Wisconsin state budget stalled; Assembly, Senate may each write own versions

MADISON – State budget talks stalled Monday, prompting the Senate's top leader to warn his house might break off discussions with the Assembly and pass its own financial plan instead.

Republicans who control the Legislature had hoped to have the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee meet Tuesday but were unable to reach enough consensus to take votes. It remains unclear if the panel will meet later in the week.

"I'm hoping this is just a little bump in the road that we're not meeting (on Tuesday)," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) told reporters. "If they don't meet Thursday, then we're in a rougher spot than I thought we were."

GOP Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers have struggled to come to terms on the state budget in recent weeks.Underlining their challenges, an Assembly leader said Monday that he's prepared to be "pretty stubborn" about getting changes to Walker's bill to help rural school districts.

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/05/wisconsin-state-budget-stalled-gop-work-out-differences/370551001/