Government Relations
Legislative Update
November 11, 2005
Contact Sunshine Bill
A bill to further open the state contracting process was passed in the state Assembly last week. AB 788, introduced on Oct. 27 by Speaker Gard, will require the UW System to collect and post information on an additional 2,000 contracts between $10,000-$25,000 and post change orders on approximately 1,000 purchase orders annually. President Reilly shared information about the impact of the bill on the UW with Speaker Gard and members of the Assembly State Affairs Committee. See text of letter at: http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/lupdate/2005/11-2005/AB788-letter.pdf
Student Regent Bill, Tuition Gift Certificate Program Pass Both Houses
SB 121, authored by Sen. Harsdorf would add a nontraditional student to the Board of Regents. This will bring the total number to 18 members. It now goes to the Governor for his action.
AB 27, authored by Rep. Gottlieb, allows the Board of Regents to establish a tuition gift certificate program and is awaiting the Governor’s action.
Bills to Facilitate Faculty Entrepreneurs, Charter Schools, and Student Nursing Loan Program Pass First House
On a voice vote, the Senate passed SB 338 which creates an exemption to s. 946.13 for a research company with ties to a university faculty or staff member that contracts with the University of Wisconsin for the purchase of goods or services if the contract evaluated by a campus review process, shows there is not a conflict of interest.
The Assembly last week passed two charter school bills. The first, AB 698, allows the 21st Century K-12 School chartered by UW-Parkside to increase its enrollment from 400-480 students. It passed on a vote of 62-29. The second, AB 730, would allow five additional charter schools to be established by UW institutions. It was passed by a vote of 56-36. The bills now go to the Senate for referral to a Senate standing committee.
By a vote of 96-0, the Assembly passed AB 387 which expands the nursing student loan program to include nurse educators.
Concealed Carry Legislation Advancing
Two legislative committees endorsed concealed carry bills with no committee amendments. Some private schools and the Wisconsin Technical College System have suggested to legislators that the bills be amended to exempt higher education buildings and grounds. Sen. Risser has drafted such an amendment. The UW System position opposing the bills was registered at the joint hearing.
TABOR – Constitutional Amendment to Limit State Spending
Colorado voters suspended their TABOR spending limits for five years. California voters defeated a spending limit referendum on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Sen. Glenn Grothman, who’s heading the Senate effort to prepare a new draft of TABOR for Wisconsin said he expects to put out his proposal soon for reaction. One question which remains is whether bonding should be limited by the constitution.
Rep. Lasee’s view on this subject is found at: http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Nov05/Nov17/1117laseenotes.pdf
We're not going to be Colorado, but we are going to have a Wisconsin
plan. We are going to take a vote on TABOR, come hell or high water.
-- Assembly Speaker John Gard on a Wisconsin Taxpayers Bill of Rights.
Legislative Activity on Storm Water Utilities, Tuition Remissions, Academic Excellence Scholarships, and Establishing an International Charter School
Several bills had hearings this week. They include:
AB 492 prohibits cities, villages, and town (municipalities) from using both property taxes and service charges to pay for the same cost incurred for storm water utilities. No action was taken on the bill.
SB 414 expands current tuition remission for spouses, children and surviving spouses of ambulance drivers, correction officers, emergency medical services technicians, fire fights, and law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty to include dependents of those covered occupations who develop a permanent work-related disability and forced to retire or reduce his/her work assignment and later dies from the disability. The bill would expand the 175 remissions currently offered under these provisions, a reduction of about $41,000/year in tuition revenues. No action was taken.
AB 774 extends Academic Excellence Scholarship awards eligibility to a student enrolled in a 2-year, full-time vocational diploma program at a technical college. No action was taken.
AB 768 authorizes the UW System to establish or contract for the establishment of an International Charter School. President Reilly’s letter to Melissa Wee and the bill’s authors indicating the neutral position of the board can be found at: http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/pending/position/p_ab768-sb377.pdf No action was taken.
► Upcoming Hearing on Collective Bargaining for UW System Student Assistants, Charter School
The Senate Labor and Election Process Reform Committee is holding a hearing on Nov. 29 at 11:00 a.m. in 300 Southeast on SB 317 which would eliminate collective bargaining rights for student assistants in the UW System.
Also on Nov. 29, the Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. in room 412 East on SB 377 which would authorize the UW system to establish or contract for the establishment of an International Charter School.
Legislation Introduced: Nurse Education Qualifications, Clinical Practicum for Law School Students, Tuition Remissions, Military Service Re-enrollment
LRB-4026/1. Rep. Underheim is circulating a bill draft to prohibit the State Board of Nursing from requiring that more than 75 percent of the faculty at each UW Nursing School hold master’s or doctoral degrees in nursing.
AB 819 (Schneider) Beginning with the class of 2009, this bill directs the UW-Madison Law School to require students to complete a six to eight credit clinical practicum in order to receive a degree. See full text at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-819.pdf
SB 427 (Hansen) Under current law spouses, children, or surviving spouses of veterans who died while on duty or incurred a service-connected disability that is rated as 30 percent or more while a resident of this state are eligible for tuition remission. This bill adds eligibility to spouses, surviving spouses, or children of veterans if the veteran was a resident of the state for at least ten continuous years before the student registers and the veteran has incurred a service-connected disability that is 30 percent or more. See full text at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-427.pdf
SB 436 (Lazich) [Companion to AB 378] Under current law, students who were forced to withdraw from school after September 11, 2001, because they were called into active military service are able to be reimbursed for tuition, fees and prorated room and board or to get an incomplete and be allowed to complete the courses within six months of leaving the service without paying additional tuition or fees.
This bill requires the colleges and universities to reenroll the student beginning in the semester following his or her military discharge or the next succeeding semester, whichever the student prefers. See full text at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-436.pdf
Federal Update
By a razor-thin margin, the Budget Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 4241) was passed by the House. The bill now goes to conference. The bill had been on hold because it drew opposition from Democrats and many Republicans over cuts in programs for the poor and education programs.
The House Reconciliation bill cuts $14 billion from the federal student loan programs—a proportion almost one-third of the federal total deficit reduction. Four members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, Baldwin, Kind, Moore and Obey, sent letters to Leadership in opposition to House plans to cut federal student aid. Please see President Reilly’s letter to the Congressional delegation opposing the Budget Reconciliation bill at: http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/lupdate/2005/11-2005/HouseBudgetReconciliationBillLetter.pdf
This week the House also rejected the conference committee report on the FY06 Labor/HHS/Education appropriations bill. Most research and higher education programs in the bill would have received little or no increase in funding, the agreement would fund the Pell Grant program shortfall, with no increase in the maximum grant, and proposed earmarks were stripped from the final version of the legislation.
Congress has approved a $500,000 grant to the Wisconsin Technology Council to improve the state’s ability to attract classified and sensitive federal research dollars. The Wisconsin Security Research Consortium, launched this fall by the WI Technology Council, and 11 public and private academic research partners, received the grant. The grant is targeted to assist the Consortium’s start-up, administrative and research work.
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.
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/