Lawmakers approve state budget

A compromise budget bill is working its way through the state Legislature.

Overnight, the Democratic controlled Senate passed the spending plan.

"It's something that we had to get done," said Democratic State Senator Dave Hansen.

Hansen says he doesn't like everything included in the budget bill, but it needed to move ahead.

"There was a lot of compromise and we did listen, but yet in a tough budget we wanted to maintain education at the K to 12 level, plus universities and tech schools and we want to make sure our infrastructure is protected," said Hanson.

Republican State Senator Rob Cowles says his party was left out of discussions on how to balance the budget, and he would have pushed for more spending reductions.

"It was an easy vote no, and I'm very upset about it. It's setting us back. Ultimately the state will come out of this, the deep recession, but this is not helping," said Cowles.

The compromise bill eliminates a new tax that threatened to increase gas prices, does away with the creation of a special card that would allow illegal immigrants to drive in Wisconsin, and mandates that all car owners must have auto insurance.

The Assembly, where Democrats, again, are the majority, has also passed the bill.

Republican State Representative Phile Montgomery told FOX 11 he simply doesn't see much good in the bill.

"Again, when it's done in secret, when you're increasing taxes, when we can't get GM to build a plant here, when you increase the taxes on the job creators, that's a recipe for disaster," said Montgomery.

But others in the Assembly say the compromise budget, while filled with tough choices, is one the state can live with.

"No one got everything they asked for, but I think what we have here in this document, is a fair compromise that takes into consideration the interests of Northeast Wisconsin and other parts of the state," said Democratic State Representative Tom Nelson.

Now that both chambers have passed the budget, it heads to Governor Jim Doyle for his consideration.

So far, his office has remained quiet on the legislature's action.