MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Republicans in the Legislature and Democratic Governor Tony Evers are continuing their stare-down over control of over $3 billion in federal funds that the state will receive as part of the American Recovery Act.
A news release from the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has announced plans for eleven bills tied to the funding, collectively known as the “Responsible Stimulus Plan Legislation.” JFC Co-Chair Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) says the bills provide a road map for the funds at a time when he and his colleagues are working on the state budget.
“We are on the starting line of the legislature’s work on the state budget, but we do not know how – or when – the Governor will allocate the massive amount of Federal funding available to Wisconsin in the most recent stimulus plan,” Sen. Marklein said. “Our legislation provides specific plans based on the real priorities of citizens statewide. We need to dedicate these funds in a meaningful way that will support the people of our state who are working to recover and move forward after the last unprecedented year.”
Among the 11 items to be considered include a proposal to retire state debt and transportation revenue bonds. Some of the bills would also siphon the money into grant funds for the tourism industry, broadband expansion, small businesses, and direct payments to long-term care facilities.
Marklein adds that lawmakers should use the federal funds first before dipping into the state taxpayer dollars.
This comes two weeks after Evers vetoed a bill that would have given the JFC control over the funding. Evers said it is within his authority to distribute the funding as he sees fit, just like previous rounds of economic stimulus.
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GOP leaders have also pitched the idea of marking $1 billion for property tax relief to be distributed to all 72 Wisconsin counties, then sent on to taxpayers in the form of a refund check or a deduction on future tax bills. Evers has called that idea a non-starter because businesses and residents that rent are not likely to see a trickle-down effect from those payments.
Other conservative groups have suggested that the funds be distributed as direct payments to residents similar to the $1400 checks that many received as part of the ARA and the $1,200 that was distributed as part of last spring’s CARES act.
