEY DIDN’T DO. WHICH MEANS THAT WE WILL LOSE UP TO 5,500 MORE JOBS BY CURTAILING WHAT THE GOVERNOR PUT FORWARD FOR TRANSPORTATION. SO IN MANY RESPECTS, THEY MADE IT FAR WORSE THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR EVEN PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF KEY ISSUES LIKE JOBS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND EVEN LONG-TERM CARE, WHERE THEY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WOE BE IT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE TYPES OF SERVICES WE’VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO IN WISCONSIN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ON THE BUCKS ARENA, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE BUDGET, WHAT’S YOUR POSITION ON THAT?

PETER BARCA:

WELL, WE HAD A GOOD MEETING ON MONDAY – THESE DAYS RUN TOGETHER – SOMETIME THIS WEEK, WITH THE GOVERNOR, AND SENATOR SHILLING AND MYSELF, SPEAKER VOS, MAJORITY LEADER FITZGERALD, MAYOR BARRETT, AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE ABELE WAS THERE. I THINK WE MADE SOME PROGRESS JUST IN THE SENSE OF SAYING LOOK – EVERYBODY AGREES THERE SHOULD BE A GOAL TO PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP THE BUCKS IN WISCONSIN. THE TAXPAYERS ACTUALLY WOULD BE BETTER OFF BY KEEPING THEM THERE VERSUS HAVING THIS BIG ARENA THAT WOULD BE EMPTY. AND WE LOSE THE REVENUE THAT ALL THESE NBA PLAYERS PAY. SO WHEN LEBRON JAMES WILL NO LONGER COME TO MILWAUKEE AND PAY TAXES HERE. OR ALL THE OTHER NBA STARS SO BUT STILL WITHIN THE FOUR CORNERS OF AGREEMENT, IT NEEDS MODIFICATION. THERE ARE ELEMENTS THERE THAT THERE’S MAJOR QUESTIONS ON THAT I THINK WE CAN IMPROVE UPON. SO I THINK IF EVERYBODY CONTINUES WITH THE SPIRIT OF LET’S MAKE IT THE STRONGEST PACKAGE POSSIBLE AND BE OPEN-MINDED, I THINK THERE’S A POSSIBILITY WE CAN GET THERE. BUT YOU KNOW BY PULLING IT OUT OF THE BUDGET, IT DOES MAKE IT MUCH HARDER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

I KNOW THAT SPEAKER VOS HAS SAID HE WANTS 10 OR 15 DEMOCRATS TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ARENA PLAN. WILL HE HAVE THOSE DEMOCRATS?

PETER BARCA:

WE’RE A LONG WAY FROM HAVING 10 TO 15 DEMOCRATS AS WE SIT HERE NOW. WE FINALLY CAUCUSED ON IT FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY. FIRST TIME WE HAD THE PACKAGE. WE JUST GOT IT I THINK 48 HOURS EARLIER. A LOT OF QUESTIONS THERE. WE NEED TO HAVE A BRIEFING BY THE FISCAL BUREAU. WE’RE SCHEDULING THAT FOR MONDAY OR TUESDAY NEXT WEEK. BUT MANY PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND THEY’RE NOT READY YET. THEY DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE’RE AT QUITE AT THIS POINT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

VERY QUICKLY, NEXT WEEK OUGHT TO BE A WILD RIDE.

PETER BARCA:

IT WILL BE A WILD RIDE I MEAN BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY ISSUES OUTSTANDING. I MEAN ISSUES LIKE YOU KNOW NOT ONLY THE BUCKS ARENA, BUT PREVAILING WAGE, WHICH IS VITAL TO MAINTAINING THE MIDDLE CLASS IN WISCONSIN AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR CONTRACTORS ARE BUILDING OUR ROADS VERSUS OUT-OF-STATE CONTRACTORS TO ALL THE ISSUES OF THE BUDGET TO APPROVING THE TROOPER CONTRACT. THE SPEAKER TELLS ME HE WANTS TO BRING ABORTION UP, IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL OF THESE OTHER MAJOR ISSUES. SO IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY JUST TOUGH, ARDUOUS WEEK. AND SO I TOLD MY MEMBERS GET LOTS OF REST THIS WEEKEND.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. REPRESENTATIVE PETER BARCA, THANKS VERY MUCH.

PETER BARCA:

THANKS. GREAT BEING WITH YOU.