The State Senate has passed an amended version of the legislation that would allow a new arena to be built for the Milwaukee Bucks with state money. The Senate passed the amended legislation, Senate Bill 209, in a 21-10 vote with very mixed party lines. The Republican senators that voted for the legislation include Alberta […]
State Budget: Taxes and Economic Development
Date Wed, Jul. 8, 2015 - 9:24pm By Hamilton
Tax Package The governor proposed cutting property taxes by increasing state spending on the school levy tax credit by $211 million over two years. Under the budget bill, the governor’s tax credit increase will be delayed, by moving all the payments back one cycle, leaving one payment to the fiscal year after the biennial budget, […]
State Budget: Broadband and Workforce Development
Date Wed, Jul. 8, 2015 - 9:20pm By Hamilton
Broadband The governor’s budget proposed to change the broadband expansion grants appropriation from a continuing appropriation to a biennial appropriation and authorizes the use of the universal serve fund revenues to fund the grant program. Currently, grant expenditures of up to $500,000 annually from a continuing appropriation, but the governor’s proposal would set the appropriation […]
Bucks Arena Legislation Stays Out of Budget
Date Wed, Jul. 8, 2015 - 7:56pm By Hamilton
On Monday, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) held an executive session to introduce SB 209/AB 279, the Sports and Entertainment Arena – or Bucks arena bill. Immediately following the executive session, JFC held an invitation- only information hearing to hear testimony from the various stakeholders. After five hours of testimony, the committee finally adjourned. Funding […]
Senate and Assembly Meet: Pass TIF and Foodshare Bills
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:10am By Hamilton
Since the last edition of Political Tidbits, both the State Senate and State Assembly have met on the floor to pass and debate a number of bills. Last week, the Senate unanimously passed four bills that came out of the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on Tax Increment Financing Study Committee. This includes Senate Bill […]
WEDC & WHEDA Merger Called Off
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:08am By Hamilton
In the previous edition of Political Tidbits we detailed the just released bill draft that would merge the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) into one agency, the Forward Wisconsin Development Authority (FWDA). Last Friday, Governor Walker issued a press release requesting legislators to remove the WEDC and […]
National Expert on Broadband, Susan Crawford, to Visit Madison
Date Fri, May. 1, 2015 - 8:53am By Hamilton
National expert on broadband policy, Susan Crawford, will be speaking in Madison on May 11 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Monona Terrace. Crawford is well-known in Internet and technology circles and is widely regarded as the expert in broadband and telecommunications policy. She works with local leaders – mayors, chief technology officers, city […]
3M Day on the Hill
Date Fri, May. 1, 2015 - 8:51am By Hamilton
3M Company held their Wisconsin Day on the Hill recently and met with many legislators and agency personnel to discuss issues relating to manufacturing, transportation and corrections. Attendees, which included plant managers from around Wisconsin, heard presentations for Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Mark Gottlieb, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), Shelly Harkins from the […]
Bills of Note: Mergers and the TIF Bill Package
Date Fri, May. 1, 2015 - 8:43am By Hamilton
This week in The Hamilton Consulting Group’s Bills of Note series, we provide you with an update on the status of each bill in the tax increment financing (TIF) bill package. In addition, we included an overview of the bill to merge the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) and the Wisconsin Economic Development […]
Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin President Builds Case for Prevailing Wage Repeal
Date Fri, Apr. 17, 2015 - 9:16am By Hamilton
Wisconsin Independent Businesses President Impugns Credibility of Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance John Mielke, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin (ABC-WI), appeared recently on Wisconsin Public Television’s “Here and Now” to discuss repeal of Wisconsin’s 80 year old law requiring state mandated wages to be paid on public construction projects. ABC-WI is the Wisconsin chapter […]