Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin - Political Tidbits December 6, 2002

December 6, 2002

Earlier this week, Governor-Elect Doyle appointed his budget team leaders earlier this week. Milwaukee attorney Marc Marotta will be the new Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA), while David Riemer, from the City of Milwaukee, will be DOA’s Budget Director. Other members of the Doyle transition team are busy meeting with agencies in their efforts to put together a budget that addresses the $3 to 4 billion deficit. (See article, below)

We continue to review agency budget requests and other legislative proposals in anticipation of the Jan. 6 start of the 2003-04 Legislative Session.

Go to the following link for Amy Boyer’s review of the Department of Commerce budget request: http://www.hamilton-consulting.com/updates/commerce_boyer.html

Go to the following link for Amy’s summary of draft legislation relating to identity theft, which is being considered by the Assembly Identity Theft Task Force on Dec. 11 (See related article, below): http://www.hamilton-consulting.com/tidbits/docs/albgundrum_boyer.pdf

Other agency budget requests can be found on the Updates Page.

Wisconsin Politics
Governor Elect Doyle Appoints Budget Leadership Team
Governor-elect Jim Doyle appointed Milwaukee attorney Marc Marotta as Secretary of the Department of Administration, and David Riemer, the former Director of the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Administration, as Budget Director.

Marotta, 40, is a partner at the Milwaukee office of the Foley and Lardner Law firm. He currently serves on the State Technical College System Board. Marotta graduated from Marquette University and received his law degree from Harvard.

Riemer, 53, was Director of the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Administration until last January, when he left to accept a fellowship in public policy in Great Britain. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard.

At the news conference this week, Marotta emphasized the importance of a positive business environment for existing state businesses and for attracting new businesses to Wisconsin as key to the state’s economic success. Riemer outlined three points of emphasis for putting together the next budget: no accounting gimmicks; conservative budget estimates; and no new taxes.

Riemer also said he looked forward to working with the finance committee members and the legislative leadership on addressing the $3 billion state budget deficit.

Marotta has been active in Democrat politics for over a decade. He ran in the 5th Congressional District primary in 1992 and was defeated by Tom Barrett.

Reimer has been a leading policy voice in Wisconsin and participated in the Kettl Commission on state and local partnerships. He submitted a Dec. 6, 2000 Roads Proposal to the committee. To see the final report of Blue-Ribbon Commission on State-Local Partnerships for the 21st Century (PDF, 138 pages), go to: http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/reform/report011001.pdf

Leibham Wins Recount
Sen.-elect Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) won by a margin of 46 votes over Sen. Jim Baumgart (D-Sheboygan) in the recount for the 9th Senate District. The recount, which was conducted in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac and Calumet counties, was completed in ten days. Baumgart, who served four terms in the Assembly and one term in the Senate, conceded the election on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Baumgart stated he would not challenge the results unless there was a serious error in the recount. With Leibham’s victory, the Senate Republicans will have an 18-15 majority over Democrats when the 2003-04 Legislative Session convenes in January.

Joint Finance Committee Taking Shape
Several new faces will be on the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee next session, which will have a legislative makeup of 12 Republicans and four Democrats. Senate Majority Leader-elect Mary Panzer (R-West Bend) announced this week that Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) will be the Senate co-chair. Sen. Darling, who was elected to the State Assembly in 1990 and the State Senate in 1992, has been a member of the Joint Finance Committee since 2000. Darling is the first woman to hold the co-chair position.

Meanwhile, Speaker-elect John Gard (R-Peshtigo) appointed Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) Assembly co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. Kaufert, who has been a member of the State Assembly since 1990, stated in his press release that he would move forward with the Republican promises of no general tax increases and continued adequate funding of health care and education programs.

Other members appointed to the Assembly side of the Joint Finance Committee by Speaker-elect Gard include, Reps. Mike Huebsch (R-Onalaska), David Ward (R-Fort Atkinson), Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson), Dan Meyer (R-Eagle River) and Jeff Stone (R-Greenfield). Assembly Minority Leader Jim Kreuser (D-Kenosha) named Reps. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) and Dan Schooff (D-Beloit) to the Committee. The remaining Senate members of the Committee are likely to be announced next week.

Senate Democrats Select Erpenbach as Leader
The Senate Democrats met on Wednesday, Dec. 4 to elect their leader for the upcoming legislative session. The Senate Democratic Caucus held off leadership elections until the recount in the 9th Senate District was complete. After discussions in open caucus, Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) was elected to serve as the Senate Minority Leader.

Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) was elected Assistant Minority Leader and Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha) was elected Caucus Chair.

Policy Developments
Identity Theft Task Force Moves Along
The Assembly Identity Theft Task Force, chaired by Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin), will meet on Wednesday, December 11, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 300 NE. The Task Force, which has been meeting since June, is currently working on a draft bill that would make certain revisions to the identity theft statute, including notice by entities of unauthorized use of personal information in their custody. (See Amy Boyer’s Bill Summary)

Federal
Federal GOP Leaders Plan To Take Up Asbestos Next Session
With a Republican Congress, and a President supportive of civil justice reform, many industry players believe next year will prove pivotal in their effort to enact measures reforming what they see as shortfalls in the legal system. Republican leaders have indicated the asbestos litigation reform measure would be back on the agenda next year. (See Jim Hough’s Asbestos Update)

A recent Milwaukee Business Journal article outlined the irrationality of the current legal climate and its impact on Wisconsin companies. Wisconsin Badger Meter Inc. has no connection to asbestos products, but the company is listed among a host of defendants in a lawsuit. Badger Meter has been named in three different asbestos lawsuits filed in Jones County, Miss., within the past six months. In just one of those suits, it is one of 381 defendants named, and one of 10 companies with Wisconsin ties.

Other Milwaukee-area companies listed in similar lawsuits include Rockwell Automation, Briggs & Stratton Corp., Ladish Co., Cooper Power Systems, Waukesha Foundry Co. Inc., and Aqua-Chem Inc. In addition, several other Wisconsin companies have been named, including Alfa Laval Flow/Tri-Clover Inc. in Kenosha, Copes Vulcan Inc. in Madison, and Plastics Engineering Co. in Sheboygan.

Many asbestos-related lawsuits are filed in states with histories of favorable decisions for plaintiffs, which include Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, West Virginia, New York and California.

Political News
Doyle taps ex-Norquist aide as budget director: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 2002. Riemer and new administration secretary face yawning deficit.

Erpenbach is Senate minority leader: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 2002. Democrats come to decision after some tussling.

Audit finds state lax in casino regulation: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 2002. Wisconsin deserves more of burgeoning profits, Doyle says.

Campaign reform shifts to U.S. courts: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 2002. Battle involves questions of corruption, free speech.

Doyle won't sell governor's mansion: Janesville Gazette, Dec. 5, 2002. Doyle said he'll move into the mansion after he's inaugurated Jan. 6, for security and historical reasons.

Kaufert hopes to slash policy from budget: Appleton Post-Crescent, Dec. 4, 2002. Stopped short of vowing he would keep all policy out of the budget, but he said he would try.

Budget co-chair says no sacred cows: Wisconsin State Journal, Dec. 4, 2002. State aid to local governments and two-thirds state funding of public schools will not be protected from budget cuts.

Kaufert named co-chairman on Joint Finance: Appleton Post-Crescent, Dec. 3, 2002. Lawmaker ‘eager’ to get to work on state’s budget.

Panzer names Darling to Joint Finance Committee: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 3, 2002. Senate Republicans promise to put taxpayers first in tackling budget.

Doyle speaks out on issues facing state, Legislature: Appleton Post-Crescent, Dec. 1, 2002. An edited transcript of the interview with the man who will become Wisconsin’s 44th governor.

Kaufert to push death penalty vote: Appleton Post-Crescent, Dec. 1, 2002. Neenah lawmaker says time is right for referendum.

Doyle speaks out on issues facing state, Legislature: Appleton Post-Crescent, Dec. 1, 2002. An edited transcript of the interview with the man who will become Wisconsin’s 44th governor.

Governor’s mansion has divisive history: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Dec. 1, 2002. Lawmaker asks state to sell home as way to save money.

Upcoming Fundraisers
Monday, Dec. 9:

Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale), Greendale, 6:00 p.m.