"Clean Energy Jobs Act"

The "Clean Energy Jobs Act" remains one of the most discussed issues in the capitol this week, as the four co-chairs of the two select legislative committees continue their work on a substitute amendment to the legislation that will garner the necessary votes to pass the bill before the April 22nd end of session.

On Thursday, a group of stakeholders representing utilities, environmental groups and others met with Senators Mark Miller (D-Monona) and Jeff Plale (D-S. Milwaukee) to offer proposed changes to the legislation.  Senator Plale said after the meeting, "there's still a way to go."  Representative Spencer Black ( D-Madison), who wasn't in the meeting, is still very optimistic about the legislation's chances saying that the goal remains to get the bill passed in time for the Governor to sign it on April 22nd, Earth Day.

Earlier in the week 41 business organizations, including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, local chambers of commerce and others, sent a letter to the co-chairs stating that the increased electric costs from the legislation will hurt the economy.

A spokesman for Gov. Jim Doyle, whose Global Warming Task Force created the recommendations that led to the legislation, disputed the claim that energy efficiency will end up costing customers more.
 

Governor is in Italy and Tunisia for business meetings

Governor Jim Doyle is traveling to Italy and Tunisia for a series of high-level business and government meetings from March 17-26, 2010.

In Italy, Governor Doyle will meet with top executives at Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., including Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Bono. Fincantieri is a large international ship building firm that owns Marinette Marine and Bay Shipbuilding in SturgeonBay. Governor Doyle is working closely with Fincantieri and Marinette Marine to secure a major contract with the U.S. Navy to construct Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) in northeast Wisconsin. The contract for 10 ships is expected to be announced this summer.

Governor Doyle will also hold meetings in his official capacity with top Tunisian government officials and leaders of Tunisia's business community.

January Job Numbers Released and status of Unemployment Isurance

Wisconsin lost more than 71,000 non-farm jobs from December to January, according to a new release from the state Department of Workforce Development. DWD says that's less than the typical loss of 80,000 jobs over that timespan.

The state's unadjusted jobless rate for January was 9.6 percent, up from 8.3 percent in December.

See the DWD release for details: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=188596

With Wisconsin's unemployment rate at 9.6% in January, up from 7.7% in January 2009, the state is paying jobless workers more money than it's taking in through its payroll tax on employers. In 2009, the state paid $3.1 billion in state and temporary federal jobless benefits, more than triple what it paid in state benefits only in 2007, according to the state  Department of Workforce Development.

The state has already borrowed $1.2 billion from the federal government to pay jobless claims and by the end of 2011, the state's debt to the federal government is projected to reach nearly $2.4billion and stretch out for years.

On March 4th the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council sent a letter to lawmakers saying it had decided against seeking legislation this year to shore up the fund because of fears of the effects of cutting payments to the unemployed or raising taxes on businesses.

Unless Congress acts, the state will have to start paying interest on the money it owes to the federal government in 2011 through the payroll tax on employers. The 5% yearly federal interest on the state's debt could run between $70 million and $80 million in 2011.

 

The Race for Governor

• A poll released today by Rasmussen Reports has Republican Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker leading Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett up 48 percent to 42 percent in a hypothetical election day match-up.  In January, Walker led 48-38 and in February Walker led 49-40.  Former Republican Congressman Mark Neuamann also leads Barrett 46-42.  Here are a link to the results: http://tr.im/M3pQ
  
• Last week the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute released a poll showing Walker leading Barrett 36 percent to 32 percent and Barrett tied with Neumann at 34 percent each.  Here is a link to the WPRI results: http://www.wpri.org/polls/March2010/March2010Poll.html
  

The Race for Control of the Legislature

Representative Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson), has become the latest member of the State Legislature to announce that she is not running for re-election.  Representative Rhoades was elected to the State Assembly in 1998 and quickly rose through the ranks within the Assembly GOP caucus to become the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance in the 2007-2008 session.  In a letter to constituents Representative Rhoades stated, "Twelve years ago, I told you "I didn't set out to become an elected official, my life led me there." Now the time has come for my life to lead me on to a new phase."

Representative Rhoades' retirement announcement brings the total minimum number of new faces that will be in the State Assembly next session to 9.  The April 6th Spring Election could create another open seat with Representative Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin), on the ballot for the Waukesha County Circuit Court.  Seven of these nine open seats are currently held by Republicans, one is held by an Independent and one by a Democrat.  In the State Senate there will be at least three new faces with two Republicans and one Democrat not seeking re-election.

Here is a run down of the open seats:

Assembly

1. 14th Assembly District: Rep. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, is challenging Dem Sen. Jim Sullivan in the 5th Senate District.
2. 30th Assembly District: Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson is retiring from her seat.
   
3. 32nd Assembly District: Rep. Tom Lothian, R-Williams Bay, is retiring at age 81 after serving four terms in the district.
4. 35th Assembly District: Rep. Don Friske, R-Merrill, is stepping down from his northern district after five terms to spend time with his family and focus on two Carquest Auto Parts businesses he operates in Merrill and Tomahawk.
5. 52nd Assembly District: Rep. John Townsend, R-Fond du Lac, is retiring from his seat in the city of Fond du Lac and the surrounding area after six terms.
6. 67th Assembly District: Rep. Jeff Wood, I-Chippewa Falls, announced he wouldn't run for re-election last year after his third OWI arrest in 10 months.
7. 74th Assembly District: Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, was appointed to the appeals court bench late last year and will depart his seat on the Lake Superior shore after six terms.
8. 80th Assembly District: Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, is seeking his party's nomination for lieutenant governor in the fall primary.
9. 98th AD: Rep. Rich Zipperer, R-Pewaukee, is leaving his Waukesha County seat to run for the seat of departing Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield.
   

Senate

1. 1st Senate District: Longtime Sen. Alan Lasee, R-Green Bay, is retiring.
2. 15th Senate District: Fomer Senate Majority Leader and member of the Joint Committee on Fnance Judy Robson is retiring
   
3. 33rd Senate District: Sen. Ted Kanavas of Brookfield is leaving one of the safest GOP Senate seats.
   

 

10:00 AM | 330 Southwest

Senator Julie Lassa, Chair

The committee will go into executive session immediately folllowing this hearing to take action on Mr. Fedderly's appointment as well as other items.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10:01 AM  | 417 North (GAR Hall)

Representative Sondy Pope-Roberts, Chair

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10:05 AM | 300 Southeast

Senator Mark Miller, Chair

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10:00 AM | 411 South

Senator Lena Taylor, Chair

***The Chair reserves the right to impose time limits and call bills for testimony in an order yet to be determined. 

3/18/2010: Senate Bill 631 was added to the list of items to be heard.

3/18/2010: LRB 09-4251/3 was removed from the list of items to be heard. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail

11:05 AM  | 400 Southeast

Senator Jeffrey Plale, Chair

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Committee on Public Safety

1:00 PM | North Hearing Room (2nd Floor North)

Representative Anthony Staskunas, Chair

WEDNESDAY, March 24, 2010

 

Committee on Financial Institutions

10:00 AM | 328 NW

Representative Jason Fields, Chair

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Committee on Natural Resources

10:00 AM | 417 North (GAR Hall)

Representative Spencer Black, Chair

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Committee on Housing

1:00 PM | 400 Northeast

Representative Leon Young, Chair

THURSDAY, March 25, 2010

Committee on Workforce Development

10:00 AM | 415 NorthWest

Representative Barbara Toles, Chair

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10:00 AM | 300 Northeast

Representative Frederick Kessler, Chair

An executive session may be held on Assembly Bills 821 and 862 following the public hearing. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:00 PM | 225 Northwest

Representative Steve Hilgenberg, Chair

An Executive Session on AB 781 will be held at the conclusion of the public hearing. 

FRIDAY, March 26, 2010