Two Northwoods legislators have been named to the powerful Joint Committee on Finance.
State Senator Tom Tiffany and Representative Mary Czaja have been named to the committee. Both are Republicans.
The committee is appointed by leadership in both chambers of the legislators and favors the party in power. It's main function is to set the state budget and spending priorities for the next two years.
Senator Tiffany says education will be among the top issues the committee will debate...
".....so there's always critical issues there, especially with rural schools and declining enrollment in northern Wisconsin we have our own unique concerns and (I'm) hoping to lend a voice to that as we go through the debate on Joint Finance on funding schools. So certainly funding schools, Medicaid, Badgercare, some of the changes that may come about as well as transportation. Transportation is going to be a really big issue...."
Tiffany says transportation funding will require tough decisions..
"...with the revenue shortfall we have in transportion, we've been bonding a lot of our transportation funding and I'm not certain that is sustainable for the future. Those are always three critical issue areas and they will continue to be in this budget...."
In addition, Tiffany was named as chairman of the Senate Committee on Sporting Heritage, Mining and Forestry, and vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Small Business and Tourism.
In prior legislative sessions, then Representative Dan Meyer of Eagle River sat on the committee, as did Democrat Jim Holperin, also of Eagle River.
