Government Relations

Legislative Update

February 28, 2003

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Joint Finance Committee Hearings

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee will hold six public hearings on the biennial budget bill (SB-44). All hearings will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 5 p.m.

The dates and locations of the hearings are:

  • Mon., March 24: Rhinelander. James William Junior High School, 915 Acacia Lane.
  • Tue., March 25: Menasha. Menasha High School Auditorium, 420 7th St.
  • Mon., March 31: Milwaukee. Washington High School, 2525 North Sherman Blvd.
  • Thu., April 3: River Falls. River Falls High School, 818 Cemetery Road.
  • Tue., April 8: Platteville. UW-Platteville Center for the Arts, 1 University Plaza.
  • Wed., April 9: Madison. Room 412-E, State Capitol.

UW System Administration budget page

Doyle signs Budget Reduction Bill

Gov. Jim Doyle signed Special Session Senate Bill 1 into law this week. The legislation became Act 1 of the 2003 session. Act 1 reduces state spending and makes other changes totaling $170.5 million. It was signed as passed by the Legislature. The bill contains a reduction of $8.268 million for the UW System in the remainder of the 2002-03 FY.

Building Commission Update

All items on the Feb. 26 and 27 agenda were approved as submitted. This includes:

  • UW-Madison Botany Garden Expansion;
  • UW-Oshkosh Titan Stadium maintenance;
  • UW-Platteville Dairy Center Replacement project;
  • UW-Superior Land Acquisition;
  • UW-Whitewater in-kind gift from the UW-Whitewater Foundation of a new Athletic Administration Annex Facility and Stadium Athletic Building First Floor Remodeling project;
  • UW-Madison (Marshfield) Integrated Dairy.

The Building Commission consists of two subcommittees. The Higher Education Subcommittee includes Reps. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee); Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Beaver Dam); and Chair Dan Vrakas (R-Hartland). The Administrative Affairs Subcommittee includes Sens. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) and Fred Risser (D-Madison); and Chair Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh). No citizen member has yet been appointed.

Floor Session

Both the Senate and the Assembly are scheduled to convene on March 11, 2003.

Legislation Introduced

SB-45 /AB 104 CLONING (Leibham/Kestell) Prohibits human cloning and parthenogenesis. To Senate Judiciary and Assembly Health respectively.


Legislation Circulating for Co-Sponsorship
LRB 0647/3 (Kreibich/Schultz) The proposal would require increasing the number of members of the UW System Board of Regents to 19. Future regents would have to be selected from 16 regions across the state (based on technical college districts.) Further, the bill would add to the board a governor-appointed non-traditional student, at least 24 years old, to represent the views of non-traditional students, such as those who are employed or who are parents. The traditional student and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction would remain on the board.

LRB 0615/1 (Kreibich) This bill prohibits smoking in, and within 25 feet of, UW System residence halls and dormitories. The bill also provides that no person may designate smoking areas in or around these residence halls and dormitories.

Information on the Web

UW System Government Relations:
http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/

UW System Budget:
http://www.uwsa.edu/budplan/

Wisconsin Legislature on the Web
 http://www.legis.state.wi.us/

Prepared by Kerry Niemcek.
For further information contact Margaret Lewis (608) 262-4464 or David Miller (608) 262-4463

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