March 19, 2025

By Lane Kimble

Next month brings one of the best chances to ensure lawmakers who are crafting the next state budget hear your voice.

The Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) announced four all-day budget listening sessions across the state for April.

The Committee will start in Kaukauna on Wednesday, April 2, heads to West Allis on April 4, Hayward on April 28 and finishes in Wausau on April 29.  All four sessions run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Attendees can register to share brief comments on any budget matter they please, including Transportation.

The governor’s budget proposal includes more than $400 million in new Transportation Fund revenue and would provide double-digit percentage increases to the State Highway, Majors, and Southeast Mega programs.

The 16-member JFC generally holds the listening sessions every other April, public hearings with each state department leader, and then crafts its own version of the budget to send to the Legislature.  The budget is due to the governor by June 30.

Those who cannot make it to April’s in-person sessions can submit comments online ahead of time.

All four sessions will be live streamed on WisEye.org.