Cutting the size of the State Legislature by nearly half would save millions of dollars, according to state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison.
In a statement released Monday, Black said he will propose a bill to cut the number of Assembly and Senate seats to the smallest size allowed by the state constitution. This would save the state $50 million over two years without reducing taxpayer representation and services, Black said.
\We are looking at a budget deficit of over $3 billion, the largest in Wisconsin history, and we need to be looking at drastic cuts in important services like the University, environmental protection and healthcare,"" Black said.
Wisconsin faces a projected budget deficit of $450 million dollars for this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and $3.2 billion for the next biennium.
Instead of cutting education and health care, Black said the state should consider which cuts harm the quality of life of residents the least, such as cutting the legislature size.
Other legislators are less enthusiastic about the idea. State Rep. Steven Foti, R-Oconomowoc, said while he commended Black for thinking outside the box, it is not appropriate to do this now.
""He should have brought it up when he was a member of the conference committee or when he was the minority leader, or when they were going through the redistricting,"" Foti said.
Reducing the legislature size would require redistricting, a process usually done every ten years. For the redistricting, Black recommended an independent, nonpartisan commission to make sure the seats are politically competitive.
According to Mike McCabe, executive director for the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, another potential criticism of the bill is that it would not save as much money as Black predicts. He said the bill would save some money but not enough to make a huge difference.
The bill has no chance of passing, according to McCabe.
""If I know anything about legislators, it's that they like to hold onto their jobs,"" McCabe said.
Black said he is aware of the opposition to the bill, but the benefits to the state outweigh his personal interests.
""I'm making a proposal that could well cost me my job but I think my job as a legislator is to look at the well being of the state as a whole, not just my personal life,"" Black said.
