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| Wisconsin: Legislative & Political Weekly Update
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TO: Clients & Friends of Capitol Consultants, Inc. and Wimmer & Company
FROM: Capitol Consultants, Inc.
and Wimmer & Company
DATE: January 28, 2009
SUBJECT: Wisconsin State of the State Update |
| Governor Doyle's State of the State Address |
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 Governor Jim Doyle delivered his seventh state of the state address tonight, laying the foundation for his upcoming budget address in the middle of February. In his remarks Governor Doyle highlighted the impact of the national economy on Wisconsin.
"In the last year, the United States has lost about 2.8 million jobs and the national unemployment rate has gone to 7.1 percent. Wisconsin's unemployment isn't as bad, but it follows the same pattern. From December 2007 to December 2008, the state lost 62,600 jobs and the unemployment rate went up to 5.8 percent."
He also highlighted the steps his administration has taken to address the financial crisis, including $500 million in spending cuts this year, halting employee bonuses, auctioning 500 state vehicles and putting the "brakes on grants."
In referencing his upcoming budget announcement, Governor Doyle said,
"I am not going to say education funding is off limits. But I will not allow cuts that ruin the quality of our classrooms or make universities and technical colleges out of reach for working families. I am not going to say we won't make reductions in Medicaid, but I will not allow cuts to undermine our ability to get a sick kid to a doctor. We may have to do more with less, but I will not allow this state to abandon its efforts to create jobs and make Wisconsin a great place to do business."
Governor Doyle also highlighted six priorities, likely to be included in his budget, that the Legislature should act on in the upcoming session, including;
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Mandated insurance coverage for autism treatment.
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Pass a statewide smoking ban for all public places.
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Improve childcare in our state through increased standards and accountability.
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Pass legislation that will allow officers to set up controlled, reasonable sobriety checkpoints.
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Implement the recommendations of the Governor's Global Warming Task Force to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Change school funding in a way that encourages the hiring and retention of good teachers, provides for higher standards and encourages efficiencies in our school districts.
Supporting Links:
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Legislative Reaction:
Democratic Leadership |
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Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville)
"Tonight, we heard Governor Doyle make clear the challenges we face as a state: the highest jobless rate we've seen in 20 years, a soaring number of home foreclosures, and many families just struggling to make ends meet.
"These challenges will not be solved overnight. But I am encouraged by the Governor's message of collaboration. We have a shared focus of expanding opportunity and prosperity for every Wisconsinite.
"We in the Assembly understand the hardships Wisconsin families face and we will continue the
work we began this week to reach across the aisle to pass legislation that creates jobs, grows our
economy, and moves Wisconsin forward."
Joint Finance Co-Chair Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona)
"Governor Doyle's message this evening was, indeed, sobering. We face unprecedented challenges in resolving the budget shortfall. I appreciate the Governor's optimism about
our opportunities. I, too, am confident we can all work collectively to arrive at solutions to address the state budget deficit, spur economic growth in Wisconsin and protect
education and our state's most vulnerable citizens.
With a State Legislature on the side of working families for the first time in many years we will restore tax fairness, stimulate job growth and return to a responsible budget
process. It is a tall order, but I know we can and will get this done."
Joint Finance Co-Chair Rep. Mark Miller (D-Madison)
 "Governor Doyle set the right tone and laid out a smart and pragmatic agenda tonight in his State of the State address. We face difficult times, but we are ready to meet these challenges.
"This past week, lawmakers hit the ground running by passing key measures to put people back to work and help families facing hard times. Members of the Joint Finance Committee are working closely with the Governor, as well as other leaders in the Assembly and the Senate to
pave the way for economic stimulus funds. The goal will be to quickly grow our economy and make an immediate difference in the lives of working Wisconsin families."
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Legislative Reaction:
Republican Leadership |
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Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon)
 "The state of Wisconsin is facing an economic crisis. Families and business are struggling. Governor Doyle talked a great deal about the spirit of bi-partisanship and need to work together to solve those problems. I agree completely. However, I did not hear any specifics about how Governor Doyle plans to create jobs, reduce the size of government or reduce the tax burden on the hardworking families of Wisconsin.
We need to put a higher priority on family budgets than the state budget. We need to stop spending more than we are taking in. Those are the principles we will work from heading forward."
Assembly Finance Member Robin Vos (R-Caledonia)
 "Tonight we heard from Governor Doyle on the state of Wisconsin's economy. He told us that the outlook is bleak and may get even bleaker based on new projections. "While the Governor would have us believe that Wisconsin's problems are only due to the downturn in the national economy, this is not the sole reason we have reached this level of deficit. Under Governor Doyle's leadership over the past six years, he has grown the deficit from $3.2 to $5.4 billion through one-time funding gimmicks and massive expansions of government. As a result, we now have the 4th largest budget deficit in the nation. "As many look to the federal stimulus for solutions, Governor Doyle failed to offer any ideas on how to use the billions to lead Wisconsin out of this deficit or how he will put Wisconsinites back to work. He also made no mention of any measures he will take to ensure the money is spent in a transparent manner. "There is a lot of work to be done over the next few months to craft a budget that Wisconsinites can afford. I am hopeful Governor Doyle will work in a transparent, honest and bipartisan manner to find solutions that create jobs and revive the economy without balancing the budget on the backs of Wisconsin citizens." | |
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