Highlights of state budget poised to pass

MADISON, Wis. — The two-year state budget poised to pass the Republican-controlled Senate early Friday morning will head to Gov. Scott Walker who has the power to make significant changes through his line-item veto. The Senate did not make any changes to the plan before its final vote was delayed Thursday by Democrats until shortly after midnight on Friday.

Here are some highlights of what's in the two-year, $70 billion budget:

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INCOME TAX CUT

Income taxes would be cut by about $650 million over the next two years, rates in all brackets would be cut, and the number of brackets would shrink from five to four. The average tax cut for all filers in 2014 would be $152, but more than half of the tax cut benefit would go to those earning over $100,000 a year.

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SCHOOL VOUCHERS

Enrollment outside of Milwaukee and Racine would be capped at just 500 students next school year and 1,000 for every year after that. A new income tax deduction for all families with children in private school is also created.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING

Spending in public schools would increase $150 per pupil in each of the next two years. Walker had proposed no increase, and Democrats called for $275 per student. The increase comes after an $800 million cut in per-pupil spending in Walker's last budget. State aid to schools would increase by about 1 percent.

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Wisconsin would reject a federally funded expansion of Medicaid, as Walker wanted, despite calls from numerous health care advocacy groups to take the money and cover about 85,000 more adults in the program.

Had Walker accepted the federally funded expansion, people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $15,000 for a single person, would have been covered under the state's BadgerCare Medicaid program. The budget would only cover adults up to 100 percent of poverty, or about $11,500 a year.

Currently, BadgerCare covers people earning up to 200 percent of the poverty level, or $22,980, but there is a cap on enrollment for single adults. The budget would lift that cap for those at or below poverty level.

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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

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PUBLIC LAND SALE

An array of state properties, including prisons, university dormitories, power plants and highways, could be sold to private buyers without going through a public bidding process. However no sale could go through without approval of the Joint Finance Committee, and state-owned property funded with at least 50 percent federal funds or gifts or grants could not be sold.

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DNA COLLECTION

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BOUNTY HUNTERS

Bail bondsmen would be allowed to operate in Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha counties. In five years they would be allowed to operate across the state. The five pilot counties would be required to track the bondsmen's activities and submit a report to the state courts director, who would have to provide a summary report to the Legislature no later than six months before the statewide expansion.

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RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

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UNEMPLOYED

Unemployed people would have to conduct four work searches a week instead of the current two under one of several changes affecting unemployment benefits.

Benefits paid to unemployed people in Wisconsin would also be more difficult to receive, thereby saving the state $37 million over the next two years. Changes include new, tougher regarding voluntary termination of work, misconduct and substantial fault, and searching for work.

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