March 2, 2007
BUDGET REPAIR BILL PASSES LEGISLATURE'S BUDGET COMMITTEE
The Governor's budget adjustment bill for the 2005-07 biennial budget was acted on by the Legislature's budget writing Joint Committee on Finance this week. The bill passed 16-0. The bill was submitted by the Governor to make changes to the two-year budget in place since July 2005. A budget adjustment bill is fairly common in the last year of the spending plan.
The bill requires all state agencies to send money back to the Department of Administration with the UW System share being $2.9 million. Also, the plan restores positions at state owned power plants. The restoration of the power plant positions means that the UW System, along with other state agencies, will not have to remove power plant positions on April 1, 2007, as previously required by 2005-07 biennial budget.
JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES BUDGET HEARINGS
Committee Co-Chairs Senator Russ Decker (D-Weston) Rep. Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson) announced the cities, dates and times for the committee's six public hearings on the biennial state budget.
Hearings will be held in the following cities on the following dates and times:
Milwaukee 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 20.
De Forest Area 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 21.
Chippewa Falls 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 27.
Prairie du Chien 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 4.
Rhinelander 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 11.
Green Bay 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Thursday, April 12.
Specific facility locations for each hearing will be released later.
After the hearings, the committee will begin voting on specific provisions of the budget near the end of April.
ASSEMBLY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COMMITTEE TO MEET
Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), chairman of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, has scheduled the first hearing of the committee on March 5 at 1 p.m. in room 417 North of the State Capitol. The committee will not act on any pending legislation, though, it will hear testimony from UW System President Kevin Reilly and UW System Board of Regents President David Walsh on a variety of issues. The topics on the agenda include:
- Legislative Audit Bureau Report 06-12
Relating to UW System Personnel Policies and Practices (Released October 2006). The committee will receive a presentation from the Legislative Audit Bureau regarding this report. - UW System Waukesha Study (UW-Waukesha and UW-Milwaukee Merger)
The committee will receive a briefing on the status and process being used in studying the potential merger of UW-Waukesha and UW-Milwaukee. - Clearinghouse Rule 06-078 (UWS 7 revision)
Relating to procedures for dismissal of faculty in special cases and to procedures for dismissal of academic staff in special cases.
LEGISLATORS DEFEND UW SYSTEM ADMISSIONS POLICY TO ATTORNEY GENERAL
In response to a recent letter sent to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen from Rep. Steve Nass and 18 other legislators, Rep. Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) are circulating a letter to send supporting the comprehensive admissions policy. The letter states their support for the policy and reiterates the value of diversity on UW campuses. Additionally, the letter takes issue with Rep. Nass' assertion that the admissions policy violates state statutes.
The Nass letter is available at: http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Feb07/feb21/0221nassadmissions.pdf
A link to the Grigsby/Taylor letter will be provided once all the co-signers have been secured and the letter is forwarded to the attorney general next week.
LEGISLATURE HONORS BADGER FOOTBALL TEAM Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison), Sen. Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) and Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison) authored legislative resolutions to honor the Badger football team, Head Coach Bret Bielema and Joe Thomas. Coach Bielema and four players were on hand to receive the honor and meet legislators and staff. The players that represented the team were Joe Thomas, Joe Monty, Joe Stellmacher and Mark Zalewski.
The resolutions are available at:
Assembly Joint Resolution 16 - Honoring Badger football team and Coach Bielema (Rep. Black)
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/AJR-16.pdf
Senate Joint Resolution 8 - Honoring Badger football team and Coach Bielema (Sen. Risser)
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/SJR-8.pdf
Senate Joint Resolution 12 - Honoring Joe Thomas (Sen. Kanavas)
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/SJR-12.pdf
LEGISLATION CIRCULATING
LRB 1696/1 (Rep. Murtha) - Composition of the UW - System Board of Regents
Representative John Murtha (R-New Richmond) has authored a bill that would require the Governor to appoint at least one person from each of the state�s eight congressional districts to the Board of Regents.
For more information on state related issues contact,
Don Nelson or Kristi Thorson
Assistant Directors, State Relations
608/262-8967