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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: July 29, 2011
SUBJECT: Weekly Update - Recalls, Redistricting and Job Numbers
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| Walker Signs SB 150
Governor Scott Walker signed SB 150, which is one of three redistricting bills that recently passed both houses of the state legislature. SB 150 is legislation that would require local governments to match their political boundaries with those approved by the Legislature. Historically, local governments have drawn their new redistricting lines first and then, state lawmakers have created their legislative boundaries by working from the lines drawn by local governments.
SB 150 also includes provisions that lay out a new process for filing legal challenges in state court to legislative redistricting plans. According to the Legislative Council's memo, the new process for requires the Supreme Court to assign a three-judge panel to hear any matter that seeks to challenge the apportionment of a congressional or legislative district. Under the bill, the Supreme Court must choose a judge from each of three circuits and designate one circuit as having venue for purposes of hearings and filing documents.
Under the bill, no party may seek to substitute any of the assigned judges and any appeal of the panel's decisions are to be heard directly by the Supreme Court (www.legis.wi.gov).
To view an analysis of SB 150, click here.
In regard to the status of the other two recently passed redistricting bills - SB 148 (state redistricting) and SB 149 (congressional redistricting) - a Walker spokesman said the Governor has not yet signed the bills and has so far declined to say publicly whether he will sign the bills (www.wispolitics.com).
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State Senate in Session Next Week
The State Senate is expected to be in an extraordinary session on Monday, August 1, to take up legislation that allows Wisconsin to use federal money to extend unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks.
The Senate is going back in session again next week because the legislation it passed last week was different from the unemployment benefits' legislation passed by the Assembly the week earlier. The difference between the two pieces of legislation is that the Senate version included a Democratic amendment that would eliminate the one-week waiting period before unemployed workers could begin receiving benefits.
The difference in the two pieces of legislation is the result of the Senate approving through a voice vote a Democratic amendment to the 13-week extension that would eliminate a one-week waiting period before unemployed workers can begin receiving benefits. Supporters of the one-week delay in benefits say that it will save the state between $41 to $56 million annually (www.wispolitics.com).
Since the Senate version is different than the Assembly bill, the two pieces of legislation are not identical and therefore cannot be sent on to the Governor for his signature. In order to correct the discrepancy in the two bills, the Senate, led by Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), will reconvene the Senate on Monday and pass identical legislation to the Assembly version, which includes the one-week waiting period for unemployed workers to get benefits.
Majority Leader Fitzgerald's actions drew criticism from legislative Democrats. According to Wispolitics.com, Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) accused Republicans of choosing to "follow the extreme right-wing of their party and, once again, it is the working people of the state that will bear the brunt of their policies." (www.wispolitics.com).
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald responded to Miller's comments by accusing Democrats of being focused "solely on political gain."
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The Week Ahead
List of Legislative Committee Hearings Next Week:
| Aug 1 Mon | Financial Institutions and Rural Issues (Senate)
10:30 AM
300 Southeast | Items: Senate Bill 155; Assembly Bill 59 | Public Hearing
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| Aug 4 Thu | Judiciary and Ethics (Assembly)
11:00 AM
417 North (GAR Hall) | Items: Assembly Joint Resolution 26; Assembly Bill 153 | Public Hearing |
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| Aug 4 Thu | Judiciary and Ethics (Assembly) (Executive Session)
11:01 AM
417 North (GAR Hall) | Items: Assembly Bill 69 | Executive Session |
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