1997-1999 State Budget Brief
Background - Governor's Address:
At 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday February 12, 1997, Governor Thompson officially
presented his 1997-99 biennial budget to a joint session of the legislature.
This memorandum is an initial summary of educational and other
select provisions in the bill. Additional summaries of the budget
bill along with talking points will be produced by the Government Relations
Division as the budget is debated in the legislature.
Joint Finance Committee (JFC) Introduction of Identical Bills in
Each House:
In what may be an unprecedented move in state budget history,
the JFC voted to introduce identical bills in both the Assembly and
the Senate. On a vote of 12-4 the Committee approved
a motion to have both houses work on identical budget bills simultaneously.
The two bills are Senate Bill 77 and Assembly Bill 100.
In addition, there were no conclusions reached regarding votes and procedures
for the committee. In the past, a single majority (9 votes) was required
for the JFC to remove or add provisions to the budget.
At issue is which house will control the veto review session. The last
budget (AB 150) was an Assembly bill which would require this budget
to be a Senate bill. The house that introduces the bill is also
the house that initiates debate during veto review. Senator
Jauch said that he was disgusted with what he characterized as an insult
to the Senate. Co-chairperson Jensen said that the idea was brought
forth to allow for timely bi-partisan debate in both houses so that
differences could be addressed by a conference committee.
(Return to Index)
The JFC co-chairs released a memorandum that established the following
schedule for budget review:
- Week of March 10 -- Briefings by the Fiscal Bureau
- Week of March 17 -- Briefings by the Fiscal Bureau and/or
state agency heads
- Week of March 24 -- Briefings by state agency heads
- Weeks of April 7 and 14 -- Public hearings. Public hearings
will be held in Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau.
- Public hearings: Two hearings will be held in Madison; one
conducted solely via teleconference with sites in Green Bay and Superior.
(The committee will not be in session on Mondays or Fridays.)
- Detailed Schedule: Once the Fiscal Bureau summary is complete,
the co-chairs will provide the JFC with a detailed schedule of the
briefings and the times, dates and specific locations of the public
hearings.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 21/23/249/2805/2806/2807/2809/2810/2811/2871 |
Model Standards and Graduation Test:
- Require the development of model academic standards in reading/writing,
mathematics, science, history and geography by September 1997; and
require all school districts to implement standards by the beginning
of the 1998-99 school year.
- Require DPI to develop a high school graduation test by June 30,
1999. Require school districts to administer the test, or their
own tests, beginning in the 1999-2000 school year. Local school
boards would be required to provide pupils with at least four opportunities
to take the examination in the high school grades.
- Create a Standards Development Council (SDC) to develop model standards
in the five core subject areas of math, science, reading/writing,
history and geography. The council is in the office of the governor
where the chairperson shall be the lieutenant governor. Additional
members of the council include a representative of the DPI, chairpersons
of the education committees of the Assembly and Senate, the ranking
minority member of each committee and one member appointed by the
governor.
- NOTE: The governor's proposal would allow districts to develop
their own standards in lieu of the state model. This local option
would also be available for the high school graduation test requirement.
- NOTE: By the effective date of the budget, the governor
will have established a set of model standards and deliver them to
the standards development council. Although the council may modify
the standards, the governor shall have final approval and issue the
approved standards as an executive order.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 45/52/53/116/120/124/125/148/150/151/221/
235/264/270/272/283/667/674/680/681/736/737/
752/ 753/815/816 /818/820/824/826/834/ 916/
1168/1192/1212-1215/ 1342- 1344/1347/2877/
3145-3155/3158/9101/9140/9141/9401 |
Creation of a New Technology for Educational Achievement (TEACH) Wisconsin
Board:
- A newly created TEACH board responsible for working with public
school districts, CESAs, the UW System Board of Regents, the WTCS
Board and the DOA to do all of the following -- (1) promote the efficient,
cost-effective procurement, installation and maintenance of educational
technology by school districts, CESA's and by UW and WTCS institutions
-- (2) identify best methods of providing in-service training for
teachers and faculty relating to the effective use of educational
technology and administer funding for teacher training and -- (3)
establish standards and specifications for the purchase of education
technology hardware and software and for the installation and upgrading
of school and computer network wiring.
- The TEACH Wisconsin Board would be a nine-member board including
a member of the UW Board of Regents and a member of the WTCS Board
appointed by their respective boards, the Secretary of DOA, the State
Superintendent of Public Instruction and five members appointed by
the governor. The governor also appoints the executive director of
the board.
- The governor's budget calls for $30,096,500 in FY98 and $54,710,900
in FY99 (from various revenue sources - GPR/PR-O/SEG-O) and 6.00 full
time equivalent (FTE) positions for the new agency.
- NOTE: This provision coincides with the recommended elimination
of the Pioneering Partners Grant and Loan Program and the Educational
Technology Board. These programs' function and appropriations will
be taken over by the new TEACH board. Their primary function is for
awarding grants and loans to school district and public libraries
for distance education and educational technology projects. In addition
distance learning functions of the Educational Communications Board
(ECB) would be transferred to the new Board.
- NOTE: In his budget address, the Governor stated that all
funds relating to education technology would be outside of the state's
imposed revenue limits. This represents the first exemption in the
limits supported by the Governor.
Educational Technology Block Grants - Administered by TEACH Agency:
- Provide $25M GPR/SEG in FY98 and $40M GPR/SEG in FY99 for noncompetitive
block grants to school districts for educational technology. The block
grants would be proportional to the number of persons between the
ages of 4 and 20 who reside in each school district. A base grant
is also provided to all school districts in the amount of $5,000.
- The block grants would be used to purchase and maintain computer
hardware and software, to train professional staff members in using
educational technology, and for the repayment of loans related to
investments in educational technology.
- NOTE: Additional grant awards to districts would depend in
part on a weighted scale. The scale would be based on a school district's
property values measured against the state average equalized valuation
per pupil. In addition, all grants would be available only if the
school board adopts a resolution requesting the grant.
- NOTE: Grants to districts would be deposited in a separate
fund. The funds may be used for any purpose related to educational
technology, except that a school district may not use the funds to
pay the salary or benefits of any school district employee.
Grants to CESAs - Administered by the TEACH Agency:
- TEACH agency will promulgate rules to provide $4M annually to CESAs.
The funds are designated for teacher training programs and to fund
two staff members per CESA. One staff person would provide technical
assistance related to educational technology and a second staff person
will coordinate and provide educational training for the school districts
served by the CESA agency.
Subsidized School Wiring Loans / Telecommunications Access - Administered
by the TEACH Agency:
- Provide $50M annually in state bonding authority for loans to school
districts to upgrade their electrical and computer network wiring.
Provide funding for the state to pay one- half of the principal and
interest charges on the loans to school districts.
- Direct the PSC to coordinate with the TEACH board and the DOA to
use moneys in the universal service fund to ensure that all school
districts are able to access a high speed data link providing direct
Internet access and, if the district chooses, two-way video link for
not more than $250/month.
- The board determines the interest rate for loans which shall be
"as low as possible" but shall be sufficient to fully pay
all interest expenses incurred by the state.
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BUDGET SECTIONS: 2688/2689/261/262/282/284/611-613/617/1177/1182/1184/1191/2666-
2675/2677/2680/2813-2815/2870/9140/9147/9347/9426 |
Consolidation of School-to-Work Programs:
- Modify existing programs to allow eligible students to complete
their high school education at Wisconsin's technical colleges.
- Consolidate school-to-work programs in one agency by designating
the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) as the lead agency for
education and work programs.
Create a new Division of Connecting Education and Work:
- Consolidate school-to-work staff from the DPI and WTCS into a new
division of Connecting Education and Work in the DWD. The new department
will be required to annually prepare and submit to the legislature
and to the governor a report on the activities of the governor's Council
on Workforce Excellence. The report shall include a report on the
status of the school-to-work programs.
- In providing a school-to-work program the DWD will also; (1) annually
prepare a plan for the operation of school-to-work programs identifying
priorities for the statewide school- to-work program; (2) annually
notify school boards, technical college district boards, the DPI and
other interested educational and employment agencies of the purposes
for grants awarded for school-to work programs; (3) review recommendations
of the governor's Council on Workforce Excellence, approve school-to-work
programs and award grants to programs approved by the DWD; (4) after
reviewing recommendations of the governor's Council on Workforce Excellence,
approve statewide skill standards for school-to-work programs provided
by school boards.
- NOTE: There is also a provision in the governor's budget
which would allow the DWD to approve an "innovative" school-to-work
program provided by a nonprofit organization for children at risk
in a county having a population of 500,000 or more for the purposes
of assisting children at risk in acquiring employability skills
and occupational-specific competencies before leaving high school.
This is also required only after the DWD has reviewed recommendations
from the governor's Council on Workforce Excellence.
- NOTE: The new division shall plan, coordinate, administer
and implement the department's programs, policies and funding relating
to the department's employment and education programs. This includes
the development of curricula for youth apprenticeship programs. It
shall also preform other employment and education programs that the
governor by executive order assigns the division.
- The DWD is also authorized to allocate up to a total of $600,000
each year in grants to nonprofit corporations and public agencies
for the provision of career counseling centers throughout the state.
Development of Technical Preparation Programs:
- Each school board will be required to establish a technical preparation
program. The program shall consist of a coherent sequence
of courses, approved by the technical college system board. The program
shall integrate applied academic and technical competency-based curricula
and that aredesigned to provide high school juniors and seniors
with both high school and technical college credit or with advanced
standing in a postsecondary institution upon graduation from
high school.
- The state superintendent, the Department of Industry, Labor and
Job Development and the WTCS system board shall provide technical
assistance to school boards to develop technical preparation programs
in each high school.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 1179/1180/1185/1190/2709/2788/2812/2816/2818/
2819/2820/2821/2822-2825/2844 2845/2872 |
Attending Technical College Instead of High School -- Acceptance Criteria:
- A pupil may request, with the written approval of a parent or guardian,
to attend a technical college for the purpose of taking one or more
courses if the student meets the following criteria: (1) the pupil
has completed the 10th grade; (2) the pupil is in good academic standing;
(3) the pupil notifies the school board of his or her intent to attend
a technical college under this new law at least 90 days before the
start of the technical college semester; (4) the pupil is not at risk
as defined in s.118.153(1)(a).
- NOTE: The technical college district board is required to
admit the pupil based on available space and if he or she meets the
admission requirements of the program for which he or she has applied,
except that the district board may reject an application from a pupil
who has a record of disciplinary problems, as defined by the district
board.
Technical Colleges and School Board Responsibilities:
- The technical college shall ensure that the child's educational
program meets the high school graduation requirements established
by the school district. It is the school board's responsibility to
notify the pupil if a course at the technical college does not meet
high school graduation requirements.
- The pupil is eligible to receive both high school and technical
college credit for courses successfully completed at the technical
college.
- The school board is responsible for paying the technical college
in two installments: half at the beginning of the semester and half
at the end of the semester according to the following plan: (1) if
the pupil is attending the technical college for fewer than 7 credits,
an amount equal to the cost of tuition, courses fees and books at
the technical college; (2) if the pupil is attending the technical
for 7 credits or more, an amount equal to the school district's average
per pupil cost for regular instruction and instructional support services
in the previous school year according to the established state aid
formula.
- The school board is not responsible for transporting a pupil attending
a technical college under this new program. All transportation is
the responsibility of the pupil and the parent or guardian.
- An annual report is also required to be filed with the DOA, the
DPI and the Department of Industry, Labor and Jobs. The report will
include the following information: (1) the number of pupils in the
program; (2) the type and number of credits earned by the pupils;
(3) the number of persons who applied for admission to a technical
college who had attended in the previous year; (4) a list of the courses
given in high schools for which a pupil may receive postsecondary
credit and the number of pupils enrolled in the courses for postsecondary
credit in the previous school year and; (5) any other information
considered relevant.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 255/1277/2759-2763/2765/2767/2781/2783-2785
/ 2817 / 2826/ 2827/ 2843/ 2848/ 2856/2883/2885-2887/2889/2890-2893/9440 |
Creation of a Public School Choice Program:
- Establish a statewide public school choice program beginning in
FY 99. The proposal implements a statewide program on a space available
basis.
- School boards would be required to adopt criteria for acting on
applications on a first come first served basis or on a random selection
if applicants exceed space availability. The number of children transferring
would be limited to 3% of enrollment in FY 99, and would increase
by 1% each year thereafter until it reaches 10% in FY 2006.
- Tuition would be paid by the district of residence to the district
of attendance based on the lower of either district's costs, unless
a different amount is negotiated. Transportation would be the responsibility
of the parents', however, school districts would be authorized to
provide transportation if they wish.
- NOTE: These provisions are similar to the public school choice
bill that failed last session.
- NOTE: The Governor's budget contains this provision even
though there is a Legislative Council study committee currently researching
this issue. The study committee has not yet reached consensus on a
number of issues relating to establishing a public school choice program
in Wisconsin.
(Return to Index)
PER-PUPIL INCREASE AND REVENUE CEILING:
- Continue to freeze the amount of spending that school districts
be allowed to increase per pupil under the revenue limits. School
districts will only be allowed to increase their per- pupil spending
by $206 per year.
- Change the revenue ceiling from $5300 to $5,800 in the 1997-98
school year and from $5,600 to $6,000 in the 1998-99 school year,
and allow poorer districts with per-pupil revenue below those amounts
to increase their revenue up to the new ceiling without going to referendum.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 258/2695/2808/2830-2842/2868/2869/2900/2901/9340/9440 |
Modification of Wisconsin's Charter School Program:
- Modify the charter school program to repeal the five-year limit
on charter school contracts for all charter schools and for students
in Milwaukee; authorize the UW Milwaukee, MATC and the city of Milwaukee
to grant charters.
- NOTE: This provision requires that the MPS shared cost per
pupil be withheld from MPS equalization aid and that it be paid to
charter schools either established by, or contracted with, the newly
established alternative sponsors.
- In addition, petitioners who seek a charter and are denied a contract
may appeal the decision to the Department of Public Instruction.
- Repeal the requirement that petitioners must obtain the signatures
of 10% of the teachers employed by the school district or by at least
50% of the teachers employed at one school of the district if
the proposed charter school is not converted from an existing school.
- Note: It appears that the appeal process after denial and
the repeal of an establishment vote threshold criteria for charter
schools would apply to all charter schools statewide.
(Return to Index)
BUDGET SECTIONS: 2897/2898/2899 |
Change in Revenue Limit Calculation for Voucher Schools:
- The governor's budget recommends that the Milwaukee Public Schools
(MPS) revenue limit should exclude pupils enrolled in the Milwaukee
School Voucher Program from the three previous years (not including
the current year).
(Return to Index)
Budget Reorganization - Transfer of Positions from DPI to Other Agencies:
- Transfer all school-to-work employees from DPI to DWD -- $879,300
PR and 13 positions in FY98 and FY99.
- Transfer all prevention programs currently administered by the
DPI to the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) -- (1)
transfer 5.0 FTE and $723,500 PR in FY98 and $759,600 PR in FY99 that
administer AODA programs -- (2) transfer $1M GPR in each year for
the Family and Schools Together (FAST) program -- (3) transfer $425,000
GPR in each year for the After School and Summer School Grant Programs
-- (4) transfer $300,000 GPR in each year for the Student AODA Mini-Grants
Program -- (5) transfer $1.8M GPR in each year for the Youth AODA
program -- (6) transfer $1,900,300 PR in FY98 and $1,248,500 PR in
FY99 for the Aid for AODA Program.
- NOTE: The governor's budget recommends, however, that the
five transferred categorical aid programs continue to be considered
part of the state's commitment to fund two-thirds of school costs
even though the programs would no longer be administered by the state's
educational system at DPI.
Budget Efficiency Measures - Department of Public Instruction: $491,600/yr:
- Reduce supplies and services funding by two percent in FY98 and
two percent in FY99 throughout the agency for a total of 102,000 GPR
in each year of the biennium.
- Require DPI to recommend to the governor and the Joint Finance
Committee by October 1, 1997 additional budget efficiency measures
in the amounts of $389,600 in FY98 and $389,600 in FY99. The funds
will be taken out of the DPI operations appropriations and will later
be allocated to the proper appropriations upon approval of the agency's
plan by the governor and the Joint Finance Committee.
Wisconsin State Schools for the Deaf and Visually Handicapped:
- Appropriate funds for facility maintenance.
- NOTE: The funds would be released by the DOA Secretary only
upon approval of a plan indicating how the funds will be allocated.
The funding appropriated for the school for the Deaf is approximately
12% of what was in the original agency request, and the school for
the visually handicapped appropriation is approximately 5% of the
original agency request.
(Return to Index)
School Aids:
- Retreat from a sum-sufficient appropriation back to a sum-certain
appropriation to cover the state's commitment to fund 2/3 of school
operation costs.
- NOTE: The significance of the change to a sum-certain appropriation
is that this mechanism is less flexible in meeting actual program
costs if revenue estimates fall short of expected levels. Under a
sum-sufficient the DPI, DOA and the Fiscal Bureau estimate the costs
for meeting the two-thirds calculation every year. The budget proposal
gives the governor's office authority to determine the amount necessary
for every two year cycle. If their estimates fall short. This mechanism
could cause the state to fail to meet the two- thirds mark every other
year.
- Increase direct school aids (general and categorical) by $204.3M
in FY98 (for school year 1997-98) and by an additional $94.2M in FY
99 (for school year 1998-99).
- Increase the school levy property tax credit applied against the
1998-99 school levy by $100M in FY2000 to met the two-thirds state
funding of local school costs.
- NOTE: This represents a continuation of a "mortgaging
off" of funding the two-thirds commitment to another biennium.
The 1995-97 budget contained a similar provision of $150M.
(Return to Index)
Private contracting/Transfers
- Provide one-time funding to contract with a private auditing firm
to conduct financial audits of state agencies. NOTE: This is
apparently done to alleviate a backlog of agency audit transactions.
- Transfer computer programmers from the Department of Health and
Family Services to DOA for Internet support and development for state
agencies.
(Return to Index)
- Require school districts to schedule referendum questions in conjunction
with April elections.
- NOTE: This provision may severely limit school districts
that need to respond to emergency situations or need adjustments to
district funding beyond the revenue limits.
(Return to Index)
Racine Facility:
- Build a Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility. Funding
for operation of a 500- bed facility scheduled to open in January,
1998. The appropriation requests $8,121,900 and 220 positions in FY98
and $10,938,300 in FY99.
- NOTE: The staffing recommendations reflect the educational
programming needed for young offenders who may still be required by
state law to attend school. This also creates a staffing pattern that
uses generalist counselors that reduces the certified teaching staff.
Among other duties, the generalist counselors would facilitate academic
instruction.
- NOTE: The appropriation and staffing approved for the new
facility is $3.1M less for FY 98 and $2.4M less in FY99 than what
the agency requested. The Governor's recommendation is also 50 positions
less than requested.
(Return to Index)
- Create a $100 annual filing fee on each political action committee,
political party committee, conduit, corporation and registrant that
files an oath of independent expenditures if biennial activity exceeds
$2,500.
- NOTE: Even though revenue is generated by this item, it would
not be used for the Elections Board. The budget would reduce base
level GPR for the board by the amount of projected revenues from the
new fee.
(Return to Index)
Court Case Provisions:
- In response to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals' Benson v. Gates decision,
the governor recommends funding for 3.0 FTE project positions to process
creditable service adjustments as required by the case decision.
(Return to Index)
Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission/Department of Employment
Relations:
- WERC: In addition to agency funding decreases, eliminate 3.0 FTE
attorney positions on the commission and associated funding from the
agency's base.
- DER: In addition to agency funding decreases, eliminate one Management
Information Manager number three position and one Equal Opportunity
Specialist number seven position from the Department of Employee Relations
staff.
(Return to Index)
GPR Allocation for National Governors Conference:
- The governor has provided his own office a one-time appropriation
of $200,000 in FY98 for programmatic support for the National Governors
Association meeting in Milwaukee, August 1-4, 1998.
- NOTE: The governor did, however, impose an across-the-board-cut
of two percent in his operating budget which is what he imposes on
all other state agencies and the legislature. For his office this
amount is $51,400 in each year of the biennium.
(Return to Index)
Department of Revenue -- Select Revenue Enhancement Devices:
- Increase the cigarette tax by 5 cents per pack -- increase GPR
by $20.4M in FY98 and by $21.5M in FY99.
- Eliminate the sales and use tax exemptions for coin-operated laundry
services -- increase GPR by $2.3M in FY98 and by $2.8M in FY99.
- Impose a sales and use tax on telecommunications services that
terminate in WI and are billed to a service address in this state
-- increase GPR by $3.3M in FY98 and by $4.2M in FY99.
- Impose a sales and use tax on all telephone answering and voice
messaging services -- increase GPR by $0.8M in FY98 and by $1.1M in
FY99.
- Revise the individual income tax computation for part-year non-residents
to apply a proration factor to the net tax liability on federally
adjusted gross income, effective January 1, 1998 -- increase GPR by
$4M annually beginning in FY99.
- Prohibit state agencies from issuing or renewing a professional
or occupational license if the Department of Revenue certifies that
the license applicant owes delinquent taxes to the state -- increase
tax collections by an estimated $800,000 in FY99.
- NOTE: This provision would most likely include teachers and
other licensed personnel in public schools.
- NOTE: This list does not contain hunting or fishing license
fee increases or other fee increases of that nature.
(Return to Index)
Shared Revenue and Property Tax Relief:
- Transfer the balance of the property tax relief fund (about $258M)
to the general fund to support a portion of the FY98 increase in the
state's property tax relief efforts. The DOA will be given the authority
to annually transfer from the property tax relief fund to the general
fund an amount equal to the increase in school aids and the school
levy credit for the fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year.
- Increase the school levy credit by $150M beginning in 1997 (FY98)
as the final component in achieving the goal of two-thirds state funding
of local school costs. The governor also recommends a further $100M
increase in the school levy credit beginning in 1999.
- Establish a new lottery credit that will be paid to all property
taxpayers. Each municipality will receive a share of lottery proceeds
based on the municipality's portion of all property taxes levied in
the state. Each taxpayer will then receive a credit on the tax bill
based on his or her share of total property value in the municipality.
The average homeowner will receive approximately a $100 credit in
the first year and $50 each year thereafter.
(Return to Index)
- Increase tuition expenditure authority by $500,000 in FY98 and $1M
in FY99 to fund computer and software upgrades, e-mail and Internet
access and other technologies for UW campuses. In addition, transfer
all distance education functions from the UW System to the new Technology
for Educational Achievement in Wisconsin Board.
(Return to Index)
- Provide funding for an operational information technology system.
Add three permanent and two project positions for the implementation
and operation of the board's investment management system.
(Return to Index)
NOTE: Excerpt from the Legislative Reference Bureau Index to the
Budget Bill: The governor's executive budget bill (the budget bill)
is composed of individual bill drafts (component drafts), each dealing
with a particular topic or program. The LRB has developed a guide that
is available to locate bill sections in the budget that originated from
a particular component draft. Listed below are some of the component
topics that are of interest and will receive additional analysis.
| Component Subject | Component Topic | Budget Sections: |
| Education Miscellaneous | Confidential information child support | 2718/2719/2793/2794/2858/2 859 |
| Education Miscellaneous | License suspension for failure to pay child support | 2721/2792/9340/9440 |
| Children-out-of-home- support | Suspension of licenses for failure to pay support (DPI) | 2721/2792/9340/9440 |
| Dom Rel - child support | Confidential information and child support (education) | 2718/2719/2793/2794/2858/2 859 |
| Health-Public Health | Eliminate state supplement for immunization | 538/3401 |
| Public Assistance-W2 | Learnfare under W2 | 1887/1888 |
| Public Assistance-W2 | W2 child care expansion to 200% of poverty | 1777/1849/1850/1851/1852 |
(Return to Index)
The actual budget bill is available via the Internet on the State of
Wisconsin home page at http://www.state.wi.us
by clicking on "The Wisconsin Legislature" and "Bill
Tracking." Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 is required to view the budget
on the Internet. If your computer does not have this program, it can
be downloaded for free by following the instructions on the budget's
website.
As mentioned in the introduction to the memorandum, this represents
an initial summary of provisions contained in the biennial budget bill.
Additional summaries of the budget bill, Joint Finance Committee, Senate
and Assembly action will be produced by the Government Relations Division.
If you have any reactions, comments or questions, please feel free to
contact either John Stocks or Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations
Division at 800-362-8034 ext. 209.
| NOTE: Governor Thompson's proposed budget bill is more than
2,000 pages in length. If each of the component Legislative Reference
Bureau draft numbers presented in the bureau's index represent
a separate, stand-alone, piece of legislation, the governor's
budget could be divided into 615 separate bills. |
(Return to Index)
Posted March 23, 1997