Government Relations
Legislative Update
December 12, 2003
Legislative Session
The Doyle Administration and legislative leaders are negotiating provisions on the Jobs Creation Act of 2003 (AB-655). The legislation may be taken up in the final weeks of December.
Upcoming Committee Hearings
The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will
hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. in room 225-NW
of the State Capitol. The following bills will be heard:
AB-406. Requires
colleges and universities to reenroll a student who was called
into active duty military service in the semester following
discharge or the next succeeding semester.
AB-422. Increases
maximum amount of Indian student assistance grants.
AB-497. Permits
certain UW student orientation information to be given electronically.
AB-540. Establishes
a statutory code of ethics governing unclassified personnel
of the UW System.
A vote will likely be held on the following bills,
which have already had a hearing:
AB-366. Mandating
the transfer of credits between and within the UW System
and technical college system. An amendment has
been introduced.
AB-403. Regulates
athlete agents.
AB-543. Expands
the statutory notice of public meetings of certain bodies within
the UW System.
AB-558. Requires
UW System Board of Regents to vote by roll call.
The Dec. 17 Building Commission meeting has
been canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,
Jan. 21, 2004, at 3 p.m.
Senate Education, Ethics and Elections, 10 a.m.,
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 411-S.
SB-9. Allows
counties to establish charter schools.
SB-253. Allows
any four-year institution or two-year campus of the UW System
to operate a charter school.
SB-321. Appeals
of decisions related to charter schools.
AB-29. Allows
counties to establish charter schools.
AB-183. Eliminates
mandatory nature of Youth Options Program; allows schools to
establish program.
A vote may be taken on any of the above items
or any other committee items following the hearing.
New Legislation
SB-319.
Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) introduced
this measure, which creates a "Manufacturing Competitiveness
Grant Program" and board. The program would administer
$9.5 million to the UW System, Wisconsin
Technical College System and entities that assist
manufacturers. SB-319
was referred to the Senate Committee
on Economic Development, Job Creation and Housing.
SB-342. Sen.
Hansen also introduced this proposal, which
would require the president and chancellors (including deans
of the two-year
UW Colleges campuses) of the UW System to
obtain the approval of the Ethics Board before accepting compensation
for serving
on a corporation’s board of directors. SB-342 was referred
to the Senate Education, Ethics and Elections
Committee.
SB-346. Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) introduced this measure, which allows individual income tax deduction for certain amounts contributed to any section 529 college tuition program. SB-346 was referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions.
New Legislation Circulating
Administrators - Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) is circulating LRB 3636, which would prohibit University of Wisconsin System administrators from serving on the board of directors of corporations where a conflict of interest might exist.
EdVest - Rep. Mary Hubler (D-Rice Lake) is circulating LRB 3671/1, which would allow an individual income tax deduction for contributions to any section 529 college tuition program. This draft is similar to AB-667.
Information on the Web
New bill positions approved
by the Board of Regents are posted
on the web site above.
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/
For further information, contact Margaret Lewis at (608) 262-4464 or David Miller at (608) 262-4463.