Collaborative programs between Wisconsin and Minnesota could save Wisconsin an estimated $10 million, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Tuesday.
In a statement, Doyle and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty detailed plans to join efforts in more than 80 state-run programs.
""This marks the start of an important effort to cut government spending while protecting essential services during a tough economic time for our country,"" Doyle said in the statement.
Issuing executive orders this past January, both governors required state agencies to search for ways the two states could collaborate to help make up for budget shortfalls and improve government operations.
According to the Wisconsin Minnesota Collaboration Report, five areas of improvement were identified. They include joint procurement and best practices, cross-border collaboration, information technology systems, reciprocity and shared resources.
The greatest savings come in areas of reciprocity, which include issuing joint-state permits for oversized trucks in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Joint permits would save the industry over $2 million annually, the report found.
Additionally, the report found sharing resources like communication infrastructure would save the states $900,000 per year.
Wisconsin state Assembly Speaker Michael Sheridan, D-Janesville, was impressed by the number of areas the task force identified for potential cooperation, according to his spokesperson, Rebekah Sweeney.
""At a time when both Minnesota and Wisconsin face significant budget shortfalls, it's smart to look for ways we can collaborate and share resources to ease the burden on taxpayers,"" Sheridan said in a statement.
For Pawlenty, the tough economic times provide opportunity for state government development.
""These challenging times provide us an opportunity to make state government more accountable and efficient,"" Pawlenty said in a statement. ""Working together with our neighbors in Wisconsin will advance these goals.""
