Capitol Watch is the Wisconsin Counties Association's weekly online publication covering activities of the 101st Legislature. Capitol Watch provides a summary of major legislative activities of the past week, including those directly impacting county government, and a preview of activities for the week to come. General information can also be found on The Wheeler Report or WisPolitics.com. 

This Week in the Legislature: April 22-26, 2013
Senate and Assembly in Recess  
Both the Senate and Assembly have gone into recess until early May.   The next date either body could take up bills on the floor is May 7.   

Joint Finance Committee to Begin Work on Budget 
Senator Alberta Darling and Representative John Nygren, co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), have announced that they will begin holding executive sessions on Assembly Bill 40, the biennial budget bill, beginning on Thursday, April 25 at 10:00 a.m.  This meeting marks the official beginning of the Legislature's action on Governor Walker's $68 billion proposal.  The first votes JFC intends to take fall under the following agencies and divisions:

*    Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board  
*    Military Affairs  
*    Environmental Improvement Fund  
*    Natural Resources -- Departmentwide  
*    Board of Commissioners of Public Lands  
*    Fox River Navigational System Authority  
*    Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board  
*    Tourism

JFC completed its fourth and final public hearing last Thursday.  JFC heard more than 20 hours of testimony from hundreds of citizens, business leaders and groups impacted by the budget over the course of its two weeks of statewide public hearings.  

LFB Releases Analyses on Property Tax Estimates, School Choice Expansion  
The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), the Legislature's budget analysts, routinely releases reports on budget provisions that have generated heightened legislative and public interest in advance of the budget papers it prepares for the Joint Finance Committee.  The LFB recently released two analyses on property tax estimates and the impacts of school choice expansion under the bill.  Click on the links below to read the analyses:

 
Department of Revenue Releases Revenue Estimates 
The Department of Revenue released its March 2013 revenue collections.  The report shows general purpose revenue tax collections are up 5.9% over FY12 and total general purpose revenue adjusted collections are up 4.0% over FY12.  Click here to read the report.  

Appeals Court Issues Decision on Health Insurance, Retirement Contributions for County Employees 
After passage of 2011 Act 10, Eau Claire County began making deductions for retirement and contributions for health insurance premiums for county officials.  The Eau Claire County Sheriff and Eau Claire County Treasurer filed suit against the county saying it was a violation of state statute, which prohibits counties from altering elected officials compensation during a term of office.  The Eau Claire County Circuit Court agreed with the sheriff and treasurer that the County had violated statute.  The District III Court of Appeals reversed the decision saying the statute does not preclude adjustments to fringe benefits.  Click here to read the decision.

Legislative Committee Meetings 
*    The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Local Government will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 112, which would repeal the requirement that a city's or village's master plan must be included in a county development plan and also repeals the requirement that any official map must be included without changes, on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:00 a.m.  WCA is monitoring the legislation. 
*    The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Local Government will hold an executive session on Senate Bill 48, which would require local governments to fund postretirement health care benefits on an actuarial basis rather than a pay-as-you-go basis as is current practice, on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:00 a.m.  WCA opposes this legislation.  
*    The Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs will hold a public hearing on Assembly Bill 122, the Assembly companion to Senate Bill 112 (above), on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:00 a.m.  WCA is monitoring the legislation. 
*    The Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs will hold an executive session on Assembly Bill 23, the Assembly companion to Senate Bill 48 (above) on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:01 a.m.  WCA opposes this legislation.  See WCA testimony here.  
*    The Senate Committee on Elections and Urban Affairs will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 95, which would make changes to the governance and pay structure and modify the operating budget of the Milwaukee County Board, and Senate Bill 14, relating to recounting votes cast with automatic tabulating equipment, on Wednesday, April 24 at 9:30 a.m.  
*    The Assembly Committee on Children and Families will hold an executive session on Clearinghouse Rule 12-045 relating to subsidized guardianship, on Wednesday, April 24 at 10:00 a.m.     

Last Week in the Legislature: April 15-19, 2013
Senate In Session
In its only meeting on Wednesday of last week, the Senate dispensed of 19 non-controversial bills including making an appropriation for financial aid for service members and their immediate families, allowing proof of motor vehicle insurance to be made using a smartphone and authorizing travel expenses for national guard members.  The Senate will not be on the floor again prior to May 7.  

Assembly In Session
The Assembly met on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to take up a host of bills ranging from prohibiting the practice of trafficking FoodShare benefits to modifying Milwaukee County's governance operations, both of which passed the Assembly.  Democrats, however, objected to final passage of the Milwaukee County legislation, which forces a final Assembly vote on the measure in early May.  

Rep. Sanfelippo, a former Milwaukee County Supervisor and the author of Assembly Bill 85 - the bill affecting Milwaukee County operations - said in his statement the bill was necessary because the Board has talked about reforms for more than a decade without action.  Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic said in her statement the proposal was unnecessary because reforms could be made locally.  Dimitrijevic released her own package of local reforms on Thursday, which she says makes Sanfelippo's legislation unnecessary.  The Milwaukee County Board is expected to act on the package at its April 25 meeting.  See WCA's testimony on AB 85 here.  

Bills Circulating for Co-Sponsorship

 

Utility Aid Payments to Towns and Counties for Production Plants that Generate Electricity from Wind Power
Under the legislation proposed by Sen. Frank Lasee and Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, the utility aid payment split generated by the operation of certain wind energy production plants would be modified from a 66.6%/33.4% county/town split to a 50%/50% split. Click here to read the co-sponsorship memo and bill draft. 

Other News and Events 

 

WisPolitics.com's "Future of Wis. Transportation Funding" May 2nd Event Features Petri, Expert Panel
Across-the-board federal budget cuts, an uncertain congressional budget process, and pressure on the state Transportation Fund have raised concerns about long-term funding of transportation initiatives in Wisconsin.

 

To hear an in-depth discussion of the issue, come to a May 2nd WisPolitics.com luncheon, "Future of Wisconsin Transportation Funding," at the Wintergreen Conference Center just off the interstate in Wisconsin Dells. Learn more about the event here.   

     

WCA's Budget Briefing Webinars

The biennial state budget is generally the single most important legislative document relating to county budgets and operations. Nearly every legislative decision has an impact on the way in which counties provide services, and understanding what decisions are being made can help inform the response by counties.  

 

Commencing with the Joint Finance Committee's action expected to occur on Thursday, April 25th and continuing through the Legislature's budget deliberations, WCA staff will soon be holding regular web-based briefings on the actions and impacts of the budget deliberations from the previous week and will also allow participants to ask questions and offer feedback. The briefings will occur Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and will be free of charge to all members. Stay tuned to this publication and the WCA website and social media sites for more information.


Member Services: WisPolitics & The Wheeler Report

Members of the Wisconsin Counties Association are eligible for a free email subscription for WisPolitics.com and The Wheeler Report. These daily email updates are an invaluable resource for those interested in keeping up with the day-to-day activities of the Legislature and include in-depth "insider" information on state politics. 

 

To begin your free subscription, please contact Amy Dias of WCA at 866.404.2700 or
with your name, your county name and the email address where you would like subscriptions sent.  
Wisconsin Counties Association
22 East Mifflin Street, Suite 900
Madison, Wisconsin 53718
866.404.2700