Lawmakers Have Little Incentive To Pass Budget On Time

MADISON, Wis. -- After a third day of closed-door budget negotiations on a budget that is nearly three months late, some are calling for regulations that will keep this from happening again.

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When there is split control of the Legislature like there is in Wisconsin, it is a recipe for gridlock, and political observers said it might be time to give legislators some motivation to pass a budget.

The state Senate and Assembly leaders were summoned by Gov. Jim Doyle to the executive residence on Monday for marathon budget negotiation discussions. The budget is over two months late and a conference committee has made little progress in weeks of negotiations.

But Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, said that the full-time Legislature has little incentive to finish a budget.

"We're probably one of a dozen Legislatures in the country that face very little in the way of consequences for a late budget. I mean things that really push a decision -- shut down a government for instance," Berry said.

Berry said that others have suggested that Wisconsin cut legislator pay for every day the budget is late. He said that Wisconsin has had a pattern of split control in the Legislature and that every time that happens, there is trouble with the budget.

Wisconsin is among 12 states that have no limits on how long budget talks can drag on. In 23 states, government is shut down, and 12 states have a modified shutdown. That means those states shut down all of government with the exception of certain essential functions.

In Illinois, after June 1, budget approval requires three-fifths instead of a simple majority in both houses.