Walker all but guarantees Wisconsin budget won’t be done by deadline

Lawmakers were calling each other’s proposals laughable early this week.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker all but guaranteed the state budget won’t be ready by the June 30 deadline.

Negotiations between the state Senate and Assembly lawmakers on the budget appear to be on the mend. 

That, following Tuesday’s meeting when leadership in both houses called the other side laughable. 

“Usually at the end of the process, tensions are up a little bit,” Walker said. “But we’ve been able to work that through three times in the past. I’m confident we’ll be able to work it through.”

But not by June 30.

“In the next couple weeks, we can get them to work it out,” Walker said. “So, even though they won’t hit the June 30 deadline, I believe in the next few weeks, going into July, they’ll be able to work it out just like they did two years ago.”

Assembly and Senate leadership are split on how to pay for a road deficit. That Tuesday meeting ended after 40 minutes with both chambers unhappy, calling each other’s proposals laughable.