Scooter puts the screws to Stewardship

State Rep. Scott (Scooter) Jensen trumpets "the largest Stewardship purchase in state history" in his weekly electronic newsletter.

It would certainly be that -- a purchase of 77,000-plus acres by the Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund.

The catch? The state of Wisconsin wouldn't end up with any more land. Jensen's plan requires the Stewardship Fund to buy all of the land now owned by the Commissioners of the Board of Public Lands, another state agency. Most of it is in forests and already open to the public.

Jensen's plan would tie up all of the money in the Stewardship Fund, perhaps for several years, and prevent it from doing what it is intended to -- buy land or conservation easements on some of Wisconsin's most vulnerable and environmentally significant lands, to preserve them and protect them from development. (It's the continuation of a program started in 1963 under then-Gov. Gaylord Nelson, when Wisconsin was a leader on conservation issues.)

Jensen offers a lot of dubious justification for his scheme, and was able to win a vote on the Joint Finance Committee to put the provision into the state budget the committee is writing. Story.

But it is just plain bad policy, and it is really little more than a continuation of a tug-of-war over the Stewardship Fund that started between the Republican-run Joint Finance and Gov. Jim Doyle during the last state budget two years ago. Bear with me a minute and we'll get back to the current fight after this background:

Republicans call themselves conservatives, but when it comes to conserving precious land, which is what the Stewardship program is all about, they come down against it.

Two years ago, Republicans tried to gut the Stewardship program, reduce funding by 80% and eliminate $245-million in bonding authority. The Republicans also tried a power grab and put a provision in the state budget saying Joint Finance had to approve all Stewardship purchases, instead of those over $250,000 as had been past practice.

But the GOP "got too cute," Finance Co-Chair Rep. Dean Kaufert admitted, and gave Doyle a chance to use his veto and eliminate all Joint Finance oversight of Stewardship purchases. Doyle did just that, and Joint Finance was shut out of the decisions. Story.

The GOP-run legislature later passed a bill restoring the $250,000 limit but Doyle vetoed that, too. So the Republicans are still fuming.

Fast forward now to last Friday's Joint Finance meeting and Jensen's motion.

Under the guise of helping libraries and reducing property taxes, Jensen moves to cripple the Stewardship program. He makes a credible case. He's a smart guy and good debater. (Remember, this is the guy whose lawyer says he didn't commit a felony by using his Capitol office and staff to run campaigns, because his job as GOP leader was to get Republicans elected. If you can argue that, you can argue anything.)

But it was too much even for two of Jensen's fellow Republicans, Sens. Joe Leibham and Robert Cowles, who voted with the Democrats as Jensen's motion passed 10-6.

Environmental groups are outraged and trying to put some pressure on to reverse the decision before the final budget package is finished.

If that fails, there is always another Doyle veto at the end of the road.

And did I mention that the fiscal note on Jensen's motion basically says it's unconstitutional? The state constitution gives the Commissioners of the Board of Public Lands the authority to "withhold from sale any portion of such lands when they deem it expedient." So Joint Finance, the governor, or anyone else can't make them sell anything.

But when a conservative is trying to kill a conservation program, why let a little thing like the constitution get in the way?