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Capitol Notes
WI: Weekly Political and Legislative Update |
TO: Clients/Friends of Capitol Consultants, Inc./Wimmer & Company, S.C.
FROM: Capitol Consultants, Inc.
& Wimmer Company, S.C.
DATE: April 8, 2011
SUBJECT: Weekly Political and Legislative Update
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Joint Committee on Finance Begins Hearings around State
The Joint Committee on Finance continued its heavy work on the Governor's 2011-13 biennial budget by holding two hearings this week outside of the State Capitol. The hearings were held in Stevens Point and Superior. To some Capitol observers' surprise, both of the hearings were not heavily attended with only a few hundred people registering to speak on the budget bill at each location.
To view reaction to the Superior hearing, click here.
The bipartisan, bicameral budget writing committee continues holding hearings around the state next week in West Allis and Neenah. Once those hearings are completed, it is expected that the committee will begin debating the Governor's budget later in the month and begin casting votes on specific items and possible amendments in late April and early May.
To view the committee's actions on the Governor's budget, click here.
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Spring Election Update - Prosser pulls ahead
The state-wide race for the State's Supreme Court between Justice David Prosser and Joanne Kloppenburg, an assistant attorney general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, took an interesting turn late this week..
The highly contested race that saw huge interest by outside groups through mostly television advertising was reported by the Associated Press and other media outlets to be "too close to call" on election night and throughout the day on Wednesday, the day after the election.
However, late in the day on Wednesday, media outlets reported that Kloppenburg had picked up several hundred votes to take a razor-thin lead of nearly 300 votes. As a result of her picking up votes, Kloppenburg held a news conference late Wednesday afternoon declaring herself the winner of the race. On Thursday, however, the closely contested race took yet another turn during the state-wide electoral canvass of the race. During the canvass, Justice Prosser picked up nearly 7,500 votes in Waukesha County because the City of Brookfield's election results were inaccurately reported to media outlets on election night. As a result of the canvas picking up the "human error" of inaccurate reporting, Justice Prosser now holds a more than 7,000 vote lead over his opponent Joanne Kloppenburg.
To view the state-wide totals by county after yesterday's official canvas, click here.
As a result of the events in Waukesha County and the highly partisan and energized interest in the outcome, the Government Accountability Board (GAB) has announced that it is dispatching staff to go to Waukesha County to closely examine the results of the election and the post-election canvas.
To view, the GAB's statement, click here.
Reaction the week's volatile events naturally took on a partisan tone.
To read Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller's (D-Monona) reaction, click here.
To read the McIver Institute's, a conservative think tank, reaction, click here.
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Legislative Schedule Next Week
The legislature is scheduled to be in session next week.
The Assembly will be in session on Tuesday, April 12, and as of this writing, the Senate ahs not announced its legislative calendar for next week.
ASSEMBLY CALENDAR FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 12
(taken from www.thewheelerreport.com)
Special Ordered pursuant to AR-5.
AB-41. Employment Leave (Kapenga) Preemption of city, village, town or county ordinances requiring employers to provide employees with leave from employment to deal with family, medical, or health issues.
SB-23. Employment Leave. (Vukmir) Preemption of city, village, town or county ordinances requiring employers to provide employees with leave from employment to deal with family, medical, or health issues.
AJR-12. Donate Life (Ballweg) Declares April 2011 Donate Life Month.
AJR-14. Axel Johnson (Bies) Life and public service of Axel Albert (Al) Johnson.
AJR-19. Carl Otte (Endsley) Memorial - Former Sen. Carl Otte.
AB-2. Enterprise Zone (Rivard) Authorizes designation of an additional enterprise zone; requires designation of enterprise zones in rural areas.
AB-5. Farm Credits (Ripp) Five-year extension of dairy and livestock farm investment credits.
AB-13. Beloit Development Zone (Loudenbeck) Creates a development opportunity zone for the City of Beloit.
SB-9. Farm Credits (Kapanke) Dairy and livestock farm investment credits.
Senate has not yet announced its schedule and the Assembly is in session on:
Committee Hearings Next Week
| Apr 11 Mon | Finance (Joint)
10:00 AM 10:00am - 6:00pm*
Wisconsin State Fair Park, Expo Center, Hall A, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, WI 53214, (Enter Gate 4 for Parking) | Items: Senate Bill 27; Assembly Bill 40 | Public Hearing |
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| Apr 12 Tue | Administrative Rules (Joint) (Executive Session)
9:30 AM
400NE | Items: Emergency Rule 1041; Emergency Rule 1042; Emergency Rule 1043 | Executive Session |
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| Apr 12 Tue | Joint Legislative Audit Committee (Joint)
9:30 AM
411 South | Items: Proposed Audit: FoodShare Wisconsin, Dept. of Health Services | Public Hearing |
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| Apr 12 Tue | Joint Legislative Audit Committee (Joint) (Executive Session)
9:30 AM
411 South | Items: Proposed Audit: FoodShare Wisconsin, Dept. of Health Services | Executive Session |
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| Apr 12 Tue | Workforce Development, Small Business, and Tourism (Senate)
1:30 PM
300 Southeast | Items: Yingling, John; Senate Bill 47 | Public Hearing |
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| Apr 13 Wed | Finance (Joint)
10:00 AM 6:00 PM*
Pickard Civic Auditorium, 1275 Tullar Road, Neenah, WI 54946 | Items: Assembly Bill 40; Senate Bill 27 | Public Hearing |
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