Walker State Of The State Speech Falsely Claims Balanced Budget

Along with a proven falsehood about a budget without tax increases, Scott Walker's State of the State speech - - and here's a primer on what you won't hear - - contains another falsehood: that the budget is balanced.

Excerpts from the speech contain these lines, reports the Journal Sentinel:

And we balanced the state budget.  We balanced it -- without raising taxes; without massive layoffs; and without budget tricks;

Who is the source of the revelation that the budget still has a deficit? A Democrat?

No - - it's Walker's Department of Administration Secretary, Mike Huebsch, who told federal officials there was a deficit that permitted the state to cut public health plan rolls.

As State Sen. Jon Richards posted to WisPolitics last week:

Rep. Richards: Walker's administration states his budget is not balanced
1/18/2012

Contact: Rep. Jon Richards, (608) 266-0650

The governor’s administration certifies that the budget has a deficit in order to kick up to 53,000 people off health care

MADISON—Contradicting repeated claims by Gov. Walker that he has balanced the state budget, his administration told federal health officials late last month in writing that Wisconsin has a budget deficit so it could drop health care for Wisconsin families. That’s according to documents released today by Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee).

On Dec. 29, Walker administration secretary Mike Huebsch sent a letter to federal health secretary Kathleen Sebelius certifying that Wisconsin will have a budget deficit through June 30, 2013. By certifying that its budget isn’t balanced, the Walker administration can now dodge a federal law requiring it to continue providing health care for up to 53,000 residents. The Walker Administration letter contrasts starkly with public comments by Walker, who has claimed repeatedly since June that his budget is balanced.

More details, here.