The governor’s budget, formally released Thursday, would impact various aspects of life in Wisconsin. Here is a partial list of provisions of interest to the dairy community:
The governor put forth a proposal to increase the gas tax by 8 cents per gallon to raise revenue for transportation projects by, while also calling for the repeal of the minimum markup law.
The budget contained multiple provisions aimed at improving water quality, including increased funding to replace contaminated wells and to help fund nonpoint pollution programs.
The proposal calls for increased funding for the University of Wisconsin System, including additional county-based extension agents, but it does not provide funding sought for applied dairy and agricultural research.
He is seeking to double the amount of money available for dairy processor grants with a focus on grants to help small processors.
The proposed budget includes $200,000 in funding for a new Wisconsin Initiative for Dairy Exports (WIDE) at DATCP. WIDE is meant to bring different parts of the dairy supply chain together to form partnerships to help boost Wisconsin’s dairy exports.
The governor called for the creation of a driver’s permit for noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status.
Many aspects of the governor’s budget are expected to face strong opposition from the Republican-controlled Legislature. It is also anticipated the Legislature will put forth its own rival budget proposal. Throughout the process, DBA will continue to advocate for investments that make sense for our dairy farmers, processors and the community that relies on them.
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