Joint Finance Modifies Budget
Repair Bill
The Joint Finance Committee voted 16-0 on Wednesday in passing
a substitute amendment to the Governor’s budget repair bill (SB-39/AB-72).
For a summary and discussion of the
original bill, see the February 19, 2007 Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo and the February 28th LFB memo.
For a summary of the substitute
amendment, see the Mar. 1 LFB Memo.
JFC changes to the original bill
include the following:
-
Reduced lapses and transfers to the
General Fund from $15 million to $11 million, including limiting
the lapse from DOT to $130,700 instead of the proposed
$4,130,700 from the DOT Transportation Fund.
-
Reduced other transfers to the
General Fund: $1.5 million from the Recycling Fund instead of
$3.5 million; $1.5 million from the Agrichemical Management Fund
instead of $3.5 million; and deleted a $5 million transfer from
the Petroleum Inspection Fund and a $1 million transfer from the
Agricultural Chemical Cleanup Fund.
-
Increased the transfer from OCI (PR)
to the General Fund from $7 million to $8 million.
-
Added 16 DNA positions to the State
Crime Lab, effective July 1, 2007 for a total of 31 new
positions.
-
Changed the statutory ending balance
to $65 million instead of $75 million in the bill.
A motion offered by Representatives
Suder and Kestell to delete all transfers to and from SEG accounts
- and a motion offered by Sen. Darling and Rep. Stone to eliminate
the remaining $130,7000 lapse from DOT to the General Fund - both
failed on party line (8-8) votes with Republicans voting for and
Democrats voting against the motions.
Senate Health Committee to Hold
Hearings on Universal Health Insurance Coverage
The Senate Health Committee will be holding public hearings
around the state to discuss three universal coverage proposals,
health care reform recommendations forwarded by Sens. Darling and
Roessler, and health care initiatives in the Governor’s biennial
budget bill.
The three universal coverage plans
include: SB-51/AB
94 offered by Sen. Miller and Rep. Benedict - the Wisconsin
Health Plan, elements of which were introduced by Reps. Gielow and
Richards last session, and a proposal developed by David Newby of
the AFL-CIO, which was also introduced last session.
The first hearing is scheduled for
March 8th at 4:00 pm at the Aging and Disability
Resource Center in Green Bay. The second hearing is scheduled for
March 22nd at 4:00 pm at the Chippewa Valley Technical
College Auditorium in Eau Claire. Other hearings are expected but
yet to be scheduled.
Assembly Vote Would Curb
Accumulated Sick Leave for Elected State Officials
The State Assembly this week passed legislation, AB-31, which would prohibit all
elected state officials - legislators, constitutional officers,
justices and judges and District Attorneys - from accumulating
sick leave and converting such accumulation to money to pay for
post-retirement health insurance benefits.
The proposal, if adopted by the Senate
and signed by the Governor, would apply prospectively (to sick
leave accumulated after the effective date of the Act) only.
Photo ID Bill Advances
An Assembly committee on Thursday passed (5-3) a proposed
constitutional amendment that would require a Photo ID to vote.
Assembly Joint Resolution 17, proposing a second consideration
related to requiring photographic identification to vote or
register to vote on election day, was introduced on
February 15.
A constitutional amendment requires
legislative approval in two consecutive sessions, after which
Wisconsin voters must approve the amendment in a referendum. Last
session, the legislature gave its preliminary approval of the
proposed amendment.
Governor Doyle has vetoed a statutory
Photo ID requirement three times. The proposed constitutional
requirement would not need Doyle’s approval.
Lawmakers Introduce Fuel Tax
Incentives
Legislation was introduced this week that would provide tax
incentives to consumers purchasing flex fuel vehicles.
The measure would create an income and
franchise tax credit of $1,000 for the purchase or lease of a new
flexible fuel vehicle. These vehicles are engineered to operate on
regular gasoline or E85, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15
percent gasoline.
The tax credit bill, Assembly Bill 85, is currently before the Assembly Committee
on Biofuels and Sustainable Energy, and a public hearing on the
bill is forthcoming.
Bar Hours
Extended for Daylight Savings
2007 Senate Bill 52, which places in Wisconsin law the federal
changes to the dates of daylight saving time, has passed both
houses of the Wisconsin Legislature. The bill also would allow
bars to stay open later (3:30 am) on the day the time advances.
Beginning in
2007, federal law provides for daylight saving time to be extended
from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Homeland Security Conference
Upcoming
The 40th Annual Governor’s Conference on Emergency Management
and Homeland Security will be held March 28-29, 2007 in La Crosse.
Additional information may be found on
the agency’s website.
Governor Doyle to Lead Trade
Mission to China, Japan
Governor Jim Doyle will lead a delegation of Wisconsin
business and government leaders to China and Japan from September
7 to 18, 2007. The trade mission will provide participants with
opportunities to meet with distributors, potential customers, and
key business and government officials. The Governor will also
promote investment by Japanese and Chinese companies in Wisconsin.
China is Wisconsin’s fastest-growing
export market and the third-largest export market overall, up from
fourth-largest in 2005. The Wisconsin Department of Commerce and
the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection are
jointly coordinating the mission in partnership with the
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
For more information on legislation of interest to CTCW
members, go to the CTCW Tracking Report. |
