As was outlined in Wednesday night's State of the State Address, Governor Walker formally called the state legislature into special session to deal with the $1 billion surplus.
While there might be some slight controversy surrounding the proposal relating to structural deficit concerns in the Senate, most of the elements are expected to pass and the Senate and Assembly will work the bill into their busy winter agenda.
A number of legislative priorities will meet their fate in the coming weeks as the number of session days is dwindling quickly. Urgency has heightened around the Capitol but is not quite at fever pitch. That will come in February and March as the session winds down and the election season gears up. The crossing of the two can make for some interesting events (and Tidbits will be watching!)
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Gov. Walker's 2014 State of the State Address
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On the evening of Jan. 23, Gov. Walker delivered his 4th State of the State address. He used the opportunity to highlight his view of an ever improving economic situation in Wisconsin pointing to a number of statistics that show job creation, an increase in personal wealth, decreasing unemployment, more homes being built, and the newly announced $1 billion surplus.
Read more...
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| Legislators React to Walker's State of the State |
Reactions to the State of the State are always mixed, with people typically splitting along party lines. WisconsinEye once again provided exceptional video coverage of both prepared and off-the-cuff reactions following the governor's speech.
Read more...
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This Week in the Legislature
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 Senate passes tax credit transfer, mental health, and renewable energy bills
A tax credit transfer bill, authored by Sen. Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) passed the Senate unanimously this week which allows the transfer of certain tax credits between businesses. The bill requires the businesses applying for the tax credit transfers to meet one of four requirements relating to the businesses relationship to Wisconsin.
Assembly passes bills on
drug use and state employee contracts
Legislation in the State Assembly was unanimously passed last week to protect heroin users who call 911 when they report an overdose. Supporters say the bill will help first responders administer the correct treatment and reduce heroin-related deaths in Wisconsin.
Read more...
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| 2014 Election Update |
Vinehout exits gubernatorial race, Burke stands unopposed in Democratic primary
Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, who announced earlier this fall a run for Wisconsin governor, is leaving the race after sustaining injuries in a December car accident. In a press release Vinehout stated the rehabilitation time required to recover from the injuries would not allow for the "intense, grass roots campaign" she hoped to run.
Two state representatives will not seek re-election
Rep. Dan LeMahieu (R-Cascade) announced his retirement last week after serving 12 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Rep. Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) has announced he will not be seeking re-election to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Bradley announces 2014 bid for secretary of state
Julian Bradley of La Crosse has announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Secretary of State.
Third Democrat enters attorney general race
Susan Happ of Jefferson, filed candidacy papers on Wednesday, officially entering the race for state attorney general.
Read more...
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| New UW System President Takes Office |
The UW System Board of Regents announced in a press release that Raymond Cross will be the next president of the UW System. He was the third internal candidate to be promoted to his position, taking the job after being the Chancellor of the UW Colleges and UW Extension since 2011.
Previously he served as the president of Morrisville State College and president of the Northwest Technical College in Bemidji, Minnesota. He is also a decorated U.S. army veteran having served in the Vietnam War, and he worked as a design engineer, small business owner, and government employee prior to entering the field of higher education. Read more...
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| DOA launches OpenBook Wisconsin |
The Department of Administration has launched OpenBook Wisconsin, a website which plans to provide transparency to Wisconsin citizens.
The website will include financial data for many branches and agencies of the state government. According to a press release there are more than 25 million documents on the website, offering taxpayers easier access to the information detailing how their taxes are being spent.
Read more...
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| Applications Available - Broadband Expansion Grants for FY 2014 |
A new grant program adopted for the first time in the recent state budget, 2013 Wis. Act 20, provides that the Public Service Commission may award up to $500,000 in grants during Fiscal Year 2014 to improve broadband communications services in Wisconsin. Read more...
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| Business Day in Madison |
Don't Forget: Thursday, February 6, 2014 is Business Day in Madison at Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center.
At this year's event you can expect four featured speakers, including Gov. Scott Walker, and discussions on the global business climate, the year ahead, and what you can do for your business to innovate, strategize, and act on opportunities.
Click here for additional information and registration.
A welcome reception will be held Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. the Madison Club, 5 W. Wilson Street, Madison, Wis., and is included with registration to Business Day in Madison.
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| Don't Forget! We're Headed to the Capitol | |
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Hamilton Consulting: Your Government Relations Easy Button
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As the 2013-14 Legislative Session progresses, the Hamilton team is working to make sure our clients have the tools necessary to accomplish their government relations goals. We encourage our clients to remember to make use of all the many services we provide:
- Political Tidbits - Political Tidbits is our FREE email newsletter on political and policy developments in Wisconsin, including links to relevant news articles, policy papers, and other informative documents. We are constantly updating our mailing list and we could use your help! Please let us know if your email address is changing so you will continue to receive our newsletter. Also, feel free to forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in subscribing.
- News Clips - President Harry Truman once wrote that you can't get all the facts from just one newspaper, and without the facts, "you cannot make proper judgments about what is going on." The right column of Political Tidbits contains a selection of the most important news stories, but did you know you can always get the latest news sorted by subject on the Hamilton Consulting website?
- Tracking Reports - Tracking Reports provide timely, in-depth coverage of your legislative initiatives. If your organization did not have a tracking report last session and you are interested in having one during the coming session, please contact one of our team members.
- Political Fundraising Calendar - Hamilton's political fundraising calendar allows you to see all of the upcoming fundraising events and import them to your own calendar.
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The Hamilton Consulting Group Political Tidbits is a free newsletter on Wisconsin political and policy developments. Please forward it to others who may wish to receive this service.
If you require additional information about a topic addressed in Tidbits for your organization's board meeting or trade publication, please do not hesitate to contact a Hamilton Consulting Group lobbyist.
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