Political Tidbits

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Mar. 2, 2007

The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance has unanimously approved and recommended to the full Legislature a “budget repair” bill in advance of its work on the 2007-09 biennial budget. (Please see article below.) Among the actions taken is a recommendation for 31 additional positions for the State Crime Lab to address significant backlog issues. New Crime Lab positions were supported by the Governor and the Attorney General although Joint Finance’s actions nearly doubled the number recommended by the Governor.

The State Assembly this week voted to terminate, prospectively, accumulation of sick leave as a post retirement benefit by elected State officials. (See below.) This benefit, which is currently available to all state employees who meet certain criteria relating to length of service and age at retirement, has recently come under scrutiny particularly as it relates to positions that do not have a clearly defined “work week” or work schedule, including elected officials.

Policy Developments

Joint Finance Modifies Budget Repair Bill
The Joint Finance Committee voted 16-0 on Wednesday in passing a substitute amendment to the Governor’s budget repair bill (SB-39/AB-72).

For a summary and discussion of the original bill, see the February 19, 2007 Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo and the February 28^th LFB memo. For a summary of the substitute amendment, see the Mar. 1 LFB Memo.

JFC changes to the original bill include the following:

Reduced lapses and transfers to the General Fund from $15 million to $11 million, including limiting the lapse from DOT to $130,700 instead of the proposed $4,130,700 from the DOT Transportation Fund.
Reduced other transfers to the General Fund: $1.5 million from the Recycling Fund instead of $3.5 million; $1.5 million from the Agrichemical Management Fund instead of $3.5 million; and deleted a $5 million transfer from the Petroleum Inspection Fund and a $1 million transfer from the Agricultural Chemical Cleanup Fund.
Increased the transfer from OCI (PR) to the General Fund from $7 million to $8 million.
Added 16 DNA positions to the State Crime Lab, effective July 1, 2007 for a total of 31 new positions.
Changed the statutory ending balance to $65 million instead of $75 million in the bill.

A motion offered by Representatives Suder and Kestell to delete all transfers to and from SEG accounts - and a motion offered by Sen. Darling and Rep. Stone to eliminate the remaining $130,7000 lapse from DOT to the General Fund - both failed on party line (8-8) votes with Republicans voting for and Democrats voting against the motions.

Senate Health Committee to Hold Hearings on Universal Health Insurance Coverage
The Senate Health Committee will be holding public hearings around the state to discuss three universal coverage proposals, health care reform recommendations forwarded by Sens. Darling and Roessler, and health care initiatives in the Governor’s biennial budget bill.

The three universal coverage plans include: SB-51/AB 94 offered by Sen. Miller and Rep. Benedict - the Wisconsin Health Plan, elements of which were introduced by Reps. Gielow and Richards last session, and a proposal developed by David Newby of the AFL-CIO, which was also introduced last session.

The first hearing is scheduled for March 8^th at 4:00 pm at the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Green Bay. The second hearing is scheduled for March 22^nd at 4:00 pm at the Chippewa Valley Technical College Auditorium in Eau Claire. Other hearings are expected but yet to be scheduled.

Assembly Vote Would Curb Accumulated Sick Leave for Elected State Officials
The State Assembly this week passed legislation, AB-31, which would prohibit all elected state officials - legislators, constitutional officers, justices and judges and District Attorneys - from accumulating sick leave and converting such accumulation to money to pay for post-retirement health insurance benefits.

The proposal, if adopted by the Senate and signed by the Governor, would apply prospectively (to sick leave accumulated after the effective date of the Act) only.

Photo ID Bill Advances
An Assembly committee on Thursday passed (5-3) a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a Photo ID to vote.

Assembly Joint Resolution 17, proposing a second consideration related to requiring photographic identification to vote or register to vote on election day, was introduced on
February 15.

A constitutional amendment requires legislative approval in two consecutive sessions, after which Wisconsin voters must approve the amendment in a referendum. Last session, the legislature gave its preliminary approval of the proposed amendment.

Governor Doyle has vetoed a statutory Photo ID requirement three times. The proposed constitutional requirement would not need Doyle’s approval.

Lawmakers Introduce Fuel Tax Incentives
Legislation was introduced this week that would provide tax incentives to consumers purchasing flex fuel vehicles.

The measure would create an income and franchise tax credit of $1,000 for the purchase or lease of a new flexible fuel vehicle. These vehicles are engineered to operate on regular gasoline or E85, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

The tax credit bill, Assembly Bill 85, is currently before the Assembly Committee on Biofuels and Sustainable Energy, and a public hearing on the bill is forthcoming.

Bar Hours Extended for Daylight Savings
2007 Senate Bill 52, which places in Wisconsin law the federal changes to the dates of daylight saving time, has passed both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature. The bill also would allow bars to stay open later (3:30 am) on the day the time advances.

Beginning in 2007, federal law provides for daylight saving time to be extended from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.

Homeland Security Conference Upcoming
The 40th Annual Governor’s Conference on Emergency Management and Homeland Security will be held March 28-29, 2007 in La Crosse.

Additional information may be found on the agency’s website.

Governor Doyle to Lead Trade Mission to China, Japan
Governor Jim Doyle will lead a delegation of Wisconsin business and government leaders to China and Japan from September 7 to 18, 2007. The trade mission will provide participants with opportunities to meet with distributors, potential customers, and key business and government officials. The Governor will also promote investment by Japanese and Chinese companies in Wisconsin.

China is Wisconsin’s fastest-growing export market and the third-largest export market overall, up from fourth-largest in 2005. The Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection are jointly coordinating the mission in partnership with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

Wisconsin Politics

Court of Appeals Judges Selected for Committee
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson kicked off the process of creating the state’s new Government Accountability Board (GAB) on Thursday, March 01, 2007.

Abrahamson drew from a hat the names of four Court of Appeals judges who will be asked to serve on the GAB Candidate Committee. The committee’s first task will be to submit to the governor the names of at least eight qualified individuals to serve on the Board.

From the list submitted by the committee, the Governor is required to submit three nominees to the Assembly and the three other nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

The Board replaces the current State Elections Board and State Ethics Board and will be responsible for administering the state’s election, campaign-finance, ethics and lobbying laws.

Chief Justice Abrahamson drew the names of the following judges - one each from the state’s four Court of Appeals’ districts: