WISCONSIN CATHOLIC CONFERENCE WCC Logo with name
Capitol Update
 September 6, 2013

Contents Include:

1. September Legislative Floor Period

2. WCC Supports "2nd Chance" Juvenile Justice Bill

3. USCCB Issues Action Alert on Syria

4. Upcoming Hearings of Interest

5. New Bills of Interest

September Legislative Floor Period

Following the August recess, the next floor period will be held on September 17-19. The Assembly has already indicated that it will not be in session those days. The Senate is expected to be on the floor at least one day that week. The next scheduled floor period is October 8-17.

 

WCC Supports "2nd Chance" Juvenile Justice Bill

The WCC is backing a proposal, currently being circulated in the Legislature, to return first-time, nonviolent 17-year-old offenders to the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. The proposal would reverse some changes enacted in 1995, which reduced the age at which a person is considered an adult for purposes of prosecution from 18 to 17.

 

USCCB Issues Action Alert on Syria

The USSCB has issued an Action Alert, urging Catholics to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives to ask them to vote against a Congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force in Syria.  Both the Holy See and USCCB have condemned the chemical weapons attacks in Syria, but remain convinced that only dialogue can save lives and bring about peace there.  This view was summed up in a letter that Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Richard E. Pates recently sent to all members of Congress on September 5.  Pope Francis has asked Catholics and all people of good will to observe a day of fasting and prayer tomorrow, Saturday, September 7.

 

Upcoming Hearings of Interest

(N.B. Only bills ofinterest are flagged. In most cases, committees will be considering other bills as well.)

 

Senate Education, 10am, Thu, September 12, 411-S

SB-271. Teachers (Olsen) Substitute special education teachers and paraprofessional staffing services.

SB-286. Student Information System (Olsen) The student information system, a school and school district accountability system, low-performing schools and school districts, and charter school contracts.

 

New Bills of Interest

SB-234. CCAP (Taylor) Restricting access to and limiting information contained in the Consolidated Court Automation Programs. To Judiciary and Labor.

 

SB-235. Private Attorneys (Taylor) Increasing the rate paid to private attorneys for representing indigent clients. To Judiciary and Labor.

 

SB-238. Public Assistance Programs (Cowles) An optional incentive program for counties and tribes that identify fraudulent activity in certain public assistance programs. To Health and Human Services.

 

SB-239. Buses (Petrowski) Warning lights on school buses. To Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs.

 

SB-245. Public Assistance (Darling) Applications for public assistance programs, offenses in public assistance programs. To Health and Human Services.

 

SB-251. Practice of Pharmacy (Gudex) Therapeutic alternate drug selections in nursing homes, performance of patient services by a pharmacist, and the practice of pharmacy. To Health and Human Services.

 

SB-257. Employment Applications (Taylor) Prohibits consideration of the conviction record of an applicant for employment before the applicant has been selected for an interview. To Judiciary and Labor.

 

SB-258. Concussions (Farrow) The distribution by schools of a concussion and head injury information sheet and the participation by pupils in a youth athletic activity. To Health and Human Services.

 

SB-271. Teachers (Olsen) Substitute special education teachers and paraprofessional staffing services. To Education.

 

SB-272. Birth Certificate (Jauch) The restoration of information from an original birth certificate after adoption. To Health and Human Services.

 

SB-284. High School Credit (Grothman) Allowing pupils in grades 7 and 8 to earn high school credit. To Education.

 

SB-286. Student Information System (Olsen) The student information system, a school and school district accountability system low-performing schools and school districts, and charter school contracts. To Education. 

 

AJR-49. Personhood (Jacque) The terms people and person (first consideration). To State Affairs.

 

AB-270. Volunteer Health Care Provider (Loudenbeck) Additional providers in the volunteer health care provider program and proof of financial responsibility and malpractice insurance requirements for certain advanced practice nurses serving as volunteer health care providers. To Government Operations and State Licensing.

 

AB-272. Autism (Jacque) Requires distribution of autism-related information, providing funding for the Medical Assistance autism benefit. To Insurance.

 

AB-281. School Buses (Ripp) Warning lights on school buses. To Transportation.

 

AB-293. Concussions (Kessler) Requiring an official at a youth athletic activity to complete an online training program on concussions. To Health.

 

AB-297. Race-based Nicknames (Nass) The use of race-based nicknames, logos, mascots, and team names by school boards. To Urban and Local Affairs.

 

AB-299. FamilyCare (Genrich) Requiring the Family Care benefit and self-directed services option to be provided in certain northeastern counties. To Finance.

 

AB-300. Domestic Abuse (Kolste) Increasing funding for domestic abuse grants. To Finance.

 

AB-301. Loans (Hintz) Defaults on payday loans and loans by licensed lenders. To Finance.

 

AB-304. Grants (Wright) Grants for farm to school programs. To Finance.

 

AB-311. Medicaid (Richards) Medicaid expansion, eligibility, and other changes to BadgerCare Plus. To Finance.

 

AB-312. Children's Long-Term Support (Sargent) Providing services to children on the waiting list for the Children's Long-term support waiver programs. To Finance.

 

AB-313. Family Planning (Taylor) Family planning services provided through the Medical Assistance program. To Finance.

 

AB-316. Family Planning (Taylor) Family planning services. To Finance.

 

AB-323. School Aid (Richards) The reduction in school aid to the Milwaukee Public Schools to offset costs of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. To Finance.

 

AB-324. Parental Choice Program (Zamarripa) The expulsion of pupils from a private school participating in a parental choice program. To Finance.

 

AB-325. Parental Choice Program (Ringhand) High school graduation requirements for pupils attending private school under a parental choice program. To Finance.

 

AB-326. Parental Choice Program (Wachs) Assessing pupils in private schools participating in a parental choice program for reading readiness. To Finance.

 

AB-327. Parental Choice Program (Pope) The requirements for participation in a parental choice program and the percentage of pupils who may attend a private school under such a program. To Finance.

 

AB-328. Parental Choice Program (Milroy) Requiring that a private school participating in a parental choice program be located in this state. To Finance.

 

AB-329. Pupil Attendance (Pope) Attendance at a public school of pupils enrolled in home-based private educational programs. To Finance.

 

AB-334. Tax Credit (Riemer) Restoring indexing provisions to the homestead tax credit. To Finance.

 

AB-340. State Language (Jacque) An official state language, use of English for governmental written expression, acquiring language proficiency, and use of languages for nongovernmental purposes. To State Affairs.

 

AB-342. Employment Applicants (Taylor) Prohibiting consideration of the conviction record of an applicant for employment before the applicant has been selected for an interview. To Labor.

 

AB-343. Concussions (Ripp) The distribution by schools of a concussion and head injury information sheet and the participation by pupils in a youth athletic activity. To Education.

Web Sites of Interest

Who Are My Legislators

 

Directory of Senate Members

 

Directory of Assembly Members

 

Wisconsin Legislature's Home Page

  • 2013-14 Session Schedule
  • Weekly Schedule of Committee Activities
  • Senate and Assembly Daily Floor Calendar 

Capitol Update is a periodic e-mail on legislative issues from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.

 

Wisconsin Catholic Conference

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Madison, WI 53703

608/257-0004

www.wisconsincatholic.org

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