March 24, 2006
REGENTS TAKE STAND ON TAXPAYER PROTECTION AMENDMENT
In a special meeting of the Board of Regents this week, the Taxpayer Protection Amendment was discussed. The regents expressed concerns about TPA’s impact, following several years of significant budget reductions. In a resolution the regents approved, the impact was defined as causing “significant reductions in state funding to higher education and other discretionary programs because mandated, formula-driven or entitlement programs receive funding first.” Additionally, the resolution stressed the regents’ concern about accountability in a representative democracy and the “government by referendum” that TPA sets up.
The resolution will be sent to all legislators and will be featured at the next public hearing on TPA. There are no additional public hearings scheduled, however, the bill’s authors assured the regents that university officials would be invited to the next hearing on the bill. Legislative action on TPA is not expected until possibly late April or early May.
A copy of the regents’ resolution can be found at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2006/03-2006/AmendedRegentResOnTABOR3-23-06.pdf
Professor Reschovsky’s presentation on TPA is available at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2006/03-2006/TPamendmentImpactOnUWSppt.pdf
Chancellor Wiley’s letter to Prof. Reschovsky on TPA is available at: http://www.staterelations.wisc.edu/TABOR.html
JENSEN RESIGNS FROM LEGISLATURE
Following his felony conviction last week, Representative Scott Jensen (R-Waukesha) has resigned from the Legislature as of March 21st. Jensen was convicted of three felonies connected to the caucus scandal for misconduct in office by using taxpayer-funded employees to campaign on state time. He would have been required to vacate his seat upon sentencing because a convicted felon can not serve in the Legislature. This week, the governor announced that there will not be a special election to fill the vacated 98th Assembly District. The seat will be filled in the general election set for November 7, 2006.
GOTTLIEB REPLACES JENSEN ON JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
Representative Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington) has been tabbed to fill Jensen’s vacated seat on the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance. His appointment is for the rest of the current legislative session and he would likely be appointed again when the legislature returns in Jan 2007. Gottlieb was elected to the Assembly in 2002 and served as mayor of Port Washington from 1997 to 2003. He has a bachelor’s of science and a master’s of engineering from UW-Milwaukee.
For the complete text of all bills and their current status, please visit http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/ab_list.html (Assembly bills) or http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/sb_list.html (Senate bills).
For more information on state related issues contact,
Kristi Thorson or Don Nelson
Assistant Directors, State Relations
608/262-8967