May 9, 2005
UW PAY PLAN HEARING RESCHEDULED
The Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) had planned to hold a public hearing this Wednesday on the Office of State Employment Relations’ (OSER) pay plan recommendations for UW System senior executives, faculty and academic staff as well as non-represented classified employees. However, the hearing and possible executive action has been rescheduled until the Joint Finance Committee has completed more work on the budget.
As reported earlier, OSER Director Karen Timberlake is recommending a 2 percent increase effective July 1, 2005; another 2 percent increase effective July 1, 2006; and an additional 1 percent increase effective April 1, 2007. Further, she is recommending that the monthly contribution rates for health insurance premiums remain the same in 2006 but increase in 2007. For Tier 1 plans, single coverage would increase from $22 a month to $27 and family coverage would increase from $55 a month to $68 a month. These recommendations would be funded with a combination of state tax dollars (GPR) that has been set aside in the compensation reserves and non-GPR funds such as tuition, other program revenue, federal funds and gifts/grants. Systemwide these recommendations, including fringe benefits, would cost approximately $39.2 million GPR and $48.1 million non-GPR.
UW System President Kevin Reilly, UW Regent David Walsh and UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley were planning to testify at the hearing. Noting that UW faculty are more than 7 percent behind their peers and UW academic staff are more than 17 percent behind their peers, the Regents have requested funding for a pay plan that would provide increases totaling 5 percent each year of the biennium.
AUDIT OF STATE CAR FLEET RELEASED
Last week the Legislative Audit Bureau released its audit on management of the state’s car fleet. One of the findings that was met with legislative concern is the fact that all UW chancellors and the UW System president receive a $700 a month car allowance in addition to being reimbursed for business-related mileage. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee is planning to hold a hearing on the audit’s findings on May 17. The audit report is available at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lab/ (click on “state fleet management). To see the Audit Committee’s co-chairs’ reaction, please see http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/May05/May4/0504roesslerautoaudit.PDF.
JOINT FINANCE BUDGET WORK CONTINUES
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance continued it work briefly last Thursday on portions of the Governor’s 2005-07 state budget. Voting on the budget will resume this Wednesday and Thursday, but the UW budget is not expected to be taken up until later this month. The committee’s proposed schedule and related papers from which the members will be voting are available at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/../lfb/jfc.html. (Look under “schedule” on the left side of the page.)
For more information on the 2005-07 biennial budget, please visit the state relations web site at www.staterelations.wisc.edu/0507budget.html.
STATE SENATE PASSES BILL TO ADD STUDENT REGENT
Last week the Senate passed, on a voice vote, a bill that would add an additional student member to the UW Board of Regents. Senate Bill 121, which specifies that the student must be at least 24 years old and represent the views of nontraditional students, now goes to the Assembly for consideration.
VETERANS TUITION BILLS VOTE RESCHEDULED
The Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs has rescheduled their executive session for Assembly Bills 317 and 318 for Tuesday, May 17, at 2:00 p.m. in room 400-Northeast. An executive session originally set for last Tuesday was canceled. Assembly Bill 317, authored by Rep. Gabe Loeffelholz (R-Platteville) provides a tuition waiver at any UW System institution or Wisconsin Technical College System school for dependent children or the spouse of a veteran with at least a 30 percent service-connected disability. Assembly Bill 318, also authored by Loeffelholz, provides a 50 percent tuition waiver for all veterans deemed eligible for state veterans benefits.
LEGISLATION PROTECTING STUDENTS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY PASSES COMMITTEE
Last week the Assembly Committee on Military Affairs unanimously passed Assembly Bill 378. The bill, authored by Rep. Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls), requires colleges and universities in the state to reenroll students called to active duty beginning in the semester following their military discharge or the next succeeding semester, whichever the student prefers. AB 378 now goes to the full Assembly for consideration.
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