MONROE — State Sen. Howard Marklein had one main thought after reviewing a budget proposal from Gov. Tony Evers this week.

“It’s a lot of money,” Marklein said Monday following a listening session at Monroe Public Library to gain public feedback about the upcoming budget process. 

The stop was one of a number scheduled throughout southern Wisconsin between March 1 and 18. Marklein serves on the Senate Committee on Finance and the Joint Committee on Finance and announced listening sessions for the seven counties he represents within the 17th Senate District. 

Separately, he raised concerns over the proposals from Evers, specifically the items that are political policy but not necessarily related to fiscal spending, he said. The 10 percent budget increase from the 2017-19 budget passed under former governor Scott Walker totaling roughly $76 billion. Evers’ proposal outlines a $83.4 billion budget. 

In his address to attendees, Marklein said the committees will likely disregard any proposals made by Evers to serve his base of supporters.

Overall, 19 people showed up to the session over the noon hour at Monroe Public Library. Monroe Schools District Administrator Rick Waski and Business Administrator Ron Olson were in attendance. Both have previously expressed a lack of hope that the state budget would be done by the July 1 deadline given the divide between Evers, a Democrat, and the Republican-led state Legislature. 

At the session, Waski thanked Marklein for spending hours speaking with him about the funding of schools. However, he expressed disappointment in both Evers’ proposal because of the burden on taxpayers throughout the state, but he also said he was “discouraged” that as soon as the proposed budget was released, Republican lawmakers said they would put forward their own budget.

“I really hope that the politicians listen to the people as far as education funding is concerned,” Waski said. “Seventy-eight out of 82 referendums passed this fall. It is clear people want public education to be funded fairly; not excessively, but fairly. … Please, bring some civility back to state government.”

He added that road funding impacts school operations and other facets of life, asking that repairs be made instead of providing a “silly tax rebate.”

Marklein was also hesitant to say lawmakers would pass a budget within the deadline. During negotiations for the 2017-19 budget, lawmakers drafted a separate budget proposal from Walker as they have announced they will in opposition to Evers’ proposal. The previous budget was passed 10 weeks late in mid-September, the longest delay of its kind in a decade.

Much of the discussion at the session revolved around taxes. Evers has proposed an 8 cent gas tax increase to bolster transportation funding to appease critics of the state’s crumbling roads. The tax increase would be offset by the elimination of the Unfair Sales Act, a law which prevents retailers from selling fuel below cost, according to the governor’s office.

Monroe resident LaVern Isely was one of the people calling for updated road conditions. 

“You’re going to have to find ways to pay for this,” Isely said, noting that Minnesota had implemented a successful method in recent years. “Raising the state income tax is the only fairest way to do it. … I hope you can work with the Democrats on this.”

Marklein noted the gas tax proposal by Evers as one idea. He does not stand against it, but said he is cautious about the implementation of any tax which places extra burden on rural residents who may not see benefits. As for the proposal by Evers to provide a 10 percent income tax credit for single earners under $80,000 and a strengthened Earned Income Tax Credit, Marklein said he did not favor “adding complexity to the tax code.” 

“I’m for simple, keep the tax code as simple as you possibly can,” Marklein said. “I think we already have the most generous Earned Income Tax Credit in the country right now.”

Others proposed the use of sales tax to fund schools. 

Marklein said he was not “personally” opposed to a consumption tax, but noted that in the past efforts had been made to adjust the sales tax in order to fund schools. He noted that the intentions of one group of lawmakers may not be followed through by a new band of legislators after roughly a decade has passed. 

Randy Klein, who serves as the executive director of nonprofit Greenco Industries in Monroe, requested that a family caregiver initiative enacted in the previous budget be continued in the next biennium. The Family Care program helps providers deal with a shortage of caregivers by allocating $60 million in funding to cover wages, bonuses and time-off or benefits. 

“I ask that you talk with your fellow legislators as far as continuing that,” Klein said. “But also to expand it for the hardworking staff who are serving that population in the areas of community employment, the community rehab programs and the folks working real hard to help people with disabilities.”

A few attendees expressed concern over the so-called “lame duck session” measures passed at the end of 2018 by state Republicans. Jerry Albrecht, a retired educator, said he was concerned over what seemed to be a power grab and added that redistricting maps should be done in a bipartisan way to avoid gains by one political party over another in elections. 

Marklein said the public should realize it’s not a “nonpartisan” group to decide the new lines, but a bipartisan effort; “two Republicans, two Democrats.”

Bill Holland spoke out against “big money,” and said campaign finance had exceeded its purpose.

“One party is listening to the money and one party is listening to the people,” Holland said. “And this time, the people didn’t win.”