6/9/08-The Assembly was unsuccessful in its attempt to override Gov. Jim Doyle’s veto of a budget-repair bill to protect funds for transportation.
A provision was attached to the budget-repair bill to prohibit the governor from ordering news cuts to the roads program, as well as other programs, to rebalance the current budget.
But Doyle, a Democrat, vetoed those restrictions, and the Republican-led Assembly came up a handful of votes shy of an override. GOP lawmakers warned that the veto would hurt highway maintenance and repairs.
Doyle ordered cuts of $270 million in additional spending in the two-year budget. Legislators were unable to protect the $103 million that will come via the transportation budget.
Advocates for protecting the roads budget said raiding the transportation fund would make worsen the quality of the state’s roadways. The loss of jobs also could result, they say.
The governor has the option of replacing the lost money for transportation with state borrowing.