A more refined estimate will come from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau in January when it releases projected state tax revenue figures for the next year.

Now, let's go back to that $3.6 billion deficit from 2011. When Walker took office that year, the state faced a $2.5 billion shortfall. After about $1.1 billion of state agency funding requests were added in, that projected deficit amounted to $3.6 billion.

The governor addressed the shortfall with his controversial Act 10 budget repair bill and through funding cuts.

Because the $3.6 billion figure became so well-known over the course of two campaigns, Winnebago County Executive and former Democratic candidate for the 6th Congressional District Mark Harris voiced concerns that people might compare it with the $2.2 billion estimate from the DOA memo.

But Harris pointed out a difference in the way the two figures were calculated.

The $3.6 billion number was based on the baseline biennial budget number — including neither increases in revenue nor increases in expenses — combined with agency budget requests, Harris said.

But, he noted, the current DOA estimate includes $1.4 billion in new revenue.