Wisconsin Budget Offends Libertarians and Small-Government Advocates

DNA collection and increased spending

MADISON – Move over liberals. There seems to be enough discontent with Gov. Scott Walker's budget to go around.

At least some Republicans hate the 2013-15 budget, too.

In the libertarian wing of the Republican Party, the $70 billion, two-year budget signed by Walker over the weekend is another example of big government getting bigger.

Todd Welch, state coordinator for the nonprofit Campaign for Liberty and a member of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, ran off a laundry list of complaints with the Republican-crafted budget.

"This budget grows government spending $2 billion. It includes DNA collection at arrest — a policy item that shouldn't even be in the budget. It exempts a balanced budget requirement, which Republicans implemented two years ago. It adds government employees," Welch said in a phone interview Monday.