Wisconsin State Budget Overview

Updated: May 2, 2007

Governor Doyle’s budget proposes $57.7 billion in total spending over the 2007-09 biennium, a 7.6% increase over the current budget. It would provide approximately $1.8 billion to expand Medicaid, a $450 million increase in school aids, $225 million more for higher education, and a $405 million increase for highway construction and maintenance. It also cuts $80 million in other government spending.

The budget includes a new hospital tax ($418 million), cigarette tax increase ($550 million) and a new tax on oil companies ($270 million). It also raises driver license fees by $10 (from $24 to $34) and the annual vehicle registration fee by $20 (from $55 to $75). There are also over $51 million in new tax cuts.

Shortly, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau will release its comprehensive analysis, which will provide further details.

Note: The 2007-09 biennium includes fiscal year (FY) 2008, which runs from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 and FY 2009, which runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

For more information on the how the budget becomes law, please see our chart of the Wisconsin State Budget Process.

If you are interested in exploring the budget, I suggest this page on the Department of Administration’s website that has several relevant links: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp

Here are links to our budget pages:.