| Eminent Domain Bill Passes Assembly
On a vote of 88 to 9, the State Assembly
passed AB 657 as embodied in Assembly
Substitute Amendment 2. (The Substitute
Amendment was adopted on a 96-1 vote.) The
bill prohibits the condemnation of property
that is not blighted if the condemnor intends
to convey or lease the acquired property to
a third party private entity.
By definition, a property that consists of only one dwelling
unit is not blighted, as it relates to the
third party transfer, unless it is not owner-occupied
(which includes a fairly broad definition
of relatives) or the crime rate in, on, or
adjacent to the property is higher than in
the remainder of the municipality in which
the property is located.
Original AB 657
provided the above referenced property rights
protection to property that included one or
more dwelling units, unless the property was
abandoned or the property was a conversion
of a single dwelling unit to a multiple dwelling
unit, and the crime rate was higher than in
the rest of the municipality.
The bill now moves on to the Senate where action by that body
is expected in the October/November floor
period.
Other Legislative Activity
Assembly
The following bills were passed by
the Assembly:
-
AB-264:
Increases filing fees for municipal court
actions;
-
AB-375:
Specifically authorizes the operation
of ATVs on highways for certain types
of access, passed
as amended.
-
AB-512.
Creates and amends rules regarding traffic
regulations and traffic control devices
at railroad crossings.
AB 160,
which requires examination for registration
as a loan originator, was recommended for
passage by the Assembly Financial Institutions
Committee. The Assembly is due back on the
floor on Oct. 25.
Senate
SB-290, which
makes certain technical changes to the bona
fide angel investment credit to simplify the
administration of the credit, passed the Senate
32-0.
Veto Overrides:
-
Nursing home rate increase: The Senate failed Tuesday to override Gov. Jim
Doyle's veto of $15 million more for the
state's nursing homes that care for Medicaid
patients. The Senate voted 20-13 to override
the Democratic governor's veto - two votes
short of the two-thirds Senate majority
needed. Last week, a two-thirds Assembly
majority voted to give nursing homes the
additional $15 million.
-
Adoption expenses credit: Override failed, 62-35. (2/3rds
required)
-
Health savings accounts: Override failed, 62-35.
-
Pharmacy Reimbursement - Rates for Brand Name Prescription
Drugs: Override failed, 64-33.
-
Pharmacy Reimbursement - Dispensing Fees: Override failed,
64-33.
-
Outpatient Hospital Reimbursement Rates: Override failed,
60-37
Ethanol Subject of Legislative Hearings
At informational legislative committee
hearings on Monday, legislators and invited
speakers discussed recent state findings that
a law requiring all regular grade gasoline
to be blended with 10 percent ethanol would
lead to increased ozone and health advisories
across the state.
According to the study
released by the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (DNR), emissions of nitrogen
oxide, which contribute to ozone, would increase
13 tons per day — about the equivalent
as that emitted by some coal-fired electrical
plants.
Supporters of the proposed ethanol additive requirement, including
Rep. Stephen Freese, R-Dodgeville, asked DNR
to reconsider its findings. The DNR agreed
to report back within two weeks.
Governor Doyle Announces Energy Help Initiative
Governor Jim Doyle
announced his Energy Help initiative,
intended to assist residents and businesses
meet the rising cost of energy. The proposal
calls for:
-
An additional $16 million for the state’s Bill Payment
Assistance program starting October 1,
2005 and asks the federal government
to double federal funding for the Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP).
-
Joining with seven other Midwest states in an agreement to
reduce Wisconsin’s natural gas consumption
by one percent a year for five years.
-
Private utilities to join the state in helping families pay
their heating bills. We Energies pledged
$11 million dollars – $6 million
for weatherization efforts, and $5 million
for energy assistance for families up
to 200 percent of the poverty level. Alliant
Energy has also pledged to put $1.3 million
into increasing their energy efficiency
efforts.
-
The Public Service Commission and the Department of Administration
to identify and report back in 30 days
any natural gas efficiency projects that
are stalled because of regulatory red
tape or other hurdles.
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Increased access to information to residents about where
to turn for help and how they can be more
energy efficient at home. A new website,
www.energyhelp.wi.gov, and
a single toll free number, (800) 522-3014,
will provide one-stop-shops of information
and assistance.
-
Incentives for homeowners to have an energy audit to identify
ways to make their homes more efficient,
and reduce their utility bills and energy
demand.
Governor Doyle also called on the Legislature to pass this
fall the recommendations of the Governor’s
Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables.
Doyle Orders Commerce to Grant Variance for October-Blend
Gasoline
Governor Jim Doyle on Wednesday directed
the Department of Commerce to issue a
variance to allow the immediate sale of
October-blend gasoline in Wisconsin, helping
to stabilize supplies in the wake of the two
recent hurricanes.
October-blend gasoline has an increased Reid Vapor Pressure
(rvp) of 13.5 pounds per square inch (psi),
enabling it to perform better at colder temperatures.
This gasoline is usually offered for sale
on October 1 to replace summer gasoline, which
has an rvp of 11.5 psi.
Governor Launches New Economic Development Initiative
Gov. Jim Doyle has
announced his new economic initiative
aimed at creating jobs, building wealth, and
improving the quality of life in Wisconsin.
Grow Wisconsin was the economic development
agenda Doyle announced after being elected
in 2002. He calls the new initiative “Grow
Wisconsin: The 2005 Agenda.”
Included in Doyle’s agenda are plans that would:
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Require that all gasoline in the state contain 10 percent
ethanol.
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Create incentives to locate businesses in distressed areas.
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Direct the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
to make available $30 million in bonding
to create more business incubators.
-
Creative a Manufacturing Competitiveness Council and provide
$1.5 million to help manufacturers assess
their ability to compete, adopt new technology
and improve the efficiency of their processes.
-
Modernize the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development
Authority. The modernization bill would
raise income limits in 26 counties and
increase the bonding limit for multifamily
financing to $600 million.
-
Require the Department of Workforce Development to implement
a Trial Jobs Plus pilot program to move
Wisconsin Works (W-2) participants into
permanent jobs.
-
Increase finding to Forward Wisconsin for FY 2006-07.
-
Support regional economic development efforts.
Doyle said his Grow Wisconsin plan has created nearly 140,000
jobs, and that state exports in 2004 were
$12 billion, a third consecutive record year.
He said personal income is expected to grow
5.7 percent in 2005, outpacing U.S. income
growth.
Forward Wisconsin Embraces Plan for Added State Funding
The Forward Wisconsin Board of Directors
recently endorsed a proposal by Governor
Doyle to increase state funding for Forward
Wisconsin by $590,000 in 2006-07. As part
of Governor Doyle’s 2005 Grow Wisconsin
Agenda, Forward Wisconsin’s total annual
state funding would be increased to $910,000.
Forward Wisconsin has traditionally received $500,000 in state
funding – the amount the organization
received in 1984 - but has not been at that
state funding level since 2001. To obtain
the state funding, Forward Wisconsin is required
to raise an equal amount of dollars from the
private sector; a one to-one match requirement
that doubles the impact of more state funding.
Medical Malpractice Taskforce Final Meeting Next Week
The Task Force on Medical Malpractice
on Tuesday agreed on several options that
will be drafted by the Legislative Council
for its final meeting set for Thursday, Oct.
6, at 1 p.m.
The Task Force agreed to:
-
Forward all suggestions without a specific cap dollar amount
and instead advise the Legislature how
to set the cap amount.
-
Suggest that the Legislature look at those amounts set by
other states, get actuarial data, and
review previous awards.
-
Forward two options: one a set amount or scale multiplier
based on life expectancy; and, a two tiered
system which mirrors the wrongful death
cap for minors and adults.
-
Forward other areas of possible legislation for consideration,
but would advise that the noneconomic
cap be a separate piece of legislation.
Senator Invited to Join Homeland Security Taskforce
State Senator Ron Brown (R-Eau Claire)
has been invited to join a bipartisan national
task force to address homeland security issues.
The National Conference of State Legislatures
(NCSL) is forming a group of 22 state legislators
to work together to provide security recommendations
to ensure that states have effective strategies
to prevent domestic terrorism and respond
to major disasters.
Sen. Brown was chosen to represent Wisconsin on the task force
because of his experience as a fire chief
and his work in the Wisconsin Legislature
addressing homeland security issues.
Transportation Funding for Local Governments
General
Transportation Aids (GTA) returns to local
governments roughly 30 percent of all state-collected
transportation revenues (fuel taxes and vehicle
registration fees) - helping offset the cost
of county and municipal road construction,
maintenance, traffic and other transportation-related
costs.
Some 123
municipalities receive quarterly payments
on a per lane mile basis, with rates varying
according to population and appropriations
set in the state budget.
Governor Doyle Announces Grant to Promote Tourism
Governor Jim Doyle
recently announced a $22,300 Joint Effort
Marketing (JEM) Grant to the Minocqua-Arbor
Vitae-Woodruff Area Chamber of Commerce to
help fund the second annual promotion of Chill
Out – A Northwoods Celebration.
The grant is part of the Department of Tourism’s Joint
Effort Marketing program and is expected to
boost the Minocqua-Arbor Vitae-Woodruff area
economy by more than $200,000.
Senate Passes Cord Blood Donation Bill
The State Senate unanimously passed legislation
on Tuesday that will facilitate the donation
of newborn umbilical cord blood in Wisconsin.
Assembly
Bill 270 now moves to the Governor’s
desk for his expected signature.
Assembly Bill 270 would require the principal prenatal health
care provider of a pregnant woman to offer
her the option to donate blood extracted from
the umbilical cord of her newborn child to
a blood bank. The offer of an option to donate
only applies if the donation is at no monetary
cost to the woman, her health insurance provider,
or to the hospital in which the delivery will
occur for collection or storage.
Cloning Bill Approved/Doyle Promises Veto
The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday passed
by a vote of 21-12
a bill that bans human cloning, setting the
bill on course for a veto by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The bill, AB 499,
would outlaw not only cloning for reproductive
purposes but, also, what proponents call therapeutic
or research cloning, in which an embryo is
created with identical DNA as an original
subject for the purposes of harvesting stem
cells after the first several days of development.
The embryo is destroyed in the process.
On Tuesday, the Senate defeated by one vote an amendment that
would have exempted therapeutic cloning from
the ban. The measure previously passed the
Assembly on a 59-38 vote, short of the two-thirds
supermajority required to override an expected
veto by Doyle, who has cited the potential
loss of business in what is an emerging field
of science.
Conscience Clause/Fetal Pain Bills Advance
On a 21-12 vote, the Senate this week
passed a bill that would give job protections
to physicians, nurses, and hospital, clinic
and nursing home workers who refuse to participate
in certain medical procedures because of personal
or religious beliefs.
The workers would be able to refuse to participate in sterilizations,
abortions, embryonic research, euthanasia
or other procedures. Pharmacists also could
decline to fill certain prescriptions for
some contraceptives on moral grounds. The
vote sent the bill (AB-207) to
Doyle, who will likely veto it for a second
time.
The state Senate also voted, 21-12, to require physicians to
inform women considering abortions that some
researchers think a fetus 20 weeks or older
can feel pain. SB-138.
Women’s Health and Education Act Introduced
Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, is circulating
a proposal that would incorporate legislation
to increase women's access to information
and preventive health care. Bills such as
the Birth Control Protection Act and Compassionate
Care for Rape Victim's Act are part of the
package.
The Women’s Health and Education Act would require the
following:
-
Emergency room workers to inform rape victims seeking medical
assistance about the availability of emergency
contraception, so that pregnancy from
the assault can be prevented. If requested
by the victim, emergency contraception
also must be dispensed;
-
Pharmacists would be required to administer, distribute and
dispense FDA approved contraceptives,
unless the contraceptive is contraindicated
for the patient.
-
School districts that choose to teach a human growth and
development curriculum would be required
to include comprehensive, medically-accurate
sex education; and
-
Any school district that does not teach comprehensive sex
education would be required to notify
parents to encourage their discussion
of the subject with their teens.
For
more information on legislation of interest
to CTCW members, go to the CTCW
Tracking Report. |
