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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 22, 2011

SUBJECT:  Weekly Political and Legislative Update
In This Issue
Joint Finance Begins Work Tuesday
Kloppenburg Calls for a Recount
Legislative Calendar this Week
 

Joint Committee on Finance Begins Work Next Week 

This week, the Joint Committee on Finance begins voting next Tuesday, April 26, on the Governor's  2011-13 biennial budget.  

 

The 16-member, GOP-controlled, bipartisan, bicameral budget writing committee is scheduled to take action on the following budget areas:

  • Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board.
  • Dept of Children and Families - Child Support.
  • Dept of Health Services - Care Facilities.
  • Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
  • Dept of Administration - Division of Gaming.
  • Office of State Employment Relations.
  • Dept of Revenue - Lottery Administration.
  • Public Defender.
  • Judicial Council.
  • Judicial Commission.
  • Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.
  • Dept of Natural Resources - Departmentwide.
  • Fox River Navigational System Authority.
  • Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board.

To view the Legislative Fiscal Bureau's budget papers for Tuesday's Executive Session, click here.

 

Several non-fiscal, policy items from the Governor's biennial budget were removed from the budget this week.  

 

Such items include (by Department):

Administration

  • Appointment of Federal Relations Officers.
  • Contractual services reviews and cost-benefit analysis.
  • Procurement bid and proposal requirements.

Employee Trust Funds

  • HIRSPA payments not required for sick leave conversion or supplemental health credit programs.

Employment Relations Commission

  • Repeal option for combining school district collective bargaining units.

Insurance

  • Repeal required insurance coverage of contraceptives.

Legislature

  • Annual Universal Service Fund audit requirements.

Public Instruction

  • Repeal 180 days of instruction requirement.
  • Delete requirement for reading specialist.
  • Drug administration training.
  • School nurses.
  • Indoor environmental quality.
  • MPS teaching days.
  • Residency requirements for teachers.
  • Property tax levy certification date.
  • Transportation payments to parents.
  • Independent charter school teacher licensing.

Safety and Professional Services

  • Substitution of drug equivalents at skilled nursing facilities.

Transportation

  • Mass transit operating assistance - 2013-15 budget regarding federal transit aid.

University of Wisconsin System

  • Exempt research and studies from public instruction.
  • Eliminate certain reporting requirements.

(taken from www.thewheelerreport.com).

 

To view the Fiscal Bureau's memo explaining why the non-fiscal, policy items were removed from the budget, click here.


Spring Election Update - Kloppenburg Calls for a Recount 

Just five days after Justice David Prosser was declared victorious late Friday by the Associated Press (AP) in the highly contested, state-wide race for the State's Supreme Court, his opponent, State Assistant Attorney General Joanne Kloppenburg, called for a statewide recount. Since Prosser's margin victory (7,316 votes) was less than .05 percent, the recount will be paid for by the state's taxpayers because of state law that says that margin (.05 or less) triggers a tax-payer funded recount if a recount is requested by a one of the candidates.   

The recount is expected to begin next Wednesday and by some estimates could take several weeks to conduct. The Government Accountability Board (GAB) who will oversee the recount.  

 

Kevin Kennedy's, the GAB's Director, released the following statement once the recount was called, "We have been preparing for a recount since Election Night," Kennedy said. "We have assembled an internal team to direct the recount, we have been in close consultation with our county clerk partners, and have arranged for legal representation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice," (www.wispolitics.com).

 

Reaction to Kloppenburg's decision to pursue a recount fell along partisan lines.

 

Joanne Kloppenburg cited the series of anomalies in various Wisconsin counties and the narrow margin in her race with Justice David Prosser as her two main reasons why she was pursuing a state-wide recount in the race (www.wispolitics.com). 

 

To view Kloppenburg's request for a recount, click here. 

 

Justice Prosser's campaign accussed Kloppenburg of "pursuing a nakedly political goal" and released the following statement.


 
Legislative Calendar Next Week

The Legislature is not scheduled to return to session until Tuesday, May 10. However, next week, the legislature is busy with several Committee hearings as it prepares for the May 10 floor period.

Committee Hearings Next Week
Apr 26   Tue  Urban and Local Affairs   (Assembly)
10:00 AM   
300 Northeast 		Items: (None)  
Apr 26   Tue  Education   (Assembly) (Executive Session)
10:00 AM   
225 Northwest 		Items: Senate Bill 2; Assembly Bill 94; Assembly Bill 37; Assembly Bill 92  
Apr 26   Tue  Urban and Local Affairs   (Assembly)
10:01 AM   or upon adjournment of Informational Hearing
300 Northeast 		Items: Assembly Bill 14  
Apr 26   Tue  Finance   (Joint) (Executive Session)
11:00 AM   
412 East 		Items: Assembly Bill 40; Senate Bill 27  
Apr 26   Tue  Transportation   (Assembly)
11:00 AM   
417 North (GAR Hall) 		Items: Assembly Joint Resolution 31; Assembly Bill 88  
Apr 26   Tue  Natural Resources and Environment   (Senate)
11:00 AM   
330 Southwest 		Items: Senate Bill 72; Meeusen, Richard; Senate Bill 59; Senate Bill 62  
Apr 27   Wed  Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education   (Senate)
10:00 AM   
201 Southeast 		Items: Grazing in Wisconsin  
Apr 27   Wed  Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education   (Senate)
10:15 AM   or immediately following the informational hearing
201 Southeast 		Items: Darling, Alberta; Elford, Wesley; Nemec, Brenda; Wiseley, Neil; Senate Bill 28; Senate Bill 40  
Apr 27   Wed  Labor and Workforce Development   (Assembly) (Executive Session)
10:30 AM   
300 Northeast 		Items: Assembly Bill 65  
Apr 27   Wed  Labor and Workforce Development   (Assembly)
10:35 AM   
300 Northeast 		Items: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Briefing  
Apr 27   Wed  Administrative Rules   (Joint)
11:00 AM   
225 Northwest 		Items: Clearinghouse Rule 10-087  
Apr 27   Wed  Administrative Rules   (Joint) (Executive Session)
11:00 AM   
225 Northwest 		Items: NR 404.04(3); NR 411  
Apr 27   Wed  Natural Resources   (Assembly) (Executive Session)
1:00 PM   
417 North (GAR Hall) 		Items: Assembly Bill 23; Assembly Bill 48; Assembly Bill 73  
Apr 27   Wed  Natural Resources   (Assembly)
1:30 PM   
417 North (GAR Hall) 		Items: Assembly Bill 99  
Apr 28   Thu  Colleges and Universities   (Assembly)
9:30 AM   
225 Northwest 		Items: Clearinghouse Rule 10-104; Assembly Bill 39  
Apr 28   Thu  Veterans and Military Affairs   (Assembly)
1:00 PM   
417 North (GAR Hall) 		Items: Assembly Bill 96