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Legislative Update

January 31, 2005

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Fiscal Bureau Latest Revenue Estimates Drop

On January 28^th, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released the latest revenue estimates for the current fiscal year and they show an $88.6 million drop in the projected ending balance. The Fiscal Bureau noted the following shortfalls are expected:

Medical Assistance will need an additional $193.5 million in state funds will be needed through June 30.
SeniorCare will need an additional $12.2 million to be fully funded.
BadgerCare will need about $9.5 million.
UW System fuel and utility appropriation will fall about $31 million short.

For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/LFBPublications_ButtonPages/Publications_Main.htm

Legislation Circulating

Rep. Mark Gottlieb has introduced legislation to create a tuition gift certificate program for UW System, which would allow UWS to issue tuition gift certificates for use at any UW campus or study abroad program. The goal of the program is to create an easy way for individuals and organization to provide financial assistance to UW students. Sen. Joe Leibham has drafted the companion legislation in the Senate. For more information on AB 27, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-27.pdf

Rep. Steve Nass has introduced legislation to allow an individual income tax deduction for certain amounts contributed to any qualified section 529 college tuition program. For more information on AB 31, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-31.pdf

Rep. Debi Towns has introduced legislation to add $378,000 in general purpose revenue and 5.0 FTE positions to UW Platteville in FY 2005-06 to provide engineering instruction at the UW-Rock County campus. For more information on AB 53, please see:

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-53.pdf

UW-Madison CALS Members to Present at Assembly Agricultural Committee Hearing

Representative Al Ott has invited members from the College of Agricultural and Life Science at UW-Madison to give a presentation on the economic impact of Wisconsin agriculture to the state during the Assembly Agricultural Committee hearing, on February 3^rd at 10:30 a.m.

TABOR Update

On January 19, 2005, the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison sponsored a day-long conference on “Taxing and Spending Limits in Wisconsin”. Topics covered included alternative ways to limit public spending in Wisconsin and the consequences of doing so.

For a summary of the conference and related resource material, please see: http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/publicservice/spending.html

For La Follette Professor Donald Nichols’ Property Tax Freeze/Deferral proposal, please see:

http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/publicservice/nicholsfreeze.ppt