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Online Supplement to The Wheeler Report
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Budget Review Bill Issues

 
1. Lapse requirement under s. 16.50(02).
---Governor: Reverse DOA Feb. 12 action identifying $111 million of additional agency appropriation lapses in addition to Act 20.
---Assembly: Include DOA Feb. 12 administrative actions.
---Senate: Reverse DOA Feb. 12 action.
 
 
2. DOA Secretary Authority to lapse or transfer funds to the General Fund.
---Governor: Require DOA to lapse or transfer $330,400,000 biennially to general fund in addition to Act 20.
---Assembly: Modify Act 20  to reduce biennial lapse to $150 million; exempt DOT; general equalization aids; require $250 million from GPR in 2007-09.
---Senate: Require DOA to lapse or transfer $40 million biennially to General Fund.
 
 
3. Limit on lapse from DOT; General Fund-supported, General Obligation bonds for highway programs.
---Governor: Limit transfer from DOT appropriations to $293 million; authorize $190 million in General Fund supported bonding.
---Assembly: Prohibit lapses and transfers under Act 20.
---Senate: Limit transfer from DOT to $50 million; require lapse from state highway rehabilitation fund; authorize $50 million in bonding.
 
 
4. Transfer Real ID implementation funds to the General Fund.
---Governor: Prohibit JFC from providing an appropriation  supplement to DOT for implementation of the federal Real ID Act; other restrictions.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Prohibit JFC from providing an appropriation supplement to DOT for implementation; increase estimated transportation fund appropriation lapses by $9,805,300 in FY07-08; $12,184,000 in FY08-09.
 
 
5. DOT highway program funding adjustments.
---Governor: Make adjustments in funding for various highway improvement programs.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Provide increases of $20 million in 07-08 for major highway development program; $56,967,000 in 07-08 for state highway rehabilitation program (Federal funds).
 
 
6. Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail extension.
---Governor: No Provision..
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Provide $800,000 SEG in 07-08 for program; provide Southeastern WI Regional Transit Authority with responsibility to sponsor, develop, construct and operate a commuter rail transit system; authorize vehicle rental fee up to $15 per transaction in three-county area.
 
 
7. Equalization Aid payment delay.
---Governor: No Provision.
---Assembly and Senate: Delay equalization aid payment by $125 million beginning with payments made in 2008 for the 07-08 school year.
 
 
8. Public library system aid from the Universal Service Fund.
---Governor: Delete GPR and provide $11,297,400 SEG from Universal Service Fund in 08-09.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Include Governors provision; prohibit telecommunications utilities from recovering any assessment resulting from new calculations.
 
 
9. Budget Stabilization Fund transfer.
---Governor: Authorize DOA to transfer money from the fund to the General Fund in either year of the 07-09 biennium if projected gross balance in General Fund is less than $65 million in that year.
---Assembly and Senate: Transfer $55 million of the amount in the fund to the General Fund.
 
 
10. Statutory Balance.
---Governor: No Provision.
---Assembly: Reduce required statutory balance to $20 million for 2007-09.
---Senate: Reduce required statutory balance to $55 million for 2007-09.
 
 
11. Limit on inter-fund cash flow borrowing.
---Governor and Senate: Increase limit to 13% of GPR appropriations for the year; sunset June 30, 2009.
---Assembly: No Provision.
 
 
12. Threshold for budget adjustment bill.
---Governor: Increase threshold above which Governor is required to submit a budget adjustment bill to 2.% of GPR appropriations (now 0.5%); sunset June 30, 2009.
---Assembly/Senate: No Provision.
 
 
13. Modify the structural balance requirement.
---Governor: Modify requirement for a structural balance to include moneys held in the budget stabilization fund during 07-09 biennium.
---Assembly and Senate: No Provision.
 
 
14. Tobacco Securitization.
---Governor: Increase transfer to permanent endowment fund to the MA trust fund by $15 million annually associated with additional tobacco bond proceeds from a tobacco securitization transaction.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate Modifiy Governor's proposal.
 
 
15. Hospital Assessment, rate increase, MA benefits funding change.
---Governor: Include assessment; provide portion to increased reimbursement for inpatient/outpatient services by hospitals to MA and BadgerCare Plus recipients.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Include Governor's provision with modifications.
 
 
16. Child care subsidies.
---Governor and Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Provide $18.6 million 9n 07-08 for direct child care subsidies under Wisconsin Shares program; other changes.
 
 
17. Corporate income/franchise tax rate reduction.
---Governor and Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Reduce tax rate to 7.8% with tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2009.
 
 
18. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
---Governor: Modify method of calculating net income for real estate investment trusts.
---Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Include combined reporting, which provides similar treatment of REITs.
 
19. Combined reporting.
---Governor and Assembly: No Provision.
---Senate: Require beginning with tax year 2008 corporations subject to the state corporate income and franchise tax and are engaged in a unitary business file a combined report for state income and franchise taxes.
 
(END)