Highlights of Senate Calendar for Tuesday, February
21
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SB-161:
relating to civil liability exemption for claims based on weight
gain or obesity.
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SB-459: relating to the administration and funding of programs for
utility public benefits; renewable energy; energy efficiency and
the energy conservation code; and, anaerobic digestor
research.
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AB-299: relating to shoreland zoning.
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SB-425: relating to limitations on the
authority of the Department of Justice and the Attorney General
regarding public nuisance actions.
[The Assembly is also scheduled to be in session and both
Houses are expected to have calendars for Thursday - and possibly
Wednesday.]
Selected Bills Recommended for Passage by Legislative
Committees
Joint Committee on Finance
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AB-981:
Decreases MA reimbursement and transfers money from general fund
to MA trust fund. Unanimous consent all action taken on SB-535
applied to AB-981.
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SB-535:
Decreases MA reimbursement and transfers money from general fund
to MA trust fund. Am. (LRBa2335/1) increases the reimbursement
rate for nursing homes, adopted, 16-0. Passage as amended
recommended, 16-0.
[The plan approved by JFC would transfer $76.7 million of the
state's increased revenue to the Medical Assistance Trust Fund in
order to cover the deficit, and utilize another $12 million to
provide nursing homes with an increase in their funding.]
Senate Committee on Agriculture and
Insurance
Senate Committee on Natural Resources &
Transportation
Senate Committee on Economic
Development
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SB-483: Income and franchise tax credit for sales and use taxes paid on
the purchase of internet equipment used in the broadband
market.
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SB-563: Creates income and franchise tax credit for expenses related to
film production services and for capital investments made by a
film production company.
Hearing Held on Proposed Constitutional Amendment to
Impose Revenue Limits
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, at a joint
hearing of Senate and Assembly committees, lawmakers debated a
measure (SJR-63/AJR-77)
to limit government spending.
The proposed amendment, referred
to as the Taxpayer Protection Act or TPA, follows the same basic
blueprint of the GOP's previous plans, with a few new
twists:
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Increases in governments' revenue would be restricted
through a new formula. Growth would be limited to the average
increase in inflation over the previous three years and part of
the increase in property values due to new construction.
Governments could exceed those limits through a referendum; in the
case of state government, the Legislature would have to vote to go
beyond the limits.
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The same formula applies to government fees. That provision
is designed to prevent government officials from raising them
dramatically to bring in extra money.
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The measure creates a state reserve fund. Any revenue from
taxes and fees the state receives above and beyond the limit must
go into the fund.
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Any revenue a municipality or school district takes in that
exceeds the limit would be returned to taxpayers.
Supporters of the amendment claim it would limit government
spending and ease Wisconsin's high tax burden. Revenue the
governments could collect in taxes and fees could rise only by the
rate of inflation plus population and construction
growth.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce has launched an ad
campaign in support of the amendment. The amendment has been
criticized by a UW-Madison analysis, saying it would hurt economic development.
Assembly Speaker John Gard says he intends to bring up the Taxpayer
Protection Act “in the near future.”
Legislative
Fiscal Bureau Analysis.
Legislators Create Transportation Study
Committee
On Feb. 8th, Dale Schultz, Senate Majority Leader,
and Assembly Speaker John Gard announced formation of the Road to
the Future Committee. There has been growing concern about the
widening gap between transportation funding and needs, especially
after the repeal of gas tax indexing.
The goal of the Committee will be to review both long and
short-term transportation needs, while identifying potential system
efficiencies and revenue options with a view toward “keeping the
state’s transportation system safe, efficient and
reliable.”
The Committee will consider the impact of transferring
transportation funds to other funds in the state budget without
legislative oversight, the expansion of new roads at the expense of
maintaining existing roads and how to reconcile shortfalls in
transportation funding. One of the focal points of the study will be
funding of the rebuilding of the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee County
and of I-94 between Racine and Milwaukee.
The Committee is charged with completing several interim
reports and a final report by Dec. 15, 2006.
School Choice Agreement Reached
Gov. Jim Doyle and
Assembly Speaker John Gard announced
today that an agreement has been reached to increase the cap on
the school choice program, bring new and “stronger” accountability
to the program, and provide funding to help reduce class sizes in
Milwaukee and across Wisconsin.
Governor Doyle and Speaker Gard said that the bill would be
introduced when the Legislature convenes next week. They called on
legislators in both parties to work together to advance the bill
quickly so that parents and students in the program can have
certainty about their educational plans.
Booster Seat Bill Becomes Law
Gov. Jim Doyle recently signed AB-618, the “Child Passenger Safety Bill,” which
requires children up to age eight that are less than 80 pounds and
less than 4 feet 9 inches tall to ride in booster or safety
seats.
By signing AB-618,
Wisconsin is eligible for $625,000 in new federal funds this federal
fiscal year, and could receive up to $2.5 million over the next six
years. These federal funds will be used for child safety seat
education and training programs as well as programs that purchase
and distribute child safety seats to low income families.
2006 Business Day in Madison Feb. 22
Members of the
Wisconsin business, professional, service and economic development
communities will have the opportunity to meet with legislators and
public policymakers in Madison at the Fourth
Annual Business Day.
The keynote address will feature Tony Snow, host of Weekend Live with Tony Snow, FOX News. Gov. Doyle has
been invited to discuss the state of the Wisconsin economy and
present his administration's accomplishments and goals for the
future. There will also be an open microphone session with various
cabinet secretaries.
I will have the privilege of moderating a panel addressing
the efforts at Legal Reform in Wisconsin, which will examine
the Supreme Court decisions, as well as legislative and
gubernatorial actions and reactions, as well as the prospect, if
any, for resolution of the crisis.
Panel members: Senator Ted Kanavas, Rep. Mark Gundrum,
Heartland Institute Attorney Maureen Martin and Civil Trial Counsel
of Wisconsin President Mike Crooks.
Contraception Bill Would Limit Access for Teens
Senate Bill
552 aims to limit the family planning services provided to
minors below a certain income by increasing the current minimum age
requirement from 15 to 18 years. The Senate is expected to vote soon
on the measure, but it's not clear when the Assembly would take it
up. Gov. Jim Doyle has said he would veto the measure if it passes
both houses.
Good Samaritan Bill Would Protect Builders
A
proposal that would exempt contractors from liability lawsuits when
they volunteer their time and heavy-duty equipment for rescue and
disaster assistance received a public hearing on Feb. 9.
The proposal limits the liability of contractors who
volunteer to help rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts in a disaster
or other emergency. Wisconsin already affords Good Samaritan
protection against injury claims to emergency and public health
workers.
Assembly
Bill 958 would add immunity to contractors involved in cleanup,
demolition, reconstruction or damage repair work, provided it was at
the direction of a specific local official during an official state
of emergency.
For
more information on legislation of interest to CTCW members, go to
the CTCW
Tracking Report.
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