Partisan politics stall state budget

Delays create uncertainty over tuition levels, financial aid

By: Brian Reisinger and Nathaniel Shuda

Posted: 9/24/07

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is the first in a series of reports analyzing Wisconsin's 2007-2009 biennial, capital budget process.]

The stalled state budget has left many in the UW System in an uncertain position.

Freshman Eric Nohelty said he doesn't know very much about the issue but thinks the process has been taking too long.

"I would just think that they should try to get it together so we can move on and get to more important things," Nohelty said.

In the most basic sense, the budget is the victim of split government, said Geoff Peterson, a professor of political science at UW-Eau Claire.

The Republican-controlled Assembly and the Democratic-controlled Senate have each worked out two very different versions of the budget after working on Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's original proposal, Peterson said. Now, the Joint Finance Committee is attempting to reconcile those differences.

"It's that scenario that makes for long budget delays," said Rodd Freitag, political science professor and department chairman. "It requires both to agree, and when there's partisan difference, it's not inevitable to have them agree, but it makes it much more unlikely."

David Giroux, executive director of communications and external relations for the UW System, said the delay has left the UW System in a difficult financial situation since the fiscal year began July 1.

"We have last year's budget and this year's expenses," he said.

Delays in not only the biennial budget but also the capital budget have created uncertainty over tuition levels, the future quality of public education in Wisconsin and numerous building projects at campuses around the state, he said.

"As a student, I obviously would not want my tuition to go up," Nohelty said. "It would be nice to have a number … so we don't have to estimate from years past."

Giroux and political experts agreed that passage of the Assembly version could lead to tuition hikes and program cuts.

The Board of Regents, for example, had to set tuition for students this fall. The 5.5 percent increase the board settled on may not be sufficient in future semesters if the Legislature provides too little funding, Giroux said.

"There will be a tipping point at which the quality … will start to diminish and it will no longer be invisible, it will become readily apparent," he said.

At this point in the process, there are four versions of the budget in the fray. The governor's original proposal and the Senate and joint finance versions all call for approximately $2.24 billion in state funding for the System in the next biennium.

The Assembly version would put up $2.12 billion, $120 million less. In addition, the Assembly version includes a 4 percent tuition increase cap, which Giroux said could necessitate program cuts.

Assembly Republicans' version would also provide nearly $11 million less in financial aid than the other three versions in the 2007-2008 academic year.

In a move last week, the Assembly unsuccessfully tried to pass a portion of its budget, a portion Freitag said seemed to mirror that of the Senate's version.

"There seemed to be some compromise and seemed to jump-start some behind-the-scenes discussion," Freitag said. "I think we are at the beginning of the end; it won't happen this month yet, but maybe in October sometime."