Assembly advances its budget
The Assembly Republican Caucus has approved a number of higher education initiatives that will likely be included in their version of the 2001-03 state budget bill.
The higher education package did not include any additional funding for the Madison Initiative.
As a result, the Assembly version of the budget will likely maintain the governor’s recommendation for $2 million in tax money and $9.8 million tuition for the Madison Initiative.
Earlier, the Senate approved its version of the budget, providing an additional $16.2 million in tax money for the Madison Initiative.
Differences between the Senate and Assembly funding levels for the Madison Initiative will be negotiated by leadership in both houses once the Assembly passes its final version of the budget.
Included in the Assembly Republican package is a provision that would ban the use of human embryonic stem cells and fetal tissue in research.
The Assembly Republicans also approved a number of other amendments that would:
- Eliminate any tax-funded state position that has been vacant for more than 6 months as of July 1.
- Combine the maintenance functions of the Department of Administrationand UW vehicle fleets and requiring all state fleets to buy 4-cylinder subcompact vehicles.
- Eliminate length of service payments for classified public employees.
- Freeze pay increase for state employees in fiscal year 2001-02 and a provide 2 percent increase in 2002-03.
- Direct a study as to whether to state employees with 25 years of service or more should retain their accumulated sick leave for conversion to health insurance premiums.
- Require the UW System, the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies with program revenue and segregated fee funding to turn over to the state any money saved as a result of the Supreme Court decision on the pension case (Act 11).
- Prohibit publicly funded entities from teaching or performing, counseling in favor of, or referring women for abortions.