Budget battle looming

DE PERE - Yet another budget battle is looming in Madison. The Joint Finance Committee is finishing up its work on the two-year budget.

The committee is expected to be done within the next day or two.

For the most part, Joint Finance is following the governor's ideas to eliminate the projected deficit. And the opposition isn't going away.

The budget battle could be felt on the streets of De Pere Thursday afternoon. More than 30 protesters greeted Governor Scott Walker as he came to the campus of St. Norbert College.

One of their biggest concerns is the governor's proposed cuts to education.

"I'm not just upset about the money, I'm upset about the tone, actually the mood is very very injured at the schools I know about," said retired teacher and Allouez resident, Janice Galt.

"I don't think the people of Wisconsin want to go backward. I think they want to go forward," said Governor Scott Walker.

The budget is expected to reach the legislature by next week.

Here's a look at some of the major cuts expected.

Its estimated there's about $800 million in cuts to public schools and about $250 million in cuts expected to the University of Wisconsin System.

There's also expected to be millions cut to local governments. Governor Walker says it's what needs to be done.

"We've tried to lay out a plan that's not only about balancing the budget, but it's about making government work better," Walker explained.

But once the budget reaches the Senate, Democratic Senator Dave Hansen hopes there's some give and take.

He wants to reduce cuts and spread out the additional $636 million expected in the two-year budget.

State officials say the money came in un-expectedly from an improved economy.

$100 million has already been put back into education, but Hansen would like to see more.

"We'd like to see more money into education and if you want to make those kinds of cuts, I think it could have been done more gradually, especially if the deficit is not as serious as they once thought," Hansen said.

But Republican Senators say cuts have to be made somewhere. And while they expect some reductions and changes to be made, they ultimately expect to stick with the plan.

"Overall, the point is to keep the deficit down and not create a new obligation going forward," said Republican State Senator Robert Cowles.

Walker hopes to have the budget on his desk to sign by June 30th.