Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Wisconsin gets closer to a budget turkey
By Mary Lazich
Tuesday, Oct 2 2007, 08:31 PM
On April 22, 2007, I blogged, “The Green Bay Packers are scheduled to play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day this year. The game will be over, and the state of Wisconsin may still be without a budget.”
My prediction of a budget turkey is getting closer and closer to becoming reality.
Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch are both saying the budget will not be completed before October 15, 2007, the next deadline in the process of state certification of school aid numbers to local school districts. The major obstacle in the budget negotiations is the level of taxation and spending.
If we have learned anything from the budget impasse, there is a distinct and glaring difference between the two parties fiscal responsibility. Democrats wish to impose the highest taxes in the nation on Wisconsinites. Republicans want to pass a budget without tax increases because Wisconsin already pays some of the highest taxes in the country.
I concur with Senator Fitzgerald in once again calling on Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson to call the state Senate into session to move on the separate bills passed by the Assembly to fund local school districts and local units of government and set property tax levy limits. Senate adoption of the Assembly legislation is the prudent and responsible action to take. I am ready and anxious to go to the Senate floor and support Assembly Republicans’ successful approval of legislation to address the most critical portions of the state budget.
Assembly Republicans demonstrated great leadership in approving bills that would allow local schools, counties, cities, towns, and villages to proceed with their budgeting. Senate Democrats apparently refuse to come to the Senate floor, and are standing in the way of budget progress. A budget turkey is not out of the question.
