Here & Now

Joint Finance Committee Reduces Cuts to ECB

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
FINALLY THIS WEEK, A QUICK STATE CAPITAL UPDATE. THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE REDUCED GOVERNOR WALKER’S PROPOSED CUT TO THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS BOARD OR E.C.B. BY ABOUT HALF. THE E.C.B. WHICH JOINTLY HOLDS OUR LICENSE WITH THE UW, OPERATES AND MAINTAINS THE PUBLIC RADIO AND TELEVISION TRANSMISSION TOWERS AROUND THE STATE. THE AGENCY ALSO OVERSEAS THE STATE’S AMBER AND EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEMS. WHILE THE BUDGET COMMITTEE RESTORED SOME FUNDS, IT ALSO EFFECTIVELY REMOVED FUNDING FOR THE E.C.B’S WISCONSIN MEDIA LAB, WHICH PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL CONTENT FOR K-12 SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. THE J.F.C. ADDED ABOUT 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MOVING IT UNDER THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. IN THE ASSEMBLY THIS WEEK, APPROVAL TO RAISE THE SPEED LIMIT TO 70-MILES-PER-HOUR. ALSO PASSING, DRUG TESTING FOR PEOPLE GETTING THE STATE’S UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND SOME WORK PROGRAMS. A BILL ALSO WAS APPROVED PUTTING RESTRICTS ON FOOD SHARE BENEFITS. TWO-THIRDS OF FOOD STAMPS PURCHASES MUST BE FOR W.I.C. APPROVED FOODS AND PROHIBITS THE PURCHASE OF CRAB, LOBSTER, SHRIMP OR SHELLFISH. NEXT WEEK, THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE TAKES UP SCHOOL FUNDING AND THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET. “HERE AND NOW” WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. THAT’S OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS WEEK. I’M FREDERICA FREYBERG. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND