First Votes Cast on Wisconsin’s Budget
Republicans on finance committee endorse far fewer positions at licensing agency than Evers proposed.
Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, co-chairs the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. (Amena Saleh/Wisconsin Watch)
In one of their first votes on this year’s budget, Republicans on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved ongoing funding for a handful of positions at the state’s licensing agency.
But the number of jobs funded at the Department of Safety and Professional Services, or DSPS, by Thursday’s vote fell well short of what Gov. Tony Evers’ administration was asking for.
Response times at the DSPS have been a source of contention over recent years. The agency is tasked with administering professional licenses, among other functions.
Republicans argue the agency is inefficient and in need of overhaul before receiving further investment, while Democrats say poor funding is to blame for the agency’s struggles — including a longstanding licensure backlog.
In his budget proposal, Evers requested an increase of 30 positions at the agency, some of which would replace temporary positions within DSPS with full-time employees. Those workers would manage applications from new professionals and people transferring credentials from out-of-state and run a call center.
Republicans voted 12-4 on their own proposal to maintain nine of those positions, but to varying degrees. For example, the GOP plan would continue funding five call center employees on a temporary basis rather than the 14 full-time positions Evers wanted.
Evers also asked for 10 new full time positions to deal with licensing at the agency. Republicans didn’t approve any.
Democrats argued that not funding more positions would lead to longer wait times for plumbers, nurses, elevator mechanics, beauticians and nearly 200 other professionals to receive their licenses.
“By not having those positions, not being able to approve those licenses, for our medical professionals, for our business professionals, you’re making people’s lives harder again,” said Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha. “We’re making it harder for people to just simply go through the basics of what it takes to be in their field.”
In a written statement after the meeting, Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, said the positions would ensure the department could “operate effectively.”
“Our action today demonstrates our commitment to right-sizing Gov. Evers’ budget and the continuation of responsible Republican budgeting,” read the statement from Born and Marklein, the committee’s co-chairs.
The head of DSPS, Dan Hereth, previously argued that the agency wants to use its own fees, collected from license applications, exams and inspections, to cover costs.
Republicans and Democrats have frequently clashed over the agency, with Republicans blaming leadership under Evers for slow processing. A 2022 audit found that health licensing took over a month, although a 2023 audit found turnaround times were improving.
During a late-night budget hearing in 2023, Born said the agency needed to get “its s— together” before Republicans would entertain big funding increases — although Republicans did approve some increased staffing.
In other votes Thursday, Republicans sailed through the budgets for smaller offices like the secretary of state, lieutenant governor and state treasurer.
GOP lawmakers have been meeting privately with Evers’ office to hammer out some of the bigger pieces of the budget, namely tax cuts.
Wisconsin’s budget process underway with votes on licensing agency funding was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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