Huebsch

Jul 13, 2010 — La Crosse Tribune

Chris Hardie

Jul. 13, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- A projected $2.5 billion state budget deficit will dominate the next Wisconsin Legislature regardless of what happens at the polls in November.

That's the opinion of state Rep. Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, who spoke Monday morning at a La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau on Friday released the projected $2.511 billion deficit, eclipsed only by the $2.867 billion deficit in 2003.

Depending on the makeup of the Legislature, the new governor likely will get much of the budget passed, Huebsch said. But he also predicts a lot of animosity between the parties. "It starts Nov. 2 with whoever is elected governor," Huebsch said.

The balance of power between Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature also is up for grabs. The Democrats now have the majority in both chambers, 18 to 15 in the Senate and 52 to 46 in the Assembly. All 99 Assembly seats and 17 Senate seats are up for election.

"In the Assembly, there are 10 races that are really in play," Huebsch said. Among the key Senate races, he said, is the 31st District between incumbent Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, and Ed Thompson, R-Tomah.

Regardless of who is in control, balancing the budget will be difficult without drastic spending cuts or raising taxes, said state Rep. Lee Nerison, R-Westby, who favors more belt-tightening.

"It's time to stop the lip service to making the hard decisions and do it," h e said.

John Medinger, a former Assembly member from La Crosse, said the budget deficit probably is similar in scope to the $1 billion shortfall that Gov. Tony Earl and Medinger faced in 1983. Adjusted for inflation, that deficit would be $2.19 billion today.

Part of the deficit solution then was to make permanent the 5 percent sales tax first enacted as a temporary property tax relief measure in 1982. It was the last increase to the state's sales tax.

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