Here & Now

WPR's Shawn Johnson Shares Capitol Updates

MEANWHILE, THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE CONTINUES THE HEAVY LIFTING ON THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET, A PART OF THE WHOLE BIENNIAL PACKAGE THAT HAS RESULTED IN SLOWING THE PROCESS BECAUSE OF DISAGREEMENT OVER HOW TO COVER A $400 MILLION SHORTFALL. TO WRESTLE WITH THIS ONE, WE ARE JOINED ON THIS WEEK’S CAPITOL INSIGHT BY WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO’S SHAWN JOHNSON. HEY SHAWN.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

HEY FRED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THANKS A LOT FOR DOING THIS.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
YOU’RE WELCOME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
FIRST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON ALL OF THIS. THE DISAGREEMENT STEMS FROM GOVERNOR WALKER’S REFUSAL TO INCREASE THINGS LIKE THE TAX GAS OR REGISTRATION FEES AND INSTEAD HIS RELIANCE ON $1.3 BILLION IN BONDING TO CONTINUE SPENDING ON HIGHWAY PROJECTS. NYGREN SAYS IT’S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IS NOT BUDGING AND LAWMAKERS DON’T LIKE THAT MUCH BORROWING.

JOHN NYGREN:
IT BASICALLY LEAVES US IN A POSITION WHERE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO REDUCE BONDING SO WE DON’T SEE THAT GROWTH IN DEBT SERVICE THAT MAKES US — PUTS US IN THE POSITION WHERE WE CANNOT LOOK TOWARDS BONDING IN THE FUTURE. WE CAN’T GET TO THE POINT WHERE ALL OUR DOLLARS ARE GOING TO DEBT SERVICE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT SLOWING HIGHWAY PROJECTS?

JOHN NYGREN:
I MEAN THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH SLOWING HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN MY VIEW IS WHERE THEY’RE BEING SLOWED DOWN. YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS GREAT TO A LOT OF MY CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS, JUST SLOW PROJECTS, UNTIL THEY END UP BEING IN THEIR DISTRICT. WE KNOW A LOT OF THE DOLLARS OVER THE LAST COUPLE BUDGETS HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE. THIS BUDGET WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT. WE’VE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR A LIST OF WHAT PROJECTS MIGHT BE DELAYED OR PERHAPS CANCELLED DUE TO THESE DELAY — OR DUE TO THE BONDING REDUCTIONS. WE DON’T HAVE THAT LIST YET, BUT HOPEFULLY BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT WEDNESDAY WE WILL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO REPRESENTATIVE NYGREN TELLS ME THEY EXPECT TO TAKE THIS INTO JOINT FINANCE ON WEDNESDAY, AND HE HOPES TO FINISH THIS ENTIRE BUDGET UP NEXT WEEK.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
YEAH BUT WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, REPRESENTATIVE NYGREN ALLUDED TO IT THERE, BUT YOU HAVE THE GOVERNOR TAKING A HARD LINE STAND AGAINST ANY NEW KIND OF REVENUE. YOU HAVE THE SPEAKER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY TAKING A HARD LINE STAND AGAINST THE BONDING IN THIS. ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS SAYS HE WANTS TO PULL WAY BACK ON BONDING.

ROBIN VOS:
WELL, IF I’M TRYING TO BE SUSTAINABLE, THE RIGHT NUMBER IS PROBABLY TO HAVE A LEVEL OF BONDING THAT WE KNOW IS LESS THAN OUR SPENDING. SO IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE SMALLEST CUT WE SHOULD HAVE IN BONDING IS $800 MILLION, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE AT LEAST ARE SPENDING WHAT WE ARE TAKING IN. I DO NOT WANT TO RUN A DEFICIT IN THE TRANSPORTATION FUND.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
AND IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO RUN A DEFICIT IN THE TRANSPORTATION FUND, YOU DO HAVE TO PULL WAY BACK ON BONDING, BECAUSE THAT’S THE WAY THAT THEY’VE RUN THINGS ESPECIALLY IN RECENT YEARS. THE SPEAKER’S ACTUALLY KIND OF SOFTENED HIS STANCE THERE A LITTLE BIT. A WEEK AGO HE WAS FLOATING THE IDEA OF MAYBE WE HAVE NO NEW BONDING AT ALL IN THIS BUDGET. AND SO $800 MILLION WOULD STILL BE A SIZABLE CUT, BUT IT’S NOT NEARLY AS BIG AS BEFORE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO THEY ARE COMING TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, APPARENTLY, AT LEAST SINCE HIS VERY HARD LINE OF JUST A WEEK AGO OR SO.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT, RIGHT? IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HEARD THEY WERE COMING TOGETHER. SO NO DEAL YET.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
ALL RIGHT. WELL, MEANWHILE, ON ANOTHER STICKING POINT AS THE BUDGET WRANGLING GOES INTO IT WHAT’S EXPECTED TO BE ITS FINAL WEEK BEFORE IT HITS THE FLOOR OF THE LEGISLATURE, WILL THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS’ PACKAGE BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET OR PULLED OUT? NYGREN SAYS WITH EVERY PASSING DAY A SEPARATE VOTE SEEMS LIKELY. WE ASKED HIM WHY.

JOHN NYGREN:
I THINK THAT THERE’S PEOPLE THAT WOULD — THERE’S FOLKS OUT OF MILWAUKEE — I’M AN OUTSTATE LEGISLATOR. THERE’S FOLKS OUT OF MILWAUKEE WHO OBVIOUSLY HAVE MORE INVESTED IN THIS HAPPENING THAN I WOULD OR COLLEAGUES LIKE ME. SO I THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NOT JUST REPUBLICANS STEPPING FORWARD AND LEADING ON THIS, THAT WE HAVE DEMOCRATS AS WELL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
TO PUT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT ON THAT, HE’S SUGGESTING THAT OUTSTATE LAWMAKERS DON’T NECESSARILY GO FOR THIS BUCKS ARENA PLAN, BUT THAT THERE WOULD BE DEMOCRATS IN MILWAUKEE THAT WOULD?

SHAWN JOHNSON:
YEAH. SO THIS COULD BE THE VERY RARE ISSUE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS WHERE DEMOCRATS ACTUALLY HAVE LEVERAGE. IF REPUBLICANS NEED THEM, IF THEY HAVE TO KIND OF COZY UP TO THEM ON THIS ISSUE, YOU MIGHT SOON SEE A DEMOCRAT SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO CHANGE IT A LITTLE BIT. ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER PETER BARCA SAID, THOUGH, THAT AS OF THIS WEEK THEY’RE STILL IN THE DARK ON THE BUCKS PACKAGE.

PETER BARCA:
I PERSONALLY HAVE SAID THAT I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT WE HAVE THE BUCKS CONTINUE IN THIS STATE AND THAT I WANTED TO SEE A RESPONSIBLE PACKAGE COME FORWARD. BUT WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SO IF THE DEMOCRATS — IF THEY NEED THE DEMOCRATS ON THIS BUCKS PACKAGE, THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE TO PULL IT OUT OF THE BUDGET, BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS AREN’T GOING TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
POTENTIALLY. THE THING IS, IF YOU PULL IT OUT OF THE BUDGET, THAT KIND OF PUTS IT IN NO MAN’S LAND, POTENTIALLY. I MEAN, YOU PUT AN ITEM LIKE THIS IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT MAKES IT EASIER TO PASS. WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU COULD GET DEMOCRATIC VOTES AT THAT POINT, I DON’T THINK IT IS IN ANY WAY A CERTAINTY THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A BUCKS DEAL THAT PASSES THIS SESSION.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
AND MEANWHILE WITH ALL OF THIS STUFF STILL UP IN THE AIR, DO YOU THINK IT’S REALISTIC THAT THEY WOULD PASS THIS WHOLE THING BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK?

SHAWN JOHNSON:
IT’S LOOKING LESS REALISTIC, BUT WHEN THEY WANT TO MOVE FAST, THEY CAN IN THE LEGISLATURE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
YEAH, WE KNOW THAT TO BE SURE. SHAWN JOHNSON, THANKS VERY MUCH.

SHAWN JOHNSON:
YOU’RE WELCOME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:
ON TRANSPORTATION AND THE STATE BUDGET, TUNE INTO WPR’S JOY CARDIN SHOW MONDAY MORNING AT 7:00. THAT’S WHEN TWO MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY’S TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TALK ABOUT PAYING FOR WISCONSIN ROADS AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF DELAYING HIGHWAY PROJECTS. THAT’S JOY CARDIN ON WPR MONDAY AT 7:00