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 | September 14, 2018 |
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| Wisconsin political news for clients and colleagues. |
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Fall is almost here, and activity is ramping up in and around the state capitol. The 2019-21 state budget process is beginning with agency budget requests due Monday, and Hamilton has launched our 2019-21 budget issue update. Meanwhile, study committees are getting closer to decision-making. All this and more Wisconsin politics news in this edition of Tidbits:
If you wish to receive additional information about a topic addressed in Tidbits, please do not hesitate to
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| Agency Budgets Due Monday |
Next week will mark the beginning of the next biennium's state budget process, as 2019-21 agency budget requests are due to Gov. Scott Walker and the Department of Administration (DOA) on Monday, Sept. 17. Walker has directed agencies to be "aggressive" in identifying savings and to aim for zero growth in overall general purpose revenue appropriations.
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| 2019-21 State Budget Issue Update Launched |  With the budget process underway, we have launched our 2019-21 State Budget Issue Update on the Hamilton website. This page will include updates on the status of the budget, analysis of budget items from the governor and legislature, and links to all budget-related documents. Check back throughout the process for the latest budget news!
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| Study Committee Update: Direct Primary Care Committee Discusses Employer Models, Physician Burnout, Legislation |
The Study Committee on Direct Primary Care (DPC) met for the second time on Aug. 29. The committee heard from several presenters and engaged in discussion on what the future work from the committee might look like.
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| Study Committee Update: School Trust Funds Committee Discusses Fund Management Strategy | |
The Study Committee on Investment and Use of School Trust Funds met for the second time on Sept. 5. The meeting focused on how and by whom the school trust fund should be managed. Areas of interest to committee members included adopting new strategies to increase the fund's returns and reexamining the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands's (BCPL) loan program for municipalities.
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| Study Committee Update: Body Cameras Committee Discusses Retention of Records, Privacy Issues |
The Study Committee on the Use of Police Body Cameras met for the second time on Sept. 13. The focus of the meeting was to receive some additional presentations and spend time discussing the committee's assignment and next steps.
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DOR Releases Online Sales Tax Emergency Rule
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The Department of Revenue (DOR) filed an emergency rule this week related to the collection of online sales taxes. The rule will allow DOR to collect Wisconsin's 5 percent sales tax from online sellers without a physical presence in the state beginning on Oct. 1, 2018.
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| LFB Releases Preliminary 2017-18 General Fund Tax Collections | |
On Aug. 30, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released the preliminary 2017-18 general fund tax collections. Overall, revenues were 4 percent higher in fiscal year 2017-18 than in 2016-17, totaling $16,144.2 million. Actual collections for 2017-18 were $18.4 million, just 0.1 percent above the amount estimated in January.
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| Wisconsin Continues to Lead ACA Litigation | |
Earlier this year, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with 18 other states, filed a brief in support of preliminary injunction in federal district court against the federal government's enforcement of the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A judge from the Northern District of Texas court heard oral arguments in the case last week to decide whether to grant the injunction that would suspend the individual mandate until the case is decided.
Wisconsin and Texas, along with four other states, are involved in simultaneous ACA litigation in the same Texas court, contesting imposition of a Health Insurance Providers Fee (HIPF) on Medicaid managed care contracts.
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| WISCA Names Rep. Nygren Legislator of the Year | 
On Aug. 30, the Association of Wisconsin Surgery Centers (WISCA) presented Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) with the organization's Legislator of the Year award at the Bellin Health Surgery Center located in Marinette. The WISCA Legislator of the Year Award recognizes a state legislator who advocates for and champions policies to support ambulatory surgery centers and the patients they serve in Wisconsin.
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