The state Assembly passed Gov. Scott Walker?s state budget about 3 a.m. Thursday, sending it to the state Senate, which planned to take it up about 10 a.m. Republican leaders worked feverishly in closed-door meetings on budget details most of the day on Wednesday, delaying the start of the floor session by more than five hours. Several provisions were removed at the last minute, including a plan to give back about $37 million in federal grant money awarded to the UW System. That proposal would end UW-Madison?s support of WiscNet, a statewide Internet provider. Vos called the decision to back away from returning the federal money a compromise that should lead to a better approach. The amendment, released after 7 p.m., would allow those who now have WiscNet to keep it. The deal adds a requirement that the state?s Legislative Audit Bureau do an audit of the program by January 2013.
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