CapitalSky
2015-16, No. 54
January 25, 2016

In this Issue:


Budget Amendment Notice

Local Regulation of Knives

Recycling Grant Funding Levels

Three TIF Bills Advance

Recently Introduced Legislation

Hearings on Municipal Bills

League of Wisconsin Municipalities
 
Ph:  (608) 267-2380
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Bill Changing Timing of Notice of Municipal Budget Amendments Headed to Governor
        
  

Last week, the Senate concurred in the Assembly's earlier passage of AB 439, changing the time by which municipalities must publish a Class 1 notice of a budget amendment.  Current law requires such notices to be published within 10 days of the budget amendment being approved. AB 439 gives municipalities 15 days to publish the notice.  The League supports this bill.  The bill has been sent to the Governor for his signature.
Knife Preemption Bill Allows Prohibition within City Hall

Last week, the Senate passed AB 142, which with one important exception prohibits municipalities from regulating the possession or carrying of knives. The Assembly passed AB 142 last fall. The Assembly amended the bill to allow local governments to prohibit the possession of a knife in a building, or part of a building, that is owned, occupied, or controlled by the local government. The Senate concurred in that amendment. The bill has been sent to the Governor for his signature. 
Assembly Committee Recommends Passage of Recycling Grant Bill
         

Last week the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs voted 7-2 to recommend passage of an amended version of AB 515, restoring $3 million to the recycling grant program in 2016. The state budget calls for a $4 million cut to the program in 2016. The League strongly supports the bill.  The bill is now available to be scheduled for a floor vote in both the Assembly and the Senate.  
Assembly Committee Recommends Passage of Three More TIF Bills
          

Last week the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means voted to recommend passage of the three final bills recommended by the Legislature's TIF Study Committee. The League supports all three bills, AB 134AB 137, and AB 138. The same committee voted last fall to recommend passage of the five other TIF Study Committee bills. All eight bills are available to be scheduled for a vote of the full Assembly. Leadership has indicated that the Assembly will take up at least 7 of the 8 bills sometime in February. The Senate passed seven of the eight TIF Study Committee bills in 2015.

The one TIF study committee bill that the Senate has not passed and which some members of the Assembly Republican caucus have expressed concerns about is SB 55/AB 136, which increases from 12 to 15 percent the amount of a community's equalized value that can be located in TIDs.  The League supports this bill and is working with other stakeholders to get both houses to pass it along with the other TIF study committee bills.
Recently Introduced Legislation

AB 750, Repeal of Personal Property TaxThis bill eliminates the property tax on personal property beginning in 2020. The bill also eliminates, in 2016, the state aid payments to taxing jurisdictions based 
on the value of computers and computer-related equipment that are exempt from the personal property tax and that are located in the taxing jurisdictions. By Rep. Kulp (R-Stratford). The League opposes this bill.  
Comment to the League on this bill.  
AB 774/SB 624, Requiring that certain items be classified as real property instead of personal property for tax purposes.   This bill provides that all of the following items currently classified by the Property Assessment Manual as personal property are considered real property for purposes of assessing property taxes:
1. Cooking ranges.
2. Furnaces.
3. Water heaters used for a special purpose.
4. Communications, radio station, and television station towers.
5. Pinspotters.
6. Car wash equipment.
7. Indoor theater seats.
8. Above ground tanks.
9. Surface mounted lifts used to provide automotive services.
10. Alarm systems.
11. Surveillance systems.

By Rep. Duchow (R-Town of Delafield) and Sen. Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst). The League is neutral on this bill.  Comment to the League on this bill.

AB 794Student Loan Reimbursements for Persons that Move to Rural Counties. This bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to make student loan reimbursement payments on behalf of certain individuals who establish domiciles in rural counties. To be eligible for the payments, an individual must have an outstanding balance on a student loan for attending an "institution of higher education." Also, to be eligible, for at least six months, an individual 
must have been domiciled in a "rural county," which is a county that does not include a metropolitan statistical. Immediately prior to establishing that domicile, the individual must have been domiciled outside this state for a period of at least five years. In addition, to be eligible, an individual must be employed on a full-time basis and not receive any public assistance benefits.
 By Rep. E. Brooks (R-Reedsburg). The League has not yet taken a position on this billComment to the League on this bill

AB 798, Increase in Funding for Broadband Grants. This bill allows the Public Service Commission to make a total of $10,000,000 in broadband expansion grants during fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17. Under current law, the PSC makes the grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of constructing broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. Current law provides $6,000,000 in funding for the grants, but prohibits the PSC from making more than 
$1,500,000 in grants in a fiscal year. 
 By Rep. Quinn (R-Rice Lake). The League supports this bill.  Comment to the League on this bill.   

SB 606TID Project Plan Amendments that Subtract Territory  Under this bill, an amendment to a project plan that subtracts territory does 
not count toward the maximum number of allowable amendments to a TIF district project plan. Also, under this bill, an amendment to a project plan which only subtracts territory from a TID is not subject to the 12 percent equalized value test. 
By Sen. Petrowski (R-Marathon). The League supports this bill. Comment to the League on this bill

SB 616, Requiring a Supermajority Vote to Preempt Local Control This bill provides that no house of the legislature may pass a bill overturning
any local government policy, ordinance, or regulation unless the bill is approved by two-thirds of those members present and voting.
By Sen. Carpenter (D-Milwaukee). Despite this bill having no chance of advancing it is satisfying to see it introduced and of course the League supports it.  Comment to the League on this bill.  
Hearings on Municipal Bills 

SB 521, Relating to forfeiture of property seized in relation to a crime.  By Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform, on Tuesday, January 26, at 10:00 a.m. in 330 Southwest, State Capitol. The League is neutral on this bill.

SB 528Establishing a Process for suspending, revoking, or refusing to renew cigarette licenses in First Class Cities. By Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, on Tuesday, January 26, at 1:00 p.m. in 201 Southeast, State Capitol. The League supports this bill 

SB 581Increasing from $15,000 to $25,000 the amount a municipal governing body member may earn as a volunteer fire fighter without violating compatibility of office rules. By Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, on Tuesday, January 26, at 1:00 p.m. in 201 Southeast, State Capitol. The League is nuetral on this bill.

SB 533, Regulating the production and use of photo ID cards by local governments. By Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, on Tuesday, January 26, at 1:00 p.m. in 201 Southeast, State Capitol. The League is neutral on this bill.     

SB 535, Creating new exceptions to the state imposed quotas on retail liquor licenses. By Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, on Tuesday, January 26, at 1:00 p.m. in 201 Southeast, State Capitol. The League supports this bill. 

AB 636 Creating a grant program to support creative industries. By Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy, on Wednesday, January 27, at 9:30 a.m. in 417 North, State Capitol. The League supports this bill. 

AB 714Changing the definition of "tourism entity" under the Room Tax Law. By Assembly Committee on Tourism, on Wednesday, January 27, at 1:00 p.m. in 328 Northwest, State Capitol. The League supports this bill.  

AB 537, Relating to forfeiture of property seized in relation to a crime.  By Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, on Thursday, January 28, at 10:00 a.m. in 225 Northwest, State Capitol. The League is neutral on this bill.  

AB 497, Establishing residency requirements for sexually violent persons on supervised release.
By Assembly Committee on Corrections, on Thursday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. in 400 Northeast, State Capitol. The League supports this bill.