Latest news with #Knowles-NelsonStewardshipprogram
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican lawmakers introduce bill to keep stewardship grant program alive
Republicans on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee rejected a funding request from the City of Ashland to build a new boat launch at Kreher Park. (City of Ashland) A pair of Republican lawmakers has introduced legislation that would re-authorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant program, a popular program that allows the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to fund the purchase of public land and the upkeep of recreational areas. The decades-old program is set to expire next year and despite its bipartisan support among the state's voters, a subset of Republicans in the Legislature — largely from the northern part of the state — have become increasingly opposed to the program due to concerns that it stops land from being developed for commercial activities. Until a 6-1 decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court last summer, members of the Legislature's powerful Joint Finance Committee had the ability to place anonymous holds on proposed grants through the program, which resulted in many projects being delayed or prevented altogether. Without that ability, Republicans who were already wary of the program became more opposed because of what they characterize as a lack of legislative oversight. Proponents of the program say the Legislature exercises oversight through the budget writing process when it allocates funding for the program. In recent years, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program has received $33 million annually in the state budget. In his budget request this year, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed re-authorizing the program with a $100 million annual budget. Republicans stripped that provision out of the budget along with most of Evers' other proposals. Last week, Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) introduced a bill that would keep the program alive with $28 million in annual funding. The bill would also create a major land acquisitions program for stewardship grant awards which would require the DNR to annually submit a list of all its proposed land acquisitions costing more than $1 million for that year. Those acquisitions would need to be approved by votes of the full Legislature. Additionally, the bill would create a sub-program to use stewardship grant funds for habitat restoration projects, require the DNR to prioritize projects that develop already existing public lands over new land acquisition, require local governments to match 20% of the state funding, get rid of the current 10-acre minimum size requirement and limit the state's contribution to 40% of the total cost if the sale of a piece of land is already closed when stewardship funds are applied for. In a co-sponsorship memo, Kurtz and Testin, who did not respond to requests for an interview about the bill, said the initial proposal is meant to be the start of negotiations, not the final version of the bill. 'It's important to note what we're proposing is not an agreed upon deal,' the memo states. 'It's a first offer to provide a starting place for negotiations on this important program. It's very likely the bill will continue to change during the legislative process, but it's important to put something forward to allow feedback, have open-minded conversations and ultimately find a good place to ensure the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program's legacy continues.' At a meeting with the Wisconsin chapter of the Audubon Society in April, Kurtz said the program was on 'life support' and he was trying to save it from dying but any bill would need to put some oversight on the DNR in order to receive enough Republican support. The opposition to the stewardship program from a subset of the Republican caucus in both chambers means the bill might require Democratic votes to pass the Legislature and reach Evers' desk. Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) has spent months pushing for the program's reauthorization – often pointing to a stewardship grant project in her district that was subjected to an anonymous hold, the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs on Lake Michigan. She said the hold on that project angered a lot of her constituents of both parties. 'That really got people upset,' she told the Wisconsin Examiner. 'People would not at all want to see a reenactment in any fashion of that anonymous objection process.' Habush Sinykin said that she's closely watching the bill to make sure it protects a program that enjoys wide support outside of the Capitol building and will stir up significant opposition if it's allowed to die. 'Once people understand that this program is at risk, they are coming forward to express their opposition to any permanent damage to the program,' she said. 'And so what we are engaged in right now is this process to keep it going forward, and there is going to be ongoing negotiation, because the devil is in the details. We need to make sure that what is one step forward will not ultimately be two steps backward.' Charles Carlin, director of strategic initiatives for Gathering Waters, a non-profit aimed at land conservation across Wisconsin, said that Kurtz and Testin should be credited for working to get the conversation started and provisions in the bill like the habitat restoration program. But he added that there are still a lot of questions about how provisions such as the requirement for legislative approval will work. 'I think part of what they are trying to balance here is a recognition that this is an incredibly popular program with voters, while trying to balance that against the fact that there are a handful of legislators who are deeply skeptical of the DNR and deeply skeptical of additional investments in conservation,' he said. 'So I see that major land acquisitions component as a way for them to try and balance those competing interests. The way that that major land acquisitions program is currently described in the bill just leaves a lot of question marks.' The bill is set to receive a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State lawmakers are working on the two-year budget. What is it, and why does it matter?
Over the next several weeks, you're likely to hear a lot about Wisconsin's biennial budget, the state's two-year spending plan that sets funding levels for schools, transportation, mental health and more. The Republican-controlled state Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers both have a role in shaping the budget. After Evers pitched his plan, the powerful Joint Finance Committee modifies the massive bill, which Evers will take action on later this summer. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will follow upcoming budget hearings and how lawmakers' decisions will impact government services and programs. Here's a broad timeline of what to expect. The budget process starts when state agencies — such as the Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin System and Department of Public Instruction — make requests for funding over the next two years. Typically, those are released toward the end of even-numbered years. State superintendent Jill Underly unveiled a $4 billion request for the DPI in November 2024. The UW System's $855 million request was announced in August. More: Does the UW System's $855 million budget request bring Wisconsin closer to average? These agency requests shape the governor's budget proposal, but the governor often makes changes by removing or adding specific programs or tweaking funding levels. The governor is required to deliver a budget message to the Legislature. Evers gave that speech Feb. 18 this year. His plans included a new tax bracket for the state's wealthiest residents, expanding the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program and addressing lead exposure among children. The budget proposal is also a chance for Evers to lay out policies he supports, such as marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion, though Republicans often remove them from the budget. More: Gov. Tony Evers' budget has a $2.4 billion net tax increase, would create a shortfall As of early May, this is the step we're at. The budget is in the hands of the Joint Finance Committee, which is comprised of 16 lawmakers from both parties and houses. Committee members hosted public listening sessions across the state in April. Now, the Republican-controlled committee will hold several, hours-long executive sessions in the Capitol to make changes to the governor's budget, piece by piece. In 2023, those meetings took place in May and June. Republicans historically ignore much of what's in Evers' budget. The committee started its work May 8 by eliminating hundreds of ideas in his proposal. But it's possible this budget cycle will have more compromise — Evers and legislative leaders are holding negotiations this year, which is unusual for them to do. More: Republicans scrap over 30 programs dedicated to behavioral health care from Evers' budget Once the Joint Finance Committee finishes its work, the budget bill goes to the full Assembly and Senate. In 2023, the Senate approved the budget June 28, and the Assembly passed it a day later. Two Republican senators joined Democrats in voting no, though the vote is typically along party lines. During floor debate two years ago, Democrats put forward numerous last-ditch amendments, trying to add some of Evers' policy ideas back into the budget. All were rejected by Republicans. June 30 is the deadline to pass a budget, but lawmakers have gone beyond that date in the past. Missing the deadline doesn't have immediate impacts; spending levels stay where they are until a new plan is in place. From there, the budget bill goes to Evers' desk to become law. The governor can veto the entire state budget. Typically, though, Evers and other governors have used their powerful partial veto authority to remove words, numbers and punctuation from the budget, which can create new meanings or change spending amounts. In 2023, Evers issued 51 partial vetoes when he signed the budget into law July 5. On April 18, the state Supreme Court upheld Evers' partial veto that locked in funding increases for public schools for 402 years by deleting a hyphen and a "20" in reference to the 2024-25 school year. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said his party would discuss how to write the 2025-27 budget in ways that limit Evers' partial veto opportunities. GOP leaders have also floated passing items typically included in the budget as separate bills to reduce the chance of vetoes. More: Republicans scour for options to sidestep Tony Evers vetoes, including not using digits in the budget More: Why did Wisconsin's capital move from Belmont to Madison? Corruption, land and lobbying The state budget impacts daily life across Wisconsin. Cuts at the federal level could make funding from the state even more crucial. Funding for the UW System dictates whether tuition will increase or remain flat for in-state undergraduates. Grants in the budget could address the rising cost of child care. Infrastructure projects, such as highway construction and traffic calming measures, are also considered in the budget. State prisons in Green Bay and Waupun could be closed or renovated as part of budget negotiations. The budget also dictates how much money the state takes in — including through income taxes. The last budget delivered an average income tax cut of $36, down from $573 in Republicans' plan, which Evers said focused relief on the wealthiest residents. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What exactly is the Wisconsin state budget, and why does it matter?
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Audubon Society pushes lawmakers to protect stewardship funds
Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) speaks about how advocates can convince Republicans to fund the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program at the Great Lakes Audubon Society's 2025 advocacy day. (Photo by Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner) Wisconsin Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) said Wednesday the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program is 'on life support,' adding that some of his Republican colleagues give it a 20% chance of being extended in this year's budget debate before its expiration next year. Kurtz, Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine), Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Karen Hyun spoke Wednesday to a gathering of members of local Audubon Society chapters and staff of Audubon Great Lakes ahead of the organization's advocacy day to lobby legislators to support conservation funding. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program was established in 1989 to help preserve local natural environments. Throughout its history, the program has enjoyed mostly bipartisan support as it has provided grants through the DNR to help local governments and nonprofits fund the acquisition, restoration and maintenance of public land, parks and wildlife habitats. In recent years, the program has become a flashpoint in the fight over the boundary between the executive and legislative branches of state government. Until a decision by the state Supreme Court last year, any member of the Legislature's powerful Joint Committee on Finance had the authority to hold up a project funded through the stewardship program by placing an anonymous hold on that spending. The Court's decision entirely removed the Legislature's oversight of the program, a change that further turned Republicans against its continued existence. 'We could make that process better, where it was not just one individual not liking something and being able to kill a project. I agree with that,' Kurtz said. 'When the court case came in and basically took that entire process away, that was not good either, because there was no oversight. And I understand some of you believe whatever the DNR does is fine. That's great. Some of my colleagues don't believe that.' Especially in the northern part of the state, Republicans have objected to stewardship funds being used to conserve land that then gets taken off of local property tax rolls — taking money away from already struggling small local governments. In other cases, Republicans have complained that proposals for projects under the grants rely too heavily on the state funds without the local governments providing enough of their own money. In his proposed 2025-26 budget, Gov. Tony Evers has requested the stewardship program be increased from its current funding of $33 million per year to $100 million per year for 10 years. Kurtz said he's working on a bill that would return some oversight authority over the program to the Legislature without the anonymous objection provision. He added, though, that if the Audubon members went to Republicans Wednesday saying, ''It's the governor's budget or nothing,' you already lost.' 'I don't need you to do that, because, I'm being very sincere, I'm trying to keep this alive, and if you go over there [saying that], there's a good chance it'll die,' he said. 'So don't do that. Let them, especially when you're meeting with my colleagues, ask them what [their] concerns are. 'Why don't you like this? What is it about the program that we can do better so we can have another day to make sure we protect all our wonderful birds and animals.'' Habush Sinykin noted that 93% of Wisconsinites support the program and said that in her purple district covering Milwaukee's northwest suburbs, the stewardship program is hugely popular. She said the anonymous hold of a project in the district drew the ire of community members of both parties. 'There's a lot of understanding at the legislative level that in these uncertain times, with these newer maps, that our state representatives and senators, including those on the Joint Finance Committee, have to be wary and strategic about issues like this that are bipartisan,' she said. 'They're actually non-partisan. They are successful community building issues. So I think that's a little bit where your leverage is to lean in hard. How popular these are.' Aside from the stewardship program, the society members lobbying in the Capitol Wednesday were pushing for the state to increase protections for wetlands and grasslands, advance sustainable practices in the state's agriculture and forestry industries and grow renewable energy production. On Wednesday morning, the administration of President Donald Trump announced a proposed rule that would rescind habitat protections for endangered species across the country. Marnie Urso, Audubon Great Lakes' senior director of policy, said that with the federal government retreating from conservation efforts, state level efforts have become more important. 'With that uncertainty, this kind of work is even more important, for state lawmakers to be on the path to conserving our natural resources,' Urso said. 'The Knowles Nelson project program is bipartisan. It always has been a permanent foundation. So we know it has wide, widespread bipartisan support.' Urso said leaning into that popularity could help advance the group's priorities. 'Even Trump voters like the Knowles Nelson Conservation Fund,' she said. 'So we're confident that by coming and talking, telling our story and getting to understand what's important to our lawmakers, we can inform those decisions. And now it's more important than ever to have state conservation programs continue.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
