7/22/05-Gov. Jim Doyle said he will veto nearly all of the money Republican lawmakers set aside in the state budget – AB100 – to begin preliminary work on part of Interstate 94 near Milwaukee.
The project includes the crossroads of Interstates 94 and 894, and U.S. 45, known as the Zoo Interchange.
Instead, Doyle first wants to rebuild I-94 from Mitchell International Airport in southern Milwaukee County to the Illinois border.
Doyle, a Democrat, informed lawmakers last week he will veto all but $3 million of the $38 million Republicans designated for preliminary work on the interchange, The Associated Press reported. He said the money would be better put to use on education than for studies on a project that won’t begin for at least another decade.
The governor has one of the most powerful veto authorities in the country. He can strike out words and numbers to rewrite entire sections of legislation lawmakers send him.
For bill status, call (608) 266-1803. In Wisconsin, call 1-800-362-9472.

6/17/05-The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has approved a budget proposal that would cut the state’s fuel tax by a penny per gallon to 31.9 cents.
The panel, however, dropped a plan by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to increase vehicle registration fees by $10.
Despite the panel’s decision to trim 1 cent off the fuel tax, the budget bill wouldn’t eliminate the annual automatic “indexing” feature that ties the fuel tax rate to inflation. This year, the rate increased 0.8 cents a gallon.
The tax cut would lower the 3-cent tax to clean up polluted land to 2 cents a gallon while leaving highway spending untouched.
The Republican-led panel also approved earmarking $38 million to study rebuilding the Zoo Interchange and part of U.S. 45, from West Allis to Germantown, in addition to $29 million for preliminary engineering on reconstruction of Interstate 94 from Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee to the Illinois line.
In addition, lawmakers killed nearly half of the $486 million in transfers that Doyle sought from the transportation account – made up of fuel tax and other fees – to the general fund. Many of the rejected transfers would have gone to education.
The full Legislature will take up the budget – AB100 – later this month before forwarding it to the governor.
For bill status, call (608) 266-1803. In Wisconsin, call 1-800-362-9472.