Government Relations

Legislative Update

March 18, 2005

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Joint Finance Committee hearings

The UW System is scheduled to present its agency briefing to the Joint Finance Committee at 11 a.m. on March 29.

During the past two weeks, the Joint Finance Committee conducted a series of five public hearings to take testimony on the proposed $52.7 billion 2005-07 biennial budget.  UW System campuses were well-represented at each of the hearings, with testimony coming from faculty, staff, students, chancellors, campus administration, alumni and friends.

Key message points were repeated at each of the hearings: Governor Doyle’s budget is a good starting point and it should be maintained; the top unmet priority for chancellors is to achieve an equitable compensation plan that includes a 3 percent adjustment with an additional 2 percent “keep up;” and that forgiveness and flexibility should be provided in the Governor’s proposed enterprise initiatives and asset management. The latter items require a base reallocation of funds, including the elimination of 200 academic support positions, to provide for 125 new faculty positions.

The testimony throughout was clear and consistent in outlining the UW System’s needs to effectively support students and the citizens of Wisconsin.

Legislative Session

Republican members of the Wisconsin Legislature, including Speaker John Gard, Rep. Gabe Loeffelholz, and Sen. Ron Brown, announced a “Veterans Relief Package” of three bills this week.  The package includes:

  • 100 percent tuition waiver at any UW System institution or Wisconsin Technical College System school for dependent children or the spouse of a veteran with at least 30 percent service-connected disability.
  • 50 percent tuition waiver for all veterans deemed eligible for state veterans benefits.
  • A non-refundable income tax credit up to 100 percent of the local property tax bill for any veterans age 65 or older with a 100 percent service-connected disability.  A surviving spouse of a qualified veteran may also receive the credit, unless the spouse remarries.

Legislative Action

AB 105, introduced by Rep. Mark Gottlieb, relating to state contractual services, was passed by the Assembly on March 16.

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-105.pdf

Assembly Committee on Ways and Means

The Assembly Committee on Ways and Means has scheduled a public hearing on AB 106, relating to expanding the individual income tax deduction for college tuition expenses. The hearing is scheduled for March 30 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 300 NE.  For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB106hst.html

Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee

The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee has announced a public hearing for March 22 at 10 a.m. in Room 225 Northwest.  The committee will take up the following items:

  • AB 111, introduced by Rep. Rob Kreibich, relating to individual income tax deductions for contributions by a divorced or legally separated parent to their child’s college savings or tuition account. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-111.pdf
  • AB 158, introduced by Rep. Andy Lamb, relating to the appointment of a nontraditional student to the UW Board of Regents.  http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-158.pdf
  • AB 246, introduced by Rep. Steve Wieckert, relating to standardizing admissions rules for health occupation programs at the Wisconsin Technical Colleges. The committee may also vote on this bill.  

The committee may also hold an executive session on the following bills:

Legislation Introduced

Sen. Alberta Darling has introduced SB 96, a bill to allow baccalaureate or graduate degree granting institutions within the UW System to operate or contract for the operation of a charter school with the approval of the Board of Regents.  For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-96.pdf

Sen. Judith Robson has introduced SB 98, a bill that requires, with certain exceptions, all contractual services purchased by state executive branch agencies to be performed within the United States.  For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-98.pdf

Rep. Andy Lamb has introduced AB 158, a bill relating to the appointment of a nontraditional student to the UW Board of Regents.  A nontraditional student is a student who is at least 24 years or older and represents the views of nontraditional students, such as those who are employed or who are parents.  Sen. Sheila Harsdorf has introduced the companion bill in the Senate, SB 121. For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-158.pdf , or http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-121.pdf  

Sen. Alberta Darling has introduced SJR 15, to congratulate the UW-Milwaukee Men’s Basketball Team and Head Coach Bruce Pearl on earning their 2nd NCAA Division I Tournament appearance. For more information, please see:  http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SJR-15.pdf

Sens. Dave Hansen and Robert Cowles have introduced SJR 16, to honor and applaud the UW-Green Bay Women’s Basketball Team and Head Coach Kevin Borseth on a successful regular season and wish them luck in their NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.  For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SJR-16.pdf

AB 239, introduced by Rep. Rob Kreibich, was referred to the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee.  The proposal relates to a two-year limit on increases in undergraduate resident tuition and nondiscretionary segregated fees at the UW System to 3 percent for each year of the biennium.  For more information, please see: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-239.pdf

Federal Legislative Update

The Student Aid Reward Act of 2005, a bipartisan bill announced this week, will increase Pell Grant awards by $1,000 to $5,000 for an estimated 1.7 million low-income college students.  Introduced by Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), and Rep. George Miller (D-CA), this act would fund the award amount increase by using an estimated $17 billion accrued over the next ten years from the increase in the number of colleges and universities utilizing the federal direct loan program.  The Student Aid Reward Act differs from the Bush administration’s proposal, which would annually increase the maximum Pell Grant awards by $100 from 2006 to 2010.

The U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution Thursday that calls on Congress to raise the Pell Grant award.  The resolution is non-binding, but signals a desire by the Senate to improve the federal funding situation of student-based need programs.

Timeline of State and Federal Budget Activities

March
18 Building Commission meeting
TBA Congressional Higher Education hearings
29 Agency briefing to the Joint Finance Committee
April
7 Poster Day In the Rotunda (Regent/Student/Faculty/Staff legislator visits) http://www.wisconsin.edu/posters
10 Spirit Week Begins (community, alumni, legislator visits)
12 Alumni and mascots connect with legislators
13 President Reilly Roundtable at the UW-Madison campus
15 Spirit Day, all wear campus colors to work
May
11 UW Colleges Legislative Breakfast

End Note

Bills and Board of Regents positions are posted at:

www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/pending/index.htm

For further information, contact Margaret Lewis at (608) 262-4464.

UW System's analysis of the Governor's 2005-07 Budget Proposal is available at:

http://www.wisconsin.edu/budget/

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/

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