CapitalSky
2015-16, No. 43
November 2, 2015

In this Issue:


Final Week of Fall Floor Period

Bill Limiting Municipal Authority Passed

JFC to Vote on DOT's Request to Release $200 million in Bonding

Legislators to Address League's Lobbying Team Nov. 12

League Resolution on Transportation Funding

Recently Introduced Legislation

Hearings on Municipal Bills

League of Wisconsin Municipalities
 
Ph:  (608) 267-2380
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 www.lwm-info.org  
 
Legislative Bulletin Archive 
 
Final Week of Fall Floor Period
    
 

The Legislature's fall floor period ends this week. The Assembly is meeting tomorrow.  The Senate may meet later this week. The Legislature's next regularly scheduled floor period begins in January.  Between the end of this week and January legislative committees will continue to meet and bills will continue to be introduced. 
Bill Limiting Local Licensing of Occupations Sent to the Governor
    
 

Last week, the Assembly passed legislation limiting the ability of municipalities to regulate professions and occupations.  SB 81, which the Senate had passed last June, prohibits a city, village, town, or county from imposing occupational fees or licensing requirements on any additional professions, but allows them to continue imposing fees and licensing requirements on professions subject to such regulation on the effective date of the bill.
 
There were two amendments to the bill.  One states that building contractors may not have additional requirements imposed on them by a municipality that are more stringent than what the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) currently requires.  The second states that if DSPS, imposes new occupational fees or licensing requirements on a profession that was not previously regulated by the state, then a city, village, town, or county can no longer regulate that profession. In addition, any existing regulations by the local government do not apply and may not be enforced.
 
The League opposed this bill.  It has been sent to the Governor for his signature.

JFC to Vote on DOT's Request to Release $200 million in Contingency Bonding
    
 

An objection has been raised by a member of the Joint Committee on Finance to DOT's request to use $200 million of the contingency bonding made available by Act 55. This objection puts to rest the hope of approval with a 14-day passive review.  The JFC will schedule a meeting in the near future to vote on the issue.
 
Act 55, the state budget, provides a total of $350 million in contingency bonding for highway construction costs - $200 million available in year one of the budget and $150 million in the second. This bonding can be released with JFC approval of a DOT request.
 
The DOT request and Gov. Walker's call for the JFC to release the bonding came after heavy press coverage of project delays. Five Major Highway Program projects have been delayed at least 2 years along with varying delays for scores of Rehabilitation Program projects.
 
According to DOT, the delay in the Major state highway projects can be reduced to one year under the following conditions: 1) release of the $200 million in bonding this year, 2) release of the remaining $150 million next year; and 3) ongoing funding for the Majors Program equal to the average in the current biennium including the contingency bonding, with purchasing power maintained.

While a JFC vote on releasing the $200 million in bonding has not been scheduled yet, WisPolitics.com reports JFC Co-Chair John Nygren (R-Marinette) expects the JFC meet in early November. 
Four Legislators to Address League's Lobbying Team on November 12
   
  
 
We are excited to announce that Sen. LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), Rep. Novak (R-Dodgeville), Rep. Rob. Brooks (R-Saukville), and Rep. Quinn (R-Chippewa Falls) will be speaking at our Lobby Day luncheon on November 12.  Each of these legislators comes out of local government and will respond to questions from League Executive Director Jerry Deschane about the differences between serving in local government and in the state legislature. 

Join municipal officials from around the state at the State Capitol to lobby your legislators on bills affecting cities and villages on November 12. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Madison Hilton, 9 East Wilson, where League staff will give a briefing on the bills on which you will be lobbying. Please join us.

Register for Lobbying Day here: http://bit.ly/RSVPLobbyDay

For more information contact Gail Sumi, [email protected].
League Resolution Calls on Legislature to Pass Long Term Transportation Funding Solution
   
  
 
Last week, at the League's  117th Annual Conference in Milwaukee, the membership adopted a resolution with the following resolved clause:

Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the League of Wisconsin Municipalities in conference assembled on October 29, 2015, calls on the Governor and the Legislature to enact an adequate, equitable, and sustainable transportation funding system capable of meeting state and local transportation needs over the long term.

A full copy of the Resolution is posted on the League's website, here.
Recently Introduced Legislation

AB 468, Restoring annual indexing to the Gast Tax. This bill annually increases the rate of the motor vehicle fuel tax, beginning with the tax imposed on May 1, 2017, to reflect the annual average change in the CPIr price index. The annual increase, however, only takes effect if it is approved by the Joint Committee on Finance by March 31 of each year or if
the committee takes no action regarding the rate increase before April 1 of each year.  By Rep. Kahl (D-Monona). The League has not yet taken a position on this billComment to the League on this bill.
Hearings on Municipal Bills 

AB 439, Changing the Publication Notice Requirement for Municipal Budget Amendments. By Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations on Wednesday, November 4, at 1:00 p.m. in room 225 Northwest, State Capitol. The League supports this bill.