Wisconsin political news for
clients and colleagues.
Previous issues of
Political Tidbits can be found at Tidbits Archive.
Click here to begin your free subscription.
Mar. 14, 2008
The 2007-08 regular session came to an end last week with a flurry of
activity but little fireworks. With a split (Democrat majority in the Senate
and Republican majority in the Assembly) Legislature, controversial
“partisan” bills were either not taken up or passed only one house. A select
list of bills that have recently been passed by both houses is included
below.
The Legislature’s work is not done, however, as there is a need to
address a previously unexpected deficit, due primarily to a weaker than
anticipated economy. In February, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB)
estimated that the state faces a $652 million dollar deficit at the end of
June, 2009. Shortly after the projected deficit was announced, the
Administration took two actions (additional agency lapses and rollover of
pay offs of general obligation borrowing) to reduce that number to $416
million.
The Governor then called a special session on a “budget repair” bill to
begin on March 13 (later amended to March 12). The Assembly, in the early
morning of March 13, adopted its version of a budget repair bill that was
criticized by the Governor and the Senate. Meanwhile, Senate leadership
indicated its plan to have the budget repair bill work its way through the
process, including action by the joint Committee on Finance before hitting
the floor of the two houses of the Legislature.
No quick resolution is anticipated.
Budget
Repair Bill
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Analysis
Assembly Sub. Amendment 1, TO AB 1
LFB anaysis of ASA1 to AB1
Policy Developments
Wisconsin Legislature Passes Bills
to Wrap Up Session
Assembly Bills
AB 32: Prohibits employment discrimination based on military service
obligations.
AB-77: Distributing the school levy and lottery and gaming property tax
credits.
AB 80: Establishes special registration plates for persons who have had
an immediate family member die while in military service.
AB-83: Creates an agricultural education and workforce development
council.
AB-100: Requires motor vehicles to be equipped with safety glass.
AB-169: Allows a public health nurse to provide the necessary
certification to enable a person to obtain a special registration plate or
temporary certification for disabled drivers.
AB-246: Expands the definition of “official identification card” to
include a valid military identification card that contains the person’s
photograph and date of birth and a valid U.S. passport.
AB-297: Regulates piers and other structures.
AB 321: Changes the process of granting state agency status to certain
health care facilities during a declared state of emergency.
AB 377: Requires hospitals to provide to a sexual assault victim
information and, upon her request, emergency contraception.
AB-409: Expands area in which a TIF’s project costs may be spent.
AB-410: Makes changes to legislative committee review period of
administrative rules.
AB-468: Prohibits notaries public who are not attorneys from acting in
ways someone would think they are attorneys.
AB 500: Makes modifications to the issuance of retail intoxicating
liquor licenses.
AB-502: Restricts the dissemination of certain consumer and loan
information and creates a penalty for parties that violate the restrictions.
AB 539: Allows a 16-year-old to donate blood with parental consent.
AB-623: Investments and operations of the State Investment Board.
AB 625: Authorizes a school board to construct or acquire a renewable
resource facility and to use the energy generated by the facility or sell it
at wholesale.
AB 646: Makes changes to current law regarding the University of
Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Board and the University of Wisconsin
Hospitals and Clinics Authority.
AB-654: Eliminates the study related to imposing local general property
taxes on public utility property.
AB-706: Authorizes local governments to issue debt related to the
brownfields revolving loan program.
AB-717: Creates requirements regarding fire safety performance standards
for cigarettes.
AB-741: Cleanup and consolidation of Dept of Commerce economic
development programs; establishment of a comprehensive annual reporting
requirement; require development of programmatic goals and accountability
measures for economic development grants and loans.
AB-760: Provides for registration of professional employer
organizations.
AB-789: Makes changes to allocations for airport zoning.
Senate Bills
SB-48: Expands types of volunteer health care providers to include
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
SB 72: Ratifies of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.
SB 116: Makes changes to the penalties for repeat drunk driving
offenses.
SB 142: Requires chiropractors, dental hygienists, dentists, licensed
midwives, athletic trainers, and massage therapists and bodyworkers to
complete a course in and demonstrate current proficiency in the use of an
automated external defibrillator in order to obtain licensure or
certification..
SB 167: Expands the Dept. of Commerce’s duty in regard to promulgating a
state wiring code that establishes standards for installing, repairing, and
maintaining electrical wiring, regardless of what type of building is
involved; regulates electricians and inspections of electrical wiring.
SB 273: Regulates certain suppliers of liquefied petroleum gas. It
passed with amendments in the Senate on February 19 by a unanimous vote of
33-0. The Assembly concurred on February 26. (In lieu of
AB 515.)
SB 279: Expands area in which motorist service attractions may be
displayed on highway specific information signs.
SB-294: Enacts regulation relating to the Interstate Insurance Product
Regulation Compact; Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission;
filing of policy forms with insurance commissioner; suitability of annuity
contracts.
SB 297: Makes changes to rules affecting nursery dealers, nursery
growers, and Christmas tree growers.
SB-327: Replaces the term lead inspection with the term lead
investigation with respect to the level of lead in certain premises.
SB-381: Relates to rules requiring that certain
buildings be superinsulated.
SB 393: Requires entities providing personal care to disclose to clients
information regarding criminal backgrounds of the entities personal care
workers.
SB-409: Authorizes remote dispensing by pharmacists.
SB 417: Allows the local planning commission to amend the project plan
of tax increment district (TID) number 2 in the village of Pleasant Prairie
not more than six times, effective October 1, 2008.
SB-430: Makes various changes in worker’s compensation law.
SB-431: Makes UC changes.
AB-442: Creates special distinguishing registration plates associated
with Donate Life Wisconsin, the promotion of organ and tissue donation in
Wisconsin.
SB 473: Creates requirements that apply to transactions in certain
metals for scrap, defines four kinds of scrap metal, and determines the
property value of scrap metal for a theft conviction.
SB 485: Makes changes to the way in which wine may be produced and
distributed in Wisconsin.
SB-487: Eliminates current restrictions on redisclosure of a patient
health care record that is obtained under one of the exceptions to the
requirements of confidentiality.
SB-517: Makes changes to regulations relating to mortgage bankers,
brokers and loan originators.
SB-519: Makes changes to regulations relating to non-moving traffic
violations involving rented or leased vehicles.
SB 509: Requires driver education courses to include instruction
relating to passing stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and highway
machinery equipment.
SB-545: Creates an additional exception for the auction sale of sealed
bottles or containers of wine by a charitable .
SB-549: Makes changes to regulations relating to real estate transfer
returns.
Budget Repair Bill/Governor’s Proposal and Assembly Action
On March 5, the Governor issued
Executive Order #241 calling a special session of the Wisconsin
Legislature beginning on March 13 to address a budget shortfall for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. Gov. Doyle presented the legislature with
his proposal for taking care of the state budget shortfall.
The bill calls for the following changes:
-
Increase the authority if of the DOA
secretary to lapse or transfer funding from executive branch agency
appropriations by $330.4 million over the biennium.
-
Secure $700 million in new federal revenues
over the biennium in support of a Medicaid rate increase for hospitals
through implementation of a 0.7 percent assessment on hospital revenues.
-
Ensure full funding of Act 20 expenditure
levels in the state highway program by authorizing $190 million in GPR-funded
general obligation bonds for the transportation program and adjusting
appropriation authority in the appropriations for major highways,
southeast Wisconsin freeways and highway rehabilitation to reflect
receipt of an additional $67 million of already authorized
transportation revenue bonds. Limit the total amount of the 2007-09
transfer from the transportation fund to $293 million.
-
Prohibit corporations from using captive
rental real estate investment trusts as a means of avoiding taxes on
profits generated in Wisconsin.
-
Transfer $5 million in fiscal year 2007-08
from the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation to the
general fund related to implementation of the federal REAL ID law.
-
Ensure ongoing funding for public library
systems by providing $22.3 million from the universal service fund
beginning in fiscal year 2008-09.
-
Modify the tobacco bond refinancing proposal
under Act 20 to generate $15 million more annually in ongoing savings.
-
Adopt provisions to improve cash flow and
budget management during the remainder of the 2007-09 biennium.
On Friday, the State Assembly took up and passed its plan (as Assembly
Substitute Amendment 1 to SSAB 1, the Governor’s proposal) plan to close the
$415 million shortfall. The cornerstone of the Assembly proposal is $250
million in additional state agency spending cuts.
Three areas that would not be subject to cuts include the Transportation
Fund, K-12 school aids, and shared revenue payments to local governments.
Below are links to the key documents from the Governor, the Assembly and the
Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Budget Repair Bill
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Analysis
Assembly Sub. Amendment 1, To AB 1
LFB Analysis of ASA1 to AB1
In the News
Business
lobby backs hospital tax: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Mar. 14, 2008.
WMC support represents important gain for new coalition of health care,
employer groups.
March madness at
the Capitol: Wisconsin State Journal, Mar. 4, 2008. Lawmakers are
scheduled to adjourn their regular session March 13.
Area lawmakers: Let governor solve budget mess: Manitowoc Herald
Times, Mar. 4, 2008. Local politicians say Doyle may have to fix revenue
shortfall.
State aid to insurers is nonsense (opinion): Wausau Daily Herald,
Mar. 4, 2008. The bill has the strong support of the governor and a
bipartisan supermajority in the Senate. This is a fight from which
Assembly Republicans ought to back down.
Tara Johnson may challenge Kapanke: La Crosse Tribune, Mar. 2, 2008.
Recently filed papers with the state elections board in Madison but
denied she’s officially running.
Governor stands by
goals: Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 26, 2008. Even with a projected
state budget deficit of $652 million and growing concerns about a
nationwide recession, Doyle stuck to his plan, called "Grow Wisconsin -
The Next Steps."
Feingold
likely to back Obama: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 22, 2008.
Wisconsin senator voted for Illinois colleague in primary.
Upcoming Fundraisers
March 17
March 18
-
Scott Walker, Milwaukee Co Exec, Madison
-
US Rep. Steve Kagen (D) , Milwaukee
March 19
-
Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), Madison
-
Gov. Jim Doyle, Milwaukee
March 20
March 24
-
Louis Butler, Wisconsin Supreme Court, Madison
-
US Rep. Paul Ryan (R), Milwaukee
March 26
-
Louis Butler, Wisconsin Supreme Court, Milwaukee
-
Michael Gableman, Supreme Court Candidate, Madison
For
details, go to
Hamilton Consulting Fundraiser Calendar.
| 
