“With this issue now behind us, I would like to reach out to my constituents and let them know that I take responsibility for the actions of my legislative office. I have initiated the necessary corrective measures to ensure that we continue operating under the open and transparent policy that I established after first taking office. In addition, to ensure that this incident is not repeated, I am formally requesting that leadership in both houses establishes rules and procedures for retaining records and that both houses provide thorough open records training for all legislative staff.”

“The good people of Wisconsin rightfully expect open and accessible elected officials and I have worked hard to meet those expectations by listening to their concerns and working on their behalf. I will continue to advocate a high level of ethical service from myself and my staff. Now that this matter is settled, it is time to get back to the important issue of strengthening our economy by putting Wisconsin back to work.”

Based on the clear need for a better way of doing business in Madison, I am in the process of introducing the “Sunshine Budgeting Act” that will accomplish the following:

1. Restore state agency accountability through agency audits
2. Establish a segregated lockbox systemCreate a results-based budgeting method
3. Create a results-based budgeting method

When I traveled to Minnesota this past March, my mission was to gain details on their state government’s performance-based budgeting method.  After the Department of Natural Resources budget chair, Representative Jean Wagenius, briefed me on the process, I was intrigued.  Each department has a separate budget which allocates dollars by essentially starting from scratch and funding programs based on highest priorities.   This technique forces agencies to review every program based on their outcomes and fund them accordingly. After my visit with Minnesota legislators, I was convinced that Wisconsin’s budgeting process could be improved.

The results or outcome-based budgeting technique that I am proposing will require budget decisions to focus on results and outcomes, through a system of monitoring, measuring and evaluating where tax dollars are being spent.  Legislators in Madison cannot forget that the money they’re spending is not their money. Taxpayers entrust us with their dollars and legislators have an obligation to know where their money is going and if it is a wise use of their money.  Results-based budgeting creates the required transparency and accountability that taxpayers are calling for.

Additionally, the “Sunshine Budgeting Act” would require that agency accountability be implemented through the re-instatement of agency audits.  Language added to the 2004-2005 State Budget created a system of tracking how agencies spend tax dollars.  This language was removed in the 2009-2010 Budget.  Re-instating this system of tracking ensures transparency and allows review of older programs which may no longer by necessary.

Furthermore, the budget bill just signed by Governor Doyle contained an unsustainable amount of bonding leading to credit card spending.  But paying for the present by borrowing from the future is not a sound budgeting technique.  In the long run, this creates additional hardship on our state’s economic infrastructure and increases tax demands.  A segregated lockbox system will require a supermajority vote in order to use segregated funds and will limit the use of segregated funds during economic downturns.

The final draft of the “Sunshine Budgeting Act” will be completed within the next month and in the meantime, I will be garnering support from my Republican and Democratic colleagues in order for this legislation to receive ample review from both parties. The people who voted us in have made their concerns known and this legislation is a direct reply to their questions – Madison needs a better way to conduct business.

The State Senate will be deliberating on the Joint Finance Committee’s version of the budget which retains the statutory language that the DOT must have a presence in each county. In addition, the DOT administrator considers the Prairie du Chien DMV site to be a vital location in the fact that it is located on the edge of the state and a key point for interstate travel and tourism.

This is exactly the reason I advocated for a state spending freeze back in January when a $5.6 billion dollar budget deficit was reported.  Now, we’re facing an additional $1.5 billion dollar deficit due to an unanticipated reduction in state income. I’m relieved to hear that Governor Doyle will not propose any new taxes, but the fact remains that there was a 7.7 increase in state spending included in the budget bill. This means that even at a time when Madison was expecting a continued economic decline, state government decided to add government programs and increase spending.

These consequences will ultimately lead to an economically grim future at the state and federal level for our children and grandchildren. We’re asking families and communities to drastically reduce their budgets, and so must state government so that the burden does not fall on families and Main Street businesses.

The only viable solution I see is to freeze state spending at the same levels from the last budget and critically reexamine our funding priorities to ensure that we aren’t taking more money from families and Main Street businesses so that people can know that they have a way to pay their bills and retain their jobs.