Government Relations
Legislative Update
February 18, 2005
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 Joint Finance Committee may hold these public hearing between March 18-31, when the Legislature is scheduled to be out of session.
Property-tax Freeze Proposal Update
On Thursday, February 17, the State Assembly passed AB 58, a bill which creates school district revenue limits and local tax levy limits for cities, villages, towns, counties, and technical college districts. The bill is now awaiting Senate discussion and action. For more information, please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-58.pdf
Legislation Circulating
Rep. Jeff Wood has introduced AB 106, a bill to expand the individual income tax deduction for college tuition expenses. For more information, please see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-106.pdf.
Legislative Session
AJR-15, a measure to condemn University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill's speech, is on the Assembly agenda for Tuesday, February 22. The resolution also urges Chancellor Jack Miller to cancel the speech and the Board of Regents to "conduct a review of hiring and tenure procedures to determine if appropriate policies exist to prevent the hiring of and, if necessary, the timely dismissal of faculty failing to meet honorable academic standards of conduct expected by students, parents, and taxpayers."
Important Dates
Please note the following important events and dates to keep on your calendars:
February 22
The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will hold a public hearing on February 22, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 225 Northwest of the State Capitol. The Committee will meet to take up three bills:
- AB 27 (Rep. Gottlieb) -- Authorizes the Board of Regents to create a program to offer tuition gift certificates for UW System institutions.
- AB 31 (Rep Nass) -- Allows an individual income tax deduction for amounts contributed to ANY section 529 college tuition program.
- AB 87 (Rep. Krawczyk) -- Provides a nonresident tuition exemption for dependents of certain active members of the armed forces attending the UW System institutions.
March 2
There will be a joint meeting of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee and Senate Higher Education and Tourism Committee at 10:00 a.m. on March 2 in Room 417 North.
- The hearing will include invited guests to speak on UW System restructuring plans, credit-transfers, and opportunities presented by higher education consortiums to improve administrative efficiencies. This will include Rep. Kreibich's proposal to make the 2-year UW Colleges satellites of four-year UW institutions, and UW System President Reilly’s proposal to merge the administration functions of the UW Colleges and UW Extension.
- Invited guests will include UW System President Reilly, Wisconsin Technical College System President Dan Clancy, and Midwest Higher Education Compact (MHEC) President Larry Isaak. Isaak will discuss student exchanges and savings that could be achieved by participation in insurance and procurement contracts negotiated by the Midwest Higher Education Compact.
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/