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.
Oct. 10, 2003
Next week is
expected to be a very busy week for legislative committee activity
as the Legislature heads into the homestretch for the fall floor
period. The actual floor session days remaining on the schedule in
2003 are: October 21, 22 and 23 and November 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and
13. In addition to public hearings, committees are expected to be
recommending bills for action by the full Assembly or Senate with
a view toward final action through both houses on bills related to
economic development and job creation prior to the November 13
recess.
Policy
Developments
Joint Finance
Executive Session Notice
On Wednesday, October 15, the Joint Finance Committee will hold an
executive session on bills related to regulatory reform and tax
credits. Bills included in the Committee’s schedule are:
-
SB 246, and companion bill
AB 486, relating to deadlines for state agency action on permit
applications, the so-called “presumptive approval” legislation. (SB
246 passed the Senate on September 23, and
AB 486 passed the Assembly on October 2.);
-
AB 520, and companion bill
SB 248, relating to calculating technology zone tax credits and
certification of businesses under the program. (AB
520 passed the Assembly on September 25, and
SB 248 passed the Senate on October 1.); and
-
AB 507 and
AB 508, relating to income and franchise tax credit for sales tax and
use tax paid on fuel and electricity consumed in manufacturing.
The Committee will also be
voting on several bills relating to parental school choice and charter
schools as well as
SB 252, relating to Joint Finance Committee review of stewardship
acquisitions.
Debate Continues Over Smart
Growth Repeal
On October 9, the Assembly Committee on Rural Affairs held a public hearing
on
AB 435, relating to repealing the comprehensive planning statute
known as ‘Smart Growth.’ Under current Smart Growth law, all comprehensive
plans (created or amended by local government units in order maintain or
develop the locality according to zoning and land use requirements) are
required to contain certain planning elements, including: housing,
transportation, utilities and community facilities, and economic
development.
AB 435 would
repeal the Smart Growth statute, and with it the requirement that local
governments must take into account the above specific elements when
embarking on any effort related to expansion or growth in the locality. The
effort to repeal Smart Growth is largely motivated by rural constituents who
argue that while Smart Growth may make sense in large cities under
substantial growth pressure, it isn’t as critical in rural areas, and is
expensive, confusing, and demanding on the smaller localities. Smart Growth
proponents argue, however, that Smart Growth has been, and continues to be,
successful for all areas subject to growth pressure. The planning guidelines
of Smart Growth also allow any locality to qualify for state grants.
Forward
Wisconsin Seeks
Minnesota
Businesses
This week, Forward Wisconsin, a public-private state marketing and business
recruitment organization,
announced that it continues to target Minnesota businesses for expansion
into Wisconsin. On October 7-9, the organization took its annual marketing
trip to Minnesota, where it met with nearly 40 Twin Cities’ area CEOs to
discuss the possibility of expansion into Wisconsin.
Bill Would Revamp
Labor Law
On Tuesday, October 7, state Sen. Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire) and state Rep.
Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington)
announced their proposal to revamp municipal employment relations
law in Wisconsin. The proposal will include companion Senate and Assembly
bills aimed at reforming current law regarding the arbitration of labor
disputes between municipalities and their workers. A
summary of the proposed reforms includes:
-
Requiring arbitrators to
consider the impact of settlement proposals on the tax levy, with an
effort to avoid settlements that cannot be funded without raising the
local property tax rate;
-
Requiring arbitrators to
compare the pay of employees with the pay of other workers (public and
private sector) within their own community, and not with employees in
other communities, as is the case under current law; and
-
Restricting awards of
back pay.
WEAC very quickly issued a
press release attacking the proposal.
Study Looks at
Wisconsin
Property Tax Trends
On October 6, the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization dedicated to government research and citizen education,
announced the results of its study,
Perspectives on Municipal Finance, relating to property tax trends over
the past 10 years in Wisconsin. The study reported that municipal property
tax levies for the state’s 220 largest cities and villages rose, on average,
nearly 5 ½ percent annually. According to the study, this increase was not
entirely due to inflation, although inflation does account for some of it.
Wisconsin Politics
Governor Calls
for Local Government
Summit
On October 7, Governor Doyle
announced that he plans to call a summit of local
government leaders in early December to address his goal of
reducing local government costs in order to control property
taxes. The Governor made this announcement, Tuesday, before the
Wisconsin Towns Association Convention in Green Bay.
Doyle Attends Manufacturing
Summit
On Wednesday, October 8, Governor Doyle convened his Manufacturing Summit in
Milwaukee. The summit was held to highlight current needs of
Wisconsin’s
manufacturing industry, which has taken severe job loss hits in the past two
years. At the summit, the Governor
announced he was calling upon the Legislature to assist him in
meeting the needs of the manufacturing sector by passing key legislation
within his ‘Grow Wisconsin’ economic development package. Additionally, the
Governor announced his plan to join with other state Governors to seek
assistance from Washington.
Wisconsin to Hold Economic
Summit IV
On Monday, October 27 and
Tuesday, October 28, 2003,
Wisconsin will hold its fourth economic summit at the
Midwest
Airlines
Center
in Milwaukee. The event, “Wisconsin Economic Summit IV – Why
Wisconsin. . .!” is
aimed at bringing together the state's government, business, labor and
education leaders in important economic development discussions to
accelerate
Wisconsin's economic progress.
(For detailed information on the summit, including a schedule of events and
registration information, go to the Wisconsin Economic Summit IV
website.)
In addition to a packed
schedule of panel discussions and workshops, the Wisconsin Economic
Development Association (WEDA) will hold a workshop entitled “Regional
Economic Development Cooperation – Lessons Learned.” WEDA members will
present some of the collaborative regional ventures in which they are
already engaged.
UW-Madison to Host Energy
Policy Forum
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
announced it will be hosting an energy policy forum on Monday, October
20th, to address the current and future direction of the state of
Wisconsin’s energy policy. Academic and industry experts will be present to
give presentations and feedback. Attendance is encouraged; the deadline for
registration is October 10th.
Committee Holds Marotta
Confirmation Hearing
On Wednesday, October 8, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Veterans
and Military Affairs and Reform held a public hearing relating to Senate
confirmation of Marc Marotta’s appointment as Secretary of the Department of
Administration. While the hearing was cordial and positive, no Committee
vote was taken.
Federal Developments
Debate Continues
Over Asbestos Bill
In Washington, debate continues over
S. 1125, the bill that would create a $108 billion trust fund
to compensate victims of asbestos exposure. While there has been
no recent major public action on the bill, the proposal continues
to receive strong attention in Washington in an effort to resolve
some still outstanding issues in order to get the bill placed on
the Congress’ already crowded calendar for this year.
Political News
New
transmission lines for state advocated: Wisconsin State Journal,
Oct. 10, 2003.
Lawmakers
to vote on concealed weapons bill: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oct.
10, 2003.
New
transmission lines for state advocated: Wisconsin State Journal,
Oct. 10, 2003.
Doyle to take concerns to Bush: Oshkosh Northwestern, Oct. 9, 2003.
Keep taxes down, Doyle tells towns convention: Green Bay
Press-Gazette, Oct. 8, 2003.
Smart Growth, silly legislation (opinion): Wisconsin State Journal,
Oct. 8, 2003.
Doyle listens to business officials: Manitowoc Herald Times, Oct. 8, 2003.
Governor stops in area, tours Manitowoc Crane.
Forum focuses on regional growth factor: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune,
Oct. 8, 2003.
Study:
Property tax levies increased over decade: Janesville Gazette, Oct.
7, 2003.
GOP
floats bargaining proposal: Madison Capital Times, Oct. 7, 2003.
Doyle and
Granholm to lobby Washington on manufacturing: Janesville Gazette,
Oct. 9, 2003.
President
sympathetic to manufacturers' plight: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
Oct. 5, 2003.
Bill would repeal state planning law: Wisconsin State Journal, Oct.
6, 2003.
Demand for regulatory reform picks up momentum: Green Bay
Press-Gazette, Oct. 6, 2003.
Upcoming Fundraisers
Saturday, October 11, 2003:
Monday, October 13, 2003:
-
St. Rep. Terri McCormick
(R-Appleton), 5:00 p.m., Milwaukee, Wis.
-
U.S. Rep. Tom Petri
(R-D6), 5:30 p.m., Milwaukee, Wis.
-
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind
(D-D3), 5:00 p.m., Milwaukee, Wis.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003:
Friday, October 17, 2003:
-
St. Sens. Bob Wirch
(D-Kenosha), Roger Breske (D-Eland), and Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), 3:30
p.m., Madison, Wis.
|
