December 21, 2006
LEGISLATIVE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEES FORMED
The next legislative session will feature two ends of the spectrum when it comes to leadership on legislative higher education committees. On the Assembly side, long time UW critic Representative Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) will chair the Colleges and Universities Committee. In the Senate, freshman Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) will chair the Agriculture and Higher Education Committee.
Rounding out a smaller Assembly committee than in the past for the next session are: Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) as vice chair, Rep. Sue Jeskewitz (R-Menomonie Falls), Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee), Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington), Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc). The Democratic membership will be announced next week.
In the Senate, Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Steven Point) will serve as vice chair and will be joined by Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee). The Republican membership will be announced next week.
ALL SENATE, ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES SET
The legislative committees for the 2007-08 Legislature are now set. The committees include a mix of standing committees and statutory joint committees. The standing committees, which are chosen by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate, generally do much of the legislative work and deal with mostly non-fiscal policy legislation on nearly every subject area. The joint committees will take on certain bills that are required by law to pass through those committees, including all fiscal bills where more than $10,000 is appropriated. Republicans will have majority membership of the standing committees in the Assembly while the Democrats will have the majority membership in the Senate. The joint committees will be evenly represented with Republicans and Democrats.
A complete listing of legislative committee membership will be available next week.
LEGISLATURE RECONVENES JANUARY 3RD
The 2007-07 Legislature will be sworn in January 3, 2007. The 33 member Senate and 99 member Assembly will feature 21 new members, 16 from the Assembly and four in the Senate. Since 2001, the Legislature has had 68 new members join their ranks. Today, more than half of the legislators have ever served under any Governor other than Scott McCallum or Jim Doyle.
For more information on state related issues contact,
Kristi Thorson or Don Nelson
Assistant Directors, State Relations
608/262-8967