Wisconsin's Budget Passes Assembly, Heads To Governor

MADISON, Wis. -- Gov. Jim Doyle now gets his chance to change a bill intended to fix the state's $527 million budget shortfall.

The budget bill cleared the Republican-controlled Assembly Wednesday, a day after it passed the Democratic-led Senate.

Doyle is expected to issue his vetoes within days. He's already said he's unhappy with major parts of the plan, including a $125 million delay in school aid payments and a $209 million refinancing of tobacco bonds.

The plan that passed the Legislature also takes back $22 million set aside to comply with a federal law to make driver's licenses more secure, taps $97 million from reserves, and imposes $15 million more in taxes on some businesses.

Democratic and Republican leaders who supported the bill agree that the plan is not perfect but that it is needed to get road projects and other funding in place.

"If we don't pass a budget, they don't go to work. These are real people with real mortgages. It's an ugly budget, but somebody has to govern," said Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison.

Doyle has said he would prefer to take more money from the state's transportation fund, to be replaced with additional borrowing, to help balance the budget. He also proposed $111 million in cuts to state spending while the plan that passed had just $69 million.

The Assembly passed the budget 51-46, with just one vote more than the 50 needed.