Today the Democratic Senate and Assembly leaders and members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) announced 10 additional budget hearings in order to allow for more public input on the proposed biennial budget. The Democratic leaders are also inviting Republican legislators to attend these hearings.
A number of Democrats have been critical of the Finance Committee co-chairs for scheduling just four public hearings on the budget bill. (One of those was held this week; the remaining three hearing dates and locations can be found here.) Quoting from their press release today: “That’s tied for the fewest number of budget hearings held since at least 1985. The four communities chosen for the hearings also represent just two percent of Wisconsin’s total population.”
The schedule for the 10 additional hearings follows: • April 8—La Crosse. Hogan Administrative Center Gym, 5:00-6:30 pm, 807 East Ave. South.
• April 15—Racine. Gateway Technical College, Great Lakes Room, 4:00-7:00 pm, 1001 Main St.
• April 20—Milwaukee. Location TBD, 11:00 am-2:00 pm.
• April 22—Wausau. UW-Marathon County, 4:00-7:00 pm, 518 S. 7th Ave.
• April 22—Viroqua. Viroqua Middle/High School Band Room, 5:00-6:30 pm, 100 Blackhawk Dr.
• April 23—Madison. Location TBD, 4:00-7:00 pm.
• April 24—Wisconsin Rapids. City Council Chambers, 5:00-7:00 pm, 444 W. Grand Ave.
• April 25—Appleton. Conference Center at Fox Valley Technical College’s D.J. Bordini Business and Industry Center, 4:00-7:00 pm, 5 Systems Dr.
• April 27—Barron. Barron County Courthouse, 10:00 am-4:00 pm (final time TBD), 1420 State Highway 25 North.
• April 29—Eau Claire. Chippewa Valley Technical College, 4:00-7:00 pm, 620 W. Clairemont Ave.
For resources relating to the state budget, see the Wisconsin Budget Project’s “All Things State Budget” webpage.
Jon Peacock
