State Foresees Massive Financial Troubles

[Madison, Wisc…] The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported today that a potential $2.5 billion structural deficit could be in place by the time next legislature convenes in January.

In a memo to members of the legislature, LFB Director Bob Lang wrote that “for 2011-12 the general fund would need to generate $1,232 million in order to meet current commitments, maintain the required statutory balance, and balance the budget for that year. In 2012-13, $1,279 million ($47 million over the $1,232 million in 2011-12) would need to be realized.”

Those figures would cover just existing programs, not any program expansions.

Republican Robin Vos of Caledonia, a member of the Joint Committee on Finance, was highly critical of the news.

“When Governor Doyle took office eight years ago, he promised to fix the Wisconsin state budget,” said Vos.  “This analysis shows us that under his leadership it has only gotten much worse.”

“It will take many years to repair the financial damage Doyle did by taking as much as he needed from the pocketbooks of Wisconsinites to support his reckless spending habit,” Vos warned.

See the memo, which was distributed to state lawmakers earlier today, here.