Government Relations
Legislative Update
February 4, 2005
Governor's Budget address
Governor Jim Doyle will deliver the 2005-07 State Biennial Budget Address at 7 pm on Tuesday, February 8. Wisconsin Public Television will broadcast the address.
Joint Finance Committee hearing
Sen. Scott Fitzgerald and Rep. Dean Kaufert, Co-Chairs of the Joint Finance Committee, announced plans to hold five or six hearings across the state on Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget bill. While the dates and locations of these hearing have not been set, the Co-Chairs expressed interest in holding hearings in Madison, Milwaukee, and Central, Western, and Northern Wisconsin.
The State of the Union
On Wednesday, February 2, President George W. Bush delivered the State of Union address.
Details of the address may be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2005/index.html. The address highlighted a few specific proposals relating to higher education and research, including reform of the student loan program, and an increase in the maximum Pell Grant award to $4,150 this year and $4,550 over five years. The President’s budget request will increase resources for Pell Grants by more than $15 billion. In discussing stem cell research, the President called for the prohibition of the creation of human life for research practices.
Legislation Circulating
Sen. Joe Leibham has introduced SB-30, a bill to authorize a program for tuition gift certificates at UW System institutions. For more information, please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-38.pdf.
Rep. Judy Krawczyk has introduced AB-87, a proposal to grant a nonresident tuition exemption to a person who has served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. Armed Forces or in forces incorporated in the U.S. Armed Forces in one of specified war periods or crises, who is a resident of Wisconsin for purposes of receiving veterans benefits, and whose home of record at the time of entry or reentry into active service was in this state. For more information, please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-87.pdf
Rep. Debi Towns has introduced AB-83, which would allow state employees who secure health care coverage from another source to opt out of the state's health plans. Employees who choose this option would receive a stipend equal to 25 percent of the lowest premium amount that the state would otherwise have been required to pay on his or her behalf. This stipend would be subject to payroll taxes and withholding taxes. For more information, please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-83.pdf
The following are proposals that have not currently been introduced as bills:
Rep. Rob Kreibich is drafting a bill that will cap tuition over the next two years, and will limit tuition and fee increases to 3 percent per year in the next budget.
http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Feb05/Feb3/0203kreibichtuition.pdf
LRB 0862/1 Tasers (Jauch)
Allows UW campus security officers to carry Tasers.
LRB 0471/1 Income tax deduction (Wood)
Allows students attending any college, university, or technical college located in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, or Minnesota to utilize the income tax deduction for tuition expenses.
LRB 1039 UW charter schools (Darling)
Current law permits UW–Milwaukee, UW–Parkside, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the city of Milwaukee to operate charter schools directly or to contract for the operation of charter schools. Only pupils who reside in the school district in which an independent charter school is located may attend the charter school. This bill allows any four-year institution or two-year college campus within the UW System to operate or to contract for the operation of a charter school with the approval of the Board of Regents. The draft duplicates AB 590 from last session.
LRB 1657/1 Transfer of nursing program credits (Author unknown)
Requires the Board of Regents to ensure that, by January 1, 2008, all nursing program credits are to be fully transferable between UW System institutions.
LRB-1705/1 Divorced/separated parent income tax deduction for
college savings program (Kanavas, Miller, Kreibich, and
Pridemore)
Allows an individual income tax deduction for certain amount contributed
by a divorced or legally separated parent to his or her child’s college
savings account or college tuition and expenses program and limiting the
deduction that may be claimed by a married person who files separately.
UW-Milwaukee Student Parking Restrictions (Darling, Richards)
Permits municipalities to enact an ordinance permitting only persons who live on a highway to obtain a parking permit from the city and pay a fee to park near their homes. This bill addresses the concerns of neighbors around UW-Milwaukee, but has the potential to be more far-reaching.
LRB 0215/1 Reporting of salary and fringe benefit costs for public employees (Author unknown)
The proposed legislation requires that the Board of Regents, along with school and technical college districts and municipalities, prepare annual salary and fringe benefit reports in a format to be prescribed by the Department of Revenue. The structure and format of this report has not yet been determined.
EdVest Trust Fund Grant Program (Towns, Kreibich, Harsdorf , Olson, and Voight)
The proposed legislation establishes an EdVest Trust Fund Grant Program for families earning below $50,000 annually. For more information, please see http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Feb05/Feb3/0203harsdorfedvest.PDF
Committee Update
Agriculture & Insurance, 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 9, 201-SE
- The appointments of Margaret Krome and Brian Rude as consumer representatives to the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
- Discussion of the economic impact of agriculture in Wisconsin. Richard Klemme, associate dean for Extension and Outreach, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
- Update on the Wisconsin Buffer Strip Initiative. Peter Nowak, professor in rural sociology, UW Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The committee may take executive action on the appointments.
Important Dates
Please note the following important events and dates to keep on your calendars:
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m., Tuesday, February 8, but the Assembly will not meet in regular session on that day. The Assembly has been scheduled to be on the floor on Tuesday, February 15.
February 10-11: University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents Meeting, Madison.
End Note
Bills and Board of Regent positions will be posted at:
www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/pending/index.htm
For further information, contact Margaret Lewis at (608) 262-4464.
Information on the Web
UW System Government Relations:
http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/
UW System Budget:
http://www.uwsa.edu/budplan/
Wisconsin Legislature:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/