The state Senate gaveled in briefly this morning for its session on the biennial budget and is now in recess until 11:30 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said this week he didn’t have the required 17 votes from his party to pass the budget. He told reporters today he still has “more than 15.”

Ahead of the session, Senate Democrats decried the GOP for a budget that’s two months late and said they doesn’t fix the state’s transportation funding issues and underfunds schools.

“The GOP forgot our children, our roads and the vital services that communities depend on,” said Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, a member of the Joint Finance Committee.

Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, said Republicans reached out to two Democratic senators to see whether they may vote on the budget.

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, described those as “side conversations” that GOP leaders held with her members.

“We are united and we are solid as a caucus,” she said.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email