"Clean Energy Jobs Act"

This week, the four co-chairs  - Senators Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) and Mark Miller (D-Monona) and Representative Jim Soletski (D-Green Bay) and Spencer Black (D-Madison) of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Clean Energy Jobs joined Governor Doyle, who recently returned from a 10 day trip overseas, at the Executive Residence to discuss a potential final package for the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Reports are that the Governor is insistent on the final package included a renewable standards portfolio of 25 percent renewable fuels by 2025 (www.wispolitics.com)

As of this writing, the final Clean Energy Jobs legislative package has not been released.

Republican Lawmakers Push "Health Care Freedom Act"
Republican legislators are pushing this week for a public hearing on a joint resolution - called the "Health Care Freedom Act," which would overrule federal health care reforms requiring state residents to get health insurance.
 
This resolution which is similar to proposed resolution in 36 other states is in response to the massive health care legislation that recently passed Congress. The resolution and its supporters say that the federal health reform law violates a person's constitutional rights by mandating  individuals to buy health insurance or face a financial penalty. 

This action also follows the actions last week by Wisconsin's Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen who asked the Governor and legislative leadership to authorize for him the ability to file suit on the same grounds as mentioned in the resolution against the federal health care bill.

Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton), who chairs the Senate's Committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue where the resolution has been sent, said he won't hold a public hearing (www.wispolitics.com).

Other Legislative Issues(taken from excerpts from WisPolitics.com):
Texting While Driving
The Senate Transportation Committee voted this week on on a bill to ban text messaging while driving, but the committee chairman says the bill will be reported out of committee for possible floor action.

Chairman Jim Holperin, D-Conover, joined fellow Dems Jim Sullivan of Wauwatosa and Dave Hansen of Green Bay in voting for the proposal. Sens. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, and Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, voted against the bill. GOP Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, was absent.

The Assembly passed the bill on an 89-6 vote in January.

See the bill:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-496.pdf

State Spending of the Federal Stimulus Money
According to a Legislative Audit Bureau audit, the state spent $1.5 billion in federal stimulus money in the first four months after the package was approved last year. It was part of the $13.6 billion in federal money the state spent overall (www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lab).

Of the total federal money sent to Wisconsin, 95 percent was awarded by the UW System and the state departments of Health Services, Workforce Development, Public Instruction, Transportation, and Children and Families.

Of the stimulus money, $572.1 million went to extend unemployment benefits, while $552.3 million went to school aids and $342.1 million to Medical Assistance funding.

MA was the largest total recipient of the state's overall federal funding, with $4 billion of the program's $6 billion total cost coming from Washington. Unemployment Insurance comprised the second-largest total, with federal sources contributing to the total program cost of $2.2 billion.

To read the audit, click here:
http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lab/reports/10-5full.pdf

 

The Race of Governor
This week, Republican Mark Neumann (R-Nashotah) released a 60 second radio ad attacking the health care plan that recently passed Congress.

In the ad, the former Congressman and business owner says that the country cannot afford the "Obama, Reid, Pelosi" health plan and also stresses Neumann's conservative credentials as a candidate for Governor.

To listen to the ad:
http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Content=24

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker continued with his "brown bag" campaign theme by releasing his third campaign ad that has the County Executive driving his 1998 Saturn with more than 100,000 miles on it and taking his brown bag lunch to work to stress that he "wished that state government would save money like the rest of us."

To view the ad, click here:
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Content=24

Also, this week, the Governor's race saw an exchange over the high-speed rail project in southeastern Wisconsin. Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate, Brett Davis (R-Oregon) was joined by Milwaukee County Executive and GOP Governor Candidate Scott Walker at a Capitol Press conference to announce proposed legislation that would require approval from the full Legislature to authorize spending on rail projects (www.wispolitics.com).

Walker said at the press conference that the bill is about transportation priorities and that the state should be focused on rebuilding existing roads and bridges instead of investment in high speed.

In response to the GOP press conference, Governor Doyle weighed in and called Davis' proposed legislation as "ridiculous,'' predicting "it's not going anywhere," (www.wispolitics.com).

To view the Davis press release, click here:
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=191024

To view the Walker Campaign statement, click here:
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=191042

The Race for Control of the Legislature
David Landwehr, a Republican from Hobart, has registered with the GAB to run for the 5th Assembly District held by Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna. Republican Craig Fletcher, a real estate agent also from Hobart, registered with the GAB in November to run for the seat.

Nelson has held the seat for the last three terms.

There were no announcements this week about any further potential retirements of lawmakers who may not run for this fall's election.

Meanwhile, as the legislative session begins to enter its final phase campaign committees from both sides of the aisle are actively out recruiting candidates and raising money for the summer and fall campaign season.

As the field of candidates becomes clearer over the weeks and months to come, we will continue to provide updates of what the respective campaign committees are saying about their election chances for the fall.
 
U.S. Senate
According to WisPolitics.com, business owner Tim Michels, who was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2004 has decided against another run against U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Middleton). Michels, who owns and operates his family construction business, has decided to pass on the race to focus his efforts on "creating jobs and infrastructure" through his family business (www.wispolitcs.com).

So far, Madison developer Terrance Wall and Watertown business owner David Westlake are the only announced candidates against the three term incumbent. Speculation still is on whether former Health and Human Services Secretary and four-term Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson will enter the race.

 

Reception honoring Rep. Peter Barca

Assembly Suite, Concourse Hotel, Madison.

Starts at 4:30 pm

 

All contributions gratefully accepted.

To RSVP or for more information, call Carmelo at 224-234-1112.

Pleae make checks payable to: Citizens for Peter Barca, 1016 50th St., Kenosha, WI 53140.