The Assembly will take up the 2013-15 biennial budget proposal (AB 40) at 11 am tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18. The bill was passed by the Joint Finance Committee and referred to the Assembly on June 5.
Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel they would like to pass the bill without major changes, but acknowledge both moderate and more conservative members of their party have concerns. The Assembly has two days scheduled to discuss the bill, which will move to the Senate Thursday if passed Wednesday. Livestream coverage of the Assembly floor session will be available on WisconsinEye.
Republicans enjoy a wide majority in the Assembly, but only have a two-vote margin in the Senate. Democrats have reached out to moderate Republicans in the Senate in hopes of changing parts of the bill, such as residency requirements for police officers and firefighters and the expansion of private school vouchers.
PROFS continues to lobby to remove a provision that would force the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism off campus and prohibit faculty from working with the center.