Government Relations

Legislative Update

April 15, 2005

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Legislative Action

Rep. Frank Lasee reintroduced his TABOR constitutional amendment to limit state spending today, April 15, Tax Day.  See link to proposal.  The amendment he is introducing does not exempt tuition or federal funds.  The bill allows the Legislature to later examine exempting those funds.

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm02/news/05-04675.pdf

Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Dean Kaufert and Scott Fitzgerald announced executive action on the budget bill will begin on Tuesday, April 19 and continue on Wednesday, April 20.  At this time, the UW System budget is not scheduled for a vote.

Thank you to Sen. Sheila Harsdorf and Rep. Rob Kreibich for introducing the UW Sprit Week resolution, which the Senate and Assembly approved on Tuesday, April 1.  Here is the text of the resolution: SJR 20.  Governor Jim Doyle also signed a proclamation recognizing the contributions of the UW to the state.  Here are some photos you won’t want to miss!

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf http://www.wisconsin.edu/spirit/archive/2005/gallery/spirit_week_14.htm

Governor Jim Doyle  http://www.wisconsin.edu/spirit/archive/2005/gallery/spirit_week_20.htm

Neither the Assembly nor Senate is scheduled to be in session until May 3.

The Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs will meet at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, in 417-N.

The public hearing agenda includes:

  • AB 318, which exempts certain veterans from tuition and fees at the UW System and at technical colleges.  The legislation may be found at:

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-318.pdf

  • AB 317, which exempts spouses, unremarried surviving spouses, and children of certain veterans from tuition and fees at the UW System and at technical colleges.  The legislation may be found at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-317.pdf

Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform passed AB 105 on April 12.  AB 105 directs the Department of Administration (DOA) to prescribe, by rule, uniform procedures for determining whether services are appropriate for contracting.  The bill as amended will require UW procurement offices to analyze every service procurement contract worth $25,000 or more.  This will required an analysis of more than 500 contracts a year.  The amendment reduced the review from 15,000 per year.

The bill may be found at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-105.pdf 

Senate Committee on Higher Education and Tourism

The Senate Committee on Higher Education and Tourism held a public hearing on April 6.  The Committee will vote on the bills at their next meeting:

  • SB 121, introduced by Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, adds another student member to the UW System Board of Regents.  http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-121.pdf   After the hearing, Senator Harsdorf introduced an amendment to provide for staggered terms for the two student members of the Board, as well as prohibit the concurrent student representation of UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison.

The Assembly Budget Review Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17 in 328-North West to discuss AB-186, which requires all contractual services purchased by state executive branch agencies to be performed within the United States.  The bill may be found at:

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-186.pdf

Senator Joe Leibham has introduced two amendments to SB 38, the proposal to offer tuition gift certificates for UW System schools.  The amendments would allow the previously nonrefundable certificates to be refundable and would eliminate the expiration date.  In the original bill, the certificates would expire after two years, or longer if the certificates were intended for a student engaged in military service.  The amendments add the administrative costs.

Rep. Jean Hundertmark is circulating LRB 2466, which expands the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) nursing student loan program to make nurse educators eligible for the loan.  A graduate with a master’s degree in nursing would have 50% of the nursing loan forgiven if they would teach nursing in Wisconsin for at least two years. 

Federal Government Update

Math and Science Incentive Act of 2005 introduced Reps. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Vern Ehlers (R-MI) plan to introduce legislation to encourage more U.S. students to study math, science, and engineering.  The legislation would forgive up to $10,000 in interest charges on undergraduate student loans of students who are studying math, science, or engineering and agree to work five years in their respective fields upon graduation.   http://www.house.gov/wolf/news/2005/04-12-loanforgive.html 

Math/Science Partnership Program support urged

A number of Representatives are asking for $600 million to support Math/Science Partnerships in the Department of Education and at the National Science Foundation.  The elected officials, including Reps. Vern Ehlers (R-MI), Mark Udall (D-CO), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Judy Biggert (R-IL), are circulating a letter asking for colleagues’ support.  The $200 million request is for the program at NSF; the $400 million request, from DOE.

Timeline of State and Federal Budget Activities

April
19 Joint Finance Committee begins executive action on the budget
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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