Tuesday, February 20, 2001
1:45 P.M.
Ninety-Fifth Regular Session
The Senate met.
The Senate was called to order by Senator Fred Risser.
Senator Risser, with unanimous consent, appointed Senators Hansen, Robson, Rosenzweig and Fitzgerald to act as escorts to his Excellency the Governor.
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Senator Chvala, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate recess for the purpose of convening in a joint convention to receive the Governor's budget message and reconvene at 4:16 P.M.
1:56 P.M.
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The President of the Senate in the Chair.
The committee to await upon the Governor appeared with his excellency the Governor, who delivered his budget message as follows:
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Speaker Jensen . . . Speaker Pro Tem Freese . . . President Risser . . . members of the Wisconsin Legislature . . . Constitutional Officers . . . Honorable Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court . . . members of the cabinet . . . my fellow citizens.
In my inaugural address . . . delivered 19 days ago . . . I spoke about what I called the making of Wisconsin.
. . . about imposing a new spending discipline on state government.
. . . about the need to reduce Wisconsin's overall tax burden.
. . . about the need to invest more money in education.
. . . about the goal of keeping Wisconsin's economy strong and growing.
. . . about improving the quality of life for all of our citizens.
. . . about my commitment to protecting the environment.
My inaugural address laid out . . in very broad terms . . the values which are important to me . . . and to the people of Wisconsin.
The budget I propose to you today expresses . . . in more practical terms . . . these same values:
. . . living within our means.
. . . helping others reach their full potential in life.
. . . meeting our commitments.
. . . protecting the environment.
. . . doing more to help businesses grow so they can create new and better jobs.
. . . helping families thrive.
. . . showing compassion for the neediest members of our society.
. . . working cooperatively to take care of the people's business.
For me . . . a budget is a statement of who we are . . . and what we value . . . it defines those principles we are willing to fight for.
We all know that . . over the course of the next several months . . great debates will rage over how our values and our priorities are reflected in the final budget document.
But I want to make one thing very clear.
I want to work with each one of you . . . in both houses . . . in both parties . . . to make sure we all share in the making of Wisconsin and that the values we all bring to this endeavor will be reflected . . . to the greatest extent possible . . . in the final version of this budget.
The proposed budget reflects what I believe are the values all citizens of Wisconsin share . . . and I am more than willing to talk about how we can work together to reach common ground for the common good.
But you also need to know from the outset that I will not support any budget package which would impose a financial burden on Wisconsin taxpayers that exceeds their ability to pay.
Has this been an extraordinarily difficult budget to assemble?
You bet.
Do I wish we could go farther or faster in some areas?
Absolutely.
However, I also believe it's important for governments . . . just like our families . . . to live within their means.
The daily lives of all the citizens in this state are filled with difficult choices as they decide how to balance expenses with income.
Can they afford a new car?
A new home?
Can they cover their heating bill?
Buy enough food?
How much can they afford to save for their children's education?
Or investing for retirement?
And from these hard-working people we take taxes.
They trust us with their money and they trust us to spend their money wisely as we work not only to sustain . . . but to improve . . . the quality of life we have all come to enjoy in Wisconsin.
We must never abuse that trust.
In my inaugural address . . . I said it's time for government to demand less so our citizens can do more for themselves and their families.
This is the time.
This is the budget.
