This Week in the Legislature: Week of July 6, 2015  

2015-17 State Biennial Budget

The Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) met last Thursday to complete its work on the 2015-17 state biennial budget. The committee adopted three motions related to transportation, general fund taxes, and budget modifications.

Items of interest to counties include the following:

 

Transportation 

  • General Transportation Aids (GTA) 
    • Adopted the Governor's recommendation to increase SEG funding annually by $2,838,400 for counties 
      • Fully funds the 4% CY 15 increase provided in 2013 Wisconsin Act 20 
  • CY 16 and beyond funding level at CY 15 level - $98,400,200 for counties 
  • Created an appeals process within the GTA program 
    • Any county or municipality that believes that information used to calculate the aid payment to the county or municipality was reported in error may submit to DOT a request that the information be corrected and the correct aid amount be paid 
    • DOT to promulgate administrative rules 
  • Mass Transit Operating Assistance 
    • Adopted the Governor's recommendation to: 
      • Provide $3,194,300 SEG annually to fully fund the 4% CY 15 increase in mass transit operating assistance provided in 2013 Wisconsin Act 20 
      • Funds mass transit operating assistance for Tier C systems at the current law level of $5,188,900 annually 
      • No additional funding increase is provided for mass transit operating assistance in CY 16 and thereafter 
  • Freight Rail Preservation Program (FRPP) 
    • Reduced the Governor's recommendation to provide $43,000,000 in transportation fund-supported, general obligation bonds for the FRPP by $13,200,000 
  • Harbor Assistance Program 
    • Authorized $13,200,000 in transportation fund-supported, general obligation bonds for the harbor assistance program 
  • Transportation Facilities Economic Assistance and Development Program 
    • Deleted the Governor's proposed increase - base funding of $3,402,600 SEG annually is provided 
    • Deleted the Governor's recommendation to increase the state's maximum cost share percentage for this program to 80% (the 50% state cost share remains)
  • Local Road Improvement Program 
    • Specifies that the minimum, 50% local match required of local governments under LRIP could be provided by federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands in this state using tribal funds 
  • Overall funding levels 
    • Transportation bonding: -$847,613,400 from Governor's proposal 
    • JCF GPR bonding: $397,613,400 
    • Total bonding reduction from Governor: -$450,000,000 
  • Contingent Highway Bonding Authorization 
    • $350,000,000 for major highway development or state highway rehabilitation projects 
    • Project approval initiated by DOT - 14-day passive review 
    • Debt service on first $175,000,000 paid from the general fund 
    • Remainder funded from general fund or transportation fund - determined by JCF 
    • No more than $200,000,000 could be approved in FY 16 
    • If transportation revenues exceed projections, total amount available for approval reduced by excess revenue amount (max. reduction of $150,000,000) 
    • Bonding approval sunsets June 30, 2017 
  • Audit of DOT's State Highway Program 
    • Requests the Joint Legislative Audit Committee direct the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct a performance evaluation audit of the state highway program 
      • Audit report due on January 1, 2017 
  • Repeals TRANS 75 
    • Chapter of the administrative code that relates to the inclusion and exclusion of bikeways and pedestrian highways in highway projects 
  • Due consideration must be given to establishing bikeways and pedestrian ways in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded in part or in whole with state or federal funds 
  • DOT cannot establish a bikeway or pedestrian way as part of a new highway construction or reconstruction project if either of the following apply: 
    • Bicyclists or pedestrians are prohibited by law from using the highway that is the subject of the project 
    • The project is funded in whole or in part from state funds, unless the governing body of each municipality in which a portion of the project will occur has adopted a resolution authorizing DOT to establish the bikeway or pedestrian way, or if the federal government provides written notice that the establishment of such facilities is a condition for the use of federal funds for that project 
  • Prohibits the use of state moneys for community sensitive solutions 
  • Provides $300,000 in FY 16 and $700,000 in FY 17 to be used by DOT to study methods of improving the transportation fund's solvency 
  • Creates a safe-ride program surcharge of $50 on OWI violations 
    • Deposited to the existing safe-ride grant program appropriation 
  • TAD - DOJ may not find a county ineligible for a TAD grant because the county allows persons who have committed a second OWI offense to participate in the county's TAD program 
  • Deleted the previously adopted provision increasing the project amount that must be let for bid on a public works project 
  • Establishes a 24/7 Sobriety Program pilot project 
General Fund Taxes
  • Sales Tax Exemption for Construction Materials 
    • Creates a sales and use tax exemption for goods sold to construction contractors who, in fulfillment of real property construction activity, transfer the goods to Wisconsin elementary and secondary school districts, municipalities, or nonprofit entities if such goods become a component of a facility in this state that is owned by the entity 
  • SDC Clerk of Circuit Court Changes 
    • Specifies that current law references to "fines and forfeitures" for purposes of clerk of circuit court debt collection would refer instead to "debt" 
    • Provides county boards the authority to adopt a resolution authorizing the clerk of circuit court to contract with DOR for the collection of unpaid debt 
    • Specifies that for any contract for debt collection entered into with DOR, the clerk of circuit court would be required to provide DOR the authority to charge a collection fee related to those debts 
  • Exclusion from Levy Limit Adjustment for Covered Services 
    • Modifies the levy limit adjustment for covered services, as authorized under current law, to exclude from the definition of covered service any garbage collection by a county or municipality that owned and operated a landfill on January 1, 2013 

Budget Modifications 

  • Removes the Military Property program modifications adopted in Motion #112 
  • Requires the Interoperability Council to submit a report to the JCF on WISCOM by June 30, 2016 
  • Subjects reports on law enforcement officer-involved deaths to the balancing test under the open records law 
  • Requires the removal of certain information from CCAP 
  • Requires local governments to offer a high-deductible health plan to police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs 
  • Provides that "deliberative materials" would not be considered a public record for purposes of the state's public records law 
  • Excludes eight counties in Southeastern Wisconsin from the statewide contract for nonemergency medical transportation 
  • Requires DHS to submit quarterly progress reports regarding the development of the long-term care waiver 
  • Requires that DHS hold no less than two public hearings regarding the proposed Family Care waiver prior to its submission to JCF 
  • Freezes county-imposed fees for coroner and transportation services effective April 17, 2015 for a two-year period 
  • Specifies DCF drug testing applies when rules are promulgated 

The Assembly is scheduled to take up the budget bill this week. As of last week, the Senate did not have the votes to pass the budget bill. 

 

Prevailing Wage

 

Modifications to the state's prevailing wage laws may not be included in the 2015-17 state biennial budget. However, the Wisconsin State Assembly will take up prevailing wage on the same day the Assembly considers the budget. The Assembly will start with legislation introduced by Rep. Hutton and voted out of the Assembly Labor Committee. The bill will be amended to reflect a proposal offered by Senator Frank Lasee. Sen. Lasee's proposal: 

  • Repeals the prevailing wage law for all local governments, including counties. 
  • Federalizes the state's prevailing wage law by adopting federal wage calculations. 
  • Makes no change to current prevailing wage thresholds for state projects. 
Budget Webinars

The WCA Government Affairs Team is hosting weekly budget webinars on Mondays during state budget deliberations. An email with additional detail and registration information will be sent early each week. The deadline for registering for each webinar is 8:00 a.m. on the day of the webinar.

Webinars are recorded each week and placed on the WCA website under Legislative>State Budget>2015-2017 State Budget>WCA Webinars shortly after the conclusion of each webinar.  Budget webinars will resume the Monday following the next meeting of the JFC.

Committee Hearings for the Week of July 6, 2015

Note: The Committee hearings and bills listed below reflect action on legislation impacting county government.  See a complete listing of weekly hearings here


There are no hearings on bills impacting county government this week.


For a listing of all bills impacting county government and WCA's positions on those bills, please visit the WCA website.    

 

WCA Upcoming Meetings
For a complete listing of upcoming WCA meetings, please click here.

July 16 - WCA Taxation and Finance Steering Committee
July 17 - WCA Agriculture Steering Committee
July 17 - WCA Judicial and Public Safety Steering Committee
July 17 - WCA Environment and Land Use Steering Committee
July 17 - WCA Transportation and Public Works Steering Committee
July 20 - WCA Health and Human Services Steering Committee
July 22 - WCA County Organization and Personnel Steering Committee
July 23 - WCA Executive Committee
July 24 - WCA Board of Directors

Questions? Contact Our Government Affairs Team  
If you have any questions about anything happening at the state level, please feel free to contact any member of the WCA Government Affairs Team at 866.404.2700 or via email:

Kyle Christianson - Director of Government Affairs 
Sarah Diedrick-Kasdorf - Deputy Director of Government Affairs 
David Callender - Government Affairs Associate 
Daniel Bahr - Government Affairs Associate 
 
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