Commentary: Give and take looks familiar

Published: July 3, 2009
Tags: budget, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Raymond Peabody

Hundreds of legislative decisions, some big and many small, helped decide how Wisconsin state government will spend $62 billion in the next two years. The process was familiar.

More than a half century ago, then Assemblyman Raymond Peabody of Polk County wrote a letter describing what goes on in the Finance Committee as the budget is prepared.

“We build budgets — taking pot shots in the dark like a poaching duck hunter. Months of pulling and hauling and giving and taking. Guessing and hoping. Listening and sometimes believing.

“Dabbling in matters so big and remote that lighting a candle on a star would be just about as possible as arriving at a real understanding of some of them. But, finally, we do come up with a budget.”

Some things have changed in the 56 years since. The Legislature now has a non-partisan agency — the Legislative Fiscal Bureau — to offer insights into the impact of assorted budget ideas.

Media criticism centers on several fronts. It is alleged there is too much non-fiscal policy in the budget document. There are charges that too many decisions are made behind closed doors. And some object to meetings that stretch through the night.

All-night meetings aren’t good for television stations. They’d like all the decisions wrapped up for the 10 p.m. news. All-night meetings also mean overtime for reporters. Legislators and their staffs don’t get paid overtime.

Many people work at night. Hospitals and institutions are staffed at night. Police and firefighters are on duty at night. Many factories operate around the clock.

Closed-door caucus meetings aren’t illegal and they aren’t new. In the 1950s, enterprising reporters sat on the fire escapes of a Madison hotel to listen to a closed-door debate to catch the scoop on what the majority party — in those days Republican — was putting in the budget bill.

Editorial writers say non-fiscal issues should be handled separately so floor debate could be on the merits of a specific item. That’s the sort of stuff taught in civics courses, but it isn’t the way legislators operate.

Former lawmaker and lobbyist Kirby Hendee said legislators have a “Capistrano complex” — they want to return to the Legislature just like the birds return to the California site. The merits of an item aren’t paramount. As Peabody wrote, it is “giving and taking.”

Matt Pommer worked as a reporter in Madison for 35 years. He comments on state political and policy issues.

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