GOP lawsuit challenges Wisconsin governor's veto powers

GOP lawsuit challenges Wisconsin governor's veto powers

MADISON — A conservative law firm on Wednesday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to dramatically scale back the ability of governors to change the intent of lawmakers through partial budget vetoes — a move that would reverse more than four decades of precedent.The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three taxpayers by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), is the most aggressive challenge yet to the 78 partial vetoes that Democratic Gov.

Bill would allow UW to increase tuition up to inflation

Bill would allow UW to increase tuition up to inflation

MADISON — The University of Wisconsin would be able to increase tuition by no more than the rate of inflation under a bill that the chairman of the state Assembly's higher education committee plans to introduce.The proposal envisions a time after a tuition freeze that has been in place for six years and will run for at least two more.

Memo: General fund $651 million short heading into next budget

Memo: General fund $651 million short heading into next budget

MADISON — New projections show Wisconsin's general fund will be about $650 million short of meeting spending commitments heading into the into the 2021-23 state budget.The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a memo Thursday that shows spending commitments under current law and the newly passed 2019-21 state budget, ranging from debt service to state worker raises to grants, will outpace revenues by the beginning of the next budget by $651 million.The fiscal bureau cautions that the projections don't take into account potential revenue increases or changes in state population, state program caseloads, employee compensation or inflation.