Scott Walker's budget includes nearly $600 million in tax and fee reductions
Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday called for nearly $600 million in reduced taxes and fees along with significant new spending in areas where he made sizable cuts in the past as part of his $76.1 billion two-year budget proposal.
Total spending under the plan would grow by nearly $2 billion, or 4.2 percent over the previous two-year budget. Taxpayer-supported spending would increase nearly $600 million. The total number of state employees, who would receive two 2 percent raises and have their health care managed and paid for by the state, would increase by about 262 positions, including about 20 taxpayer-supported positions.
The budget includes several changes to state government, including proposals to self-insure all employees, centralize more agency administrative functions under the Department of Administration and eliminate printing and mailing requirements in several areas.
Walker is presuming self-insuring workers would save the state $60 million over two years, though previous studies have suggested the move could have the opposite effect and cost the state more. If savings don’t materialize the state would pull back on the more than half-billion dollars in new funding for K-12 schools.
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