Government Relations
Legislative Update
April 22, 2005
UW System in the News
Participants in a Business Roundtable discussion April 20 concluded that the University of Wisconsin System may be too tightly controlled by the administration and Legislature. Participating were Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, and Arturo Perez, senior fiscal analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported they said that lawmakers often see public higher education typically as a discretionary expense, unlike the more politically popular areas such as corrections, health care and K-12 education. Lawmakers also know that colleges and universities can raise revenue through tuition increases, making the University a first stop for budget cuts, they said. Wisconsin’s Governor and Legislature control how much tuition can increase.
State rules in hiring, wages and building construction further constrain System decision-making, the speakers said, putting the state firmly in control of university business even as taxpayer dollars funded less than 25 percent of System costs for the first time this budget cycle.
A protest by unionized workers over the lack of a contract led to a major protest outside the Capitol on Thursday. One result of the protest was the first public disclosure by the administration of Gov. Jim Doyle on the potential pay plan for faculty and academic staff.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that Karen Timberlake, director of the Office of State Employment Relations, said the administration is proposing 2005-07 pay raises for non-represented state employees and UW System faculty and academic staff of 2 percent in July of this year, 2 percent in July 2006, and 1 percent in April 2007.The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations could hold hearings in early May on the proposal.
The Wisconsin Taxpayer newsletter, citing a study by Illinois
State University, reported that the UW System has seriously lagged
behind the nation in funding per capita for the past 11 years. During that
period Wisconsin spending per capita on higher education rose 17.9 percent
while the rest of the nation averaged 53.6 percent. During the last two years,
Wisconsin dropped 8.9 percent while the rest of the nation went up 1.4 percent.
Currently, the spending is $200.33 per capita, an increase of $15 since 1993.
Nationally, the increase was $56.Wisconsin ranks 32nd in the nation in this
category for ranking a state’s commitment to public higher education,
the study said.
Legislative Action
Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs Dean Kaufert and Scott Fitzgerald began executive action on the budget bill to begin on Tuesday, April 19. The UW System budget isn’t expected to be acted on until May. In action this week the committee approved a sum sufficient appropriation to fund tuition benefits for returning Veterans. It is not clear what impact this will have on two bills were considered in public hearing this week by the Assembly Veterans Affairs committee.
Assembly Majority Leader Mike Huebsch announced the chamber will not be in session May 4, 5, 11, and 12 so that Joint Finance can continue its work. The Assembly is scheduled to be in session on Tuesday, May 3, at 11 a.m. and Tuesday, May 10, at 11 a.m.
The Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform conducted a public hearing on tax credits to businesses on April 21. The UW System registered in support of SB 152, a bill to offer tuition tax credits to businesses that pay the tuition of low-income employees. UW System testimony by Margaret Lewis, associate vice for government relations, indicated this would help to address the disturbing trend of a 7 percent decline in the percentage of System incoming freshmen from low income families in the last decade. The legislation will particularly help non-traditional students. The bill can be found at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB152hst.html
The Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs heard testimony on Tuesday, April 19, on two bills which directly affect the UW System:
- 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, un-remarried surviving spouses, and children of certain veterans from tuition and fees at the UW System and at technical colleges.
These bills provide for a tuition waiver for the dependents of veterans killed
in action and those with more than a 30% disability. It provides a 50% tuition
discount for all veterans. Some 3,000 UW System veterans would be affected,
with a fiscal impact of $13 million. UW System testimony supported the intent
of these exemptions but cited the historic obligation of all citizens to share
in the underwriting of benefits to those who honorably served in the Armed
Forces and to their dependents. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John
Scocos supported the UW System position that state GPR should be added to replace
lost tuition revenue. AB 317 and 318 will be voted on May 3.
The legislation may be found at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-317.pdf Testimony
on these bills may be found at: http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/pending/index.htm
On Thursday, April 28, the members of the Assembly Agriculture Committee will hear a presentation on the Economic Impact of Wisconsin Agriculture by Dave Williams of the UW College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. An additional presentation will be delivered on the Buffer Strip Initiative Update from Pete Nowak of the UW College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. in 417 North, State Capitol.
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
Other Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Dale Schulz introduced SB-175, which adds the purchase and remodeling of two buildings at the UW- Platteville to state building program. SB-175 was referred to the Joint Finance Committee.
AB343 Morning
After Pill (LeMahieu) Prohibits the UW System from advertising the
availability of, prescribing and dispensing on any campus a hormonal medication
or combination of medications for postcoital control of fertility to any
registered student or other person entitled to university health care services.
AB-349. UW
System Credit Transfer (Wieckert) Transfer of certain
program credits within the UW System. To Colleges and Universities.
AB-350. Nursing
Credit Transfer (Wieckert) Transfer of nursing course
credits between the UW System and Technical College System. To
Colleges and Universities.
Federal Government Update
Both the Senate and Congress have approved an intellectual property bill (S. 167) and the proposal will now go to the President for signature. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) authored the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005. Last year, similar legislation did not pass in Congress, as many groups – including higher education – opposed some provisions that have since been removed. Among other items, the bill ensures that libraries can duplicate some copyrighted works under certain conditions. It also reauthorizes the National Film Preservation Board, a project of the Library of Congress.
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/