Government Relations Legislative Update

Fall Floor Wrap Up

2009-11-13T16:27:00.001-06:00

The Wisconsin State Legislature wrapped up its fall floor session on November 5 and will resume on January 19, 2010.

Committees will be holding meetings and hearings in the interim periods. Please see the Wisconsin Legislature's Committee Schedule for more information.

As announced by Governor Doyle, a special session may be called to discuss legislation regarding mayoral control of the Milwaukee Public School District and other education related topics. Please check back for any updates.

C.O.R.E Jobs Act

Senate Democrats recently announced the Connecting, Opportunity, Research, and Entrepreneurship (C.O.R.E) Jobs Act, which seeks to create jobs in Wisconsin. Many of the recommendations used for this act were found in the UW System's Research to Jobs Report.

UW System Bill Position

2009-11-13T14:18:00.001-06:00

UW System has posted the following bill position approved by the Board of Regents:

AB 549: Psychological Evaluations for Law Enforcement Officers. This bill requires that a candidate for full-time law enforcement or tribal law enforcement officer position must receive a psychological evaluation before being appointed. UW System Position: SUPPORT. Bill History and Full Text: Assembly .

The State Legislature concludes the regular 2009 fall floor period on November 5th

2009-11-09T15:51:00.005-06:00

A number of legislative actions were taken last week relating to
the UW System including:

Regent Appointments
The State Senate on a 31-1 vote confirmed the appointments of the
following UW Board of Regents: Regents Danae Davis,John Drew,
Michael Falbo, Kevin Opgenorth, Chuck Pruitt, David Walsh,
Aaron Wingad, and Betty Womack

Regent Composition

SB 223 (Lassa) requiring at least one citizen member of the Board
of Regents to reside in one of seven geographical areas of the state.
The requirement takes effect on January 1, 2012*. (*An
amendment to move the effective date up to 2012 from 2015
was adopted.)

See Regent bill position here

Longitudinal Data System

SB 371 requires UW System, DPI, WTCS, and WAICU to study
each other's education programs, requiring a written agreement
concerning such studies, and requiring the establishment of a
longitudinal data system of student data. This bill was passed by
both houses on 11/5/09 and now goes to the Governor for his
consideration.

See Regent bill position here

SB 223 and SB 371 were approved by both legislative houses on
11/5/09 and now go to the Governor for his consideration.

The next scheduled legislative regular floor period
is January 19-28, 2010.

UW System Bill Positions

2009-10-27T15:04:00.001-05:00

UW System has posted positions approved by the Board of Regents on the following legislation under consideration by the Wisconsin Legislature:

AB 427 / SB 298: Revision of State Building Contracting and Construction Procedures. This bill streamlines and modernizes state building contracting and construction project management procedures. UW System Position: SUPPORT. Bill History and Full Text: Assembly / Senate.

SB 121: Establishing a Career Conversations Program at the UW-Madison Center on Education and Work. This bill requires the UW-Madison Center on Education and Work to establish a "Career Conversations" pilot program for students enrolled in grades 7 to 12. UW System position: SUPPORT. Bill history and full text: Senate.

State Legislative Activity

2009-10-16T14:47:00.001-05:00

Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology Hearing

Members of the UW System staff updated Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology on their efforts to increase oversight and improve efficiency in the development and implementation of UW System IT projects. This included an update on all major IT projects. WI Eye coverage of the October 6th hearing can be found here. The UW System agreed to update the committee again in January.

Upcoming Legislative Session

The Wisconsin State Legislature fall floor session will take place October 20 – November 5. Daily Floor Calendars will soon be available online.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Grants

2009-10-16T14:37:00.001-05:00

In accordance with federal recording requirements, the University of Wisconsin System submitted information regarding funding received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

As of September 30, the University of Wisconsin System has received 263 grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, totaling $83 million. These grants enhance the quality of education at UW institutions, while conducting vital and groundbreaking research which strengthens industries statewide.

Recent Legislative Activity

2009-09-21T16:04:00.001-05:00

Senate Economic Development Committee

The Senate Committee on Economic Development held a hearing on Tuesday, September 25^th. Testifying were members of the UW System "Research to Jobs" task force, created by UW System President Reilly to develop recommendations to create jobs through UW-led research and technology transfer to Wisconsin companies. Members of the task force appearing included Carl Gulbrandsen, WARF Managing Director; Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council President; and Maliyakal John, WiSys Managing Director.

Senate Agriculture and Higher Education Committee

Senator Kathleen Vinehout, Chair of the Senate Agriculture & Higher Education Committee, has scheduled an Executive Session for Tuesday September 22, 2009 regarding the appointments of Chuck Pruitt and Aaron Weingad as members to the University System Board of Regents.

In addition, the Committee will review 3 bills, two related to the UW System: SB 121 (Establishing a Career Conversations Program at the UW-Madison Center on Education and Work) and SB 223 (Composition of the Board of Regents).

More information is available in the hearing notice.

Upcoming Legislative Hearings

2009-09-11T16:02:00.001-05:00

Senate Economic Development Committee

The Committee on Economic Development will hold an informational hearing on Tuesday, September 15 about the UW System Research to Jobs Report. Members of the Research to Jobs Task Force will testify, including: Carl Gulbrandsen, WARF Managing Director; Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council President; and Maliyakal John, WiSys Managing Director. For more information, please see the hearing notice.

The full report was present to the UW System Board of Regents today. It outlines ways in which the UW System and its public-private partners can help strengthen and advance Wisconsin's economy.

Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology
The committee will hold an informational briefing on Tuesday, October 6. UW System staff will be on hand to provide legislators with information on efforts to increase oversight and improve efficiency of IT projects. This will include an update on all active projects with a cost over $1 million and an overview of the HRS project. More information is available in the hearing notice.

Senate Economic Development Committee Briefing

2009-08-13T16:53:00.001-05:00

Senator Julie Lassa, Chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, has scheduled a public informational committee briefing on Tuesday, August 18. The briefing will include a discussion on the work of WISys and the statewide economic impact of research at University of Wisconsin comprehensive campuses.

Please see the hearing notice for details and the list of invited speakers.

WI Eye Coverage of Senate Ag & Higher Ed Committee Hearing

2009-08-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to WI Eye coverage of yesterday's Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education hearing. The Committee held confirmation hearings on two Regent appointments – Regent President Charles Pruitt and Student Regent Aaron Wingad. The Committee also heard testimony on four legislative bills, including SB 121 (Establishing a Career Conversations Program at the UW-Madison Center on Education and Work) and SB 223 (Composition of the Board of Regents).

UW System Bill Positions

2009-08-12T14:05:00.001-05:00

UW System has posted positions approved by the Board of Regents on the following legislation under consideration by the Wisconsin Legislature:

AB 80 / SB 52: Education Tax Credit for Businesses. Creates an income tax and franchise tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a university, college, or technical college. UW System Position: SUPPORT. Bill History and Full Text: Assembly / Senate.

AB 135 / SB 106: Tax Credit for College Savings (EdVest). As amended, this legislation modifies tax credit eligibility requirements and deduction limits for contributions to EdVest, the state's college savings program. UW System position: SUPPORT. Bill history and full text: Assembly / Senate.

AB 148: Composition of the Board of Regents. Requires the appointment to the Board of Regents of at least one citizen member who resides in each of Wisconsin's congressional districts. UW System position: NEUTRAL. Bill history and full text: Assembly.

AB 276 / SB 223: Composition of the Board of Regents. Divides the state into seven geographical areas, called districts, and requires that at least one citizen member of the Board of Regents reside in each district. UW System position: NEUTRAL. Bill history and full text: Assembly / Senate.

SB 63: Education Tax Credit for Businesses. Creates an income tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a university, college, or technical college. UW System position: SUPPORT. Bill history and full text: Senate.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education will meet

2009-08-07T12:00:00.012-05:00

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 11 on the appointments of Charles Pruitt and Aaron Wingad to the Board of Regents and the four following bills:

Senate Bill 42 Relating to: a report on food safety programs.
Senate Bill 114 Relating to: the use of pesticides by veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Senate Bill 121 Relating to: requiring the Center on Education and Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to establish a career conversations program.
Senate Bill 223 Relating to: composition of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

More details can be found on this hearing, and other committee activity, on the State Legislative Committee Calendar.

Regents Approve 2009-10 Operating Budget, Set Tuition/Fee Schedules

2009-07-10T17:00:00.001-05:00

The UW System Board of Regents met yesterday in Madison. Below is a brief summary of major items, with links to related materials and news accounts. A detailed news summary is posted online, with links to related presentation materials. You can also watch archived video of the Board’s public discussions.

Highlights:

As part of approving a $2.2 billion annual operating budget, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents set tuition for the 2009-10 academic year, agreeing to a 5.5 percent tuition increase for most undergraduate students at the four-year campuses. The Board froze tuition at the UW Colleges for the third year in a row, leaving it at 2006-07 levels. See our July 3 news release for more details, as well as news coverage from the Associated Press and the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Board held an in-depth discussion of the UW’s role in Wisconsin’s workforce development. Presenters included JoAnna Richard, Deputy Secretary of Workforce Development; Kim Kindschi, Director of the Division of Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at UW-Extension; and Carl Gulbrandsen, Managing Director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. See the presentation offered by DWD, UW-Extension, and WARF.

The Board welcomed its newest Regents: State Superintendent Tony Evers, WTCS Board President Stan Davis, and Student Regent Aaron Wingad. It also recognized several departing leaders: Regent Mary Quinnette Cuene; UW-Platteville Chancellor David Markee; and Interim UW-Parkside Chancellor Lane Earns, who will return to his post as the UW-Oshkosh Provost.

Analysis of the 2009-10 State Budget

The 2009-11 Wisconsin State Budget was signed by Governor Doyle on June 30 as 2009 Wisconsin Act 28. The UW System Budget Fact Sheet provides analysis of the challenges and opportunities presented by the state budget.

Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee to hold public hearing on Wednesday, July 8

2009-07-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the public hearing notice distributed by Representative Kim Hixson. The bills being considered are:

AB 135 (Molepske) relating to contributions to college savings plans (EdVest) by divorced or legally separated parents. An amendment- ASA1 has been offered.
AB 276 (Smith) relating to the composition of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. The legislation divides the state into seven geographical areas and requires that at least one citizen member of the Board of Regents reside in each district.
AB 51 (Schneider) relating to the scheduling of classes at technical colleges.

HEA Technical Corrections Bill

2009-06-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

The U.S. House and U.S. Senate voted final approval on June 24 of the Higher Education Act technical corrections bill (H.R. 1777).

The bill ensures the continuation of the Department of Education's "experimental site" program on existing campuses for another year and defines a successful program as one that reduces administrative cost and increases student services without additional cost to the government.

This was a big issue for five UW System schools -- UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Stout -- which are experimental sites for "loan proration." Retention of the site program is good news, as was cancellation of the PLUS auction.

Further, the Chronicle of Higher Education is reporting that the measure, which passed both houses unanimously, also corrects a glitch in veterans’ educational benefits which would have required some veterans to return federal student aid funding; enables a student with a parent who has died on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan to receive a full Pell Grant award, and allows loan guarantee agencies to sell rehabilitated student loans back to the federal government. The latter change would allow many borrowers in default to “escape from their debt and clear their credit histories.”

FAFSA Simplification
Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan unveiled the Department of Education’s proposal for simplifying the application process for federal student aid. Over the next few months, the Department expects to streamline the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and work with Congress to eliminate dozens of questions on the form related to family income and assets. (The latter steps require changes in federal law.) The Department is working with the Treasury Department on a pilot program that will allow students and families applying for aid for the 2010 spring semester to retrieve their tax information from the Internal Revenue Service for easy completion of nearly a dozen FAFSA questions.

The Governor signed the budget bill, AB75, today after releasing his veto message which detailed the final changes he made.

2009-06-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

Of particular interest to UW System:

Partial veto related to student veterans’ tuition remission reimbursement timelines in order to retain flexibilities and maximize benefits for veterans.
Veto of requirements for hiring and reporting of private contractors during a state furlough. Instead, the Governor will create a new centralized review process to ensure state agencies are using private contractors to achieve additional savings while maintaining appropriate services.
Veto of a $50,000 annual grant to WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc., for intellectual property management services to all comprehensive institutions excluding UW- Madison and UW-Milwaukee.
Partial veto of a provision that required Research Assistants who form into collective bargaining units to be initially represented by the Teaching Assistant Association (TAA) and also vetoed provision that allowed the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) to assign faculty and staff to bargaining units.

A more comprehensive analysis of the final budget for the UW System is forthcoming.

Senate Approves Conference Report

2009-06-26T15:00:00.000-05:00

Last night, the Senate approved the budget conference report by a 17-15 vote. Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) voted with Republicans in opposition. The Assembly is expected to begin consideration of the report this evening. A conference report cannot be amended by either house and can only receive an “up or down” vote. Once approved by both houses, the bill will be forwarded to the Governor for his review and possible vetoes.

Conference Budget Changes
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has released a summary (129 pages) of the Assembly, Senate, and Conference Committee changes to the Joint Committee on Finance version of the budget. The following conference recommendations are of particular interest to the UW System:

Sale of University of Wisconsin System Properties (p. 2)
UW-Madison School of Nursing Building Project (p. 2)
UW-Stevens Point: Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (p. 12)
UW-Stevens Point: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (p. 13)
UW System and WTCS – Require Veterans to use Federal Education Benefits Before State Tuition and Fees Remissions (pp. 13-14)
Income from Normal School Fund for Environmental Programs (p. 14)
Nonresident Tuition Exemptions for Certain Undocumented Persons (pp. 14-15)
Conflict of Interest for UW System Employees (p. 15)
Use of Private Contractors During a Hiring Freeze (pp. 17-18)
Treatment of Earnings Affected by State Employee Unpaid Leave for Retirement System Purposes (p. 26)
Collective Bargaining Rights for UW System Research Assistants (pp. 35-37)
Individual Income Tax Deduction for College Savings Account Contributions (pp. 81-82)
Modifications to Prevailing Wage Provisions (pp. 98-100, section b)

Former UW Students Serving in the Wisconsin Legislature

2009-06-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Communications and External Relations Team has compiled information on former University of Wisconsin students serving in the 2009-10 Wisconsin Legislature.

Both legislative houses approve respective budget bills; differences to be worked out

2009-06-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

On June 12, after an all-night session, the State Assembly voted to approve its version of the State budget bill (AB 75) on a 50-48 vote.

On June 17, the State Senate, working off the Joint Finance budget document rather than the Assembly version, approved its own budget bill on a 17-16 vote.

Yesterday, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a comparative summary [pdf] of the Senate and Assembly versions of the budget bill. Legislative leaders may meet informally over the next several days to hammer out the differences between the two houses prior to calling for a conference committee. It is anticipated that the Legislature will try to complete the budget and deliver it to the Governor’s desk by late next week.

Below are Legislative Fiscal Bureau summaries reflecting recent legislative action on the state budget bill (AB 75)

Summary of Assembly Changes to JFC (6/15/09) [pdf]
Summary of Senate Changes to JFC (6/18/09) [pdf]

State Assembly hopes to vote on state budget later today

2009-06-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a memo today summarizing a package of amendments approved by the Assembly Democratic caucus. These budget modifications have been drafted as Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 to the State budget bill (AB 75). Assembly Republicans are being briefed today by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau on those amendments and are expected to offer additional amendments.

Upon Assembly passage, the budget bill advances to the Senate for consideration and possible modifications. Differences between the houses would likely be resolved by a conference committee comprised of legislative leaders from each chamber.

Assembly expected to vote on state budget bill on Thursday

2009-06-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

Assembly Democrats are meeting today to discuss, draft, and vote on amendments to the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) version of the budget. Also taking place today is a Legislative Fiscal Bureau briefing for Assembly Republicans on the JFC version of the budget. Speaker Mike Sheridan’s office has stated that the Assembly plans to vote on the budget bill Thursday, June 11.

Yesterday, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released a comparative summary of budget actions taken by JFC during their deliberations and those proposed in Gov. Jim Doyle's original budget plan. See budget provisions specific to the UW System’s agency budget [pdf]. Please note that provisions impacting the UW System are also contained in other agency budgets as well. For example, a number of provisions pertaining to the UW System are found in the Higher Education Aids Board, Department of Administration, and Employee Trust Funds agency budgets.

Other recently released LFB budget papers relating to the JFC passed budget bill include:

Joint Finance Committee approves budget bill, sends it to the Assembly

2009-06-02T16:00:00.001-05:00

On the morning of May 29, the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) completed its work on the 2009-2011 State Budget bill (AB 75). After months of public hearings, deliberations and votes, the Committee made its final modifications to the Governor’s bill, approving it on a party-line vote 12-4.

The bill now proceeds to the State Assembly for consideration. It is expected that the Assembly could begin voting as early as June 9. Legislative leaders in both houses have expressed their goal of completing the state budget by July 1, 2009, the date on which the next fiscal year officially begins.

The following documents reflect the current status of the Governor’s budget bill, as amended by JFC, and its impact on the UW System:

Fact Sheet: UW System Operating Budget (Revised 6/2/09)
Fact Sheet: UW System Capital Budget (Revised 6/2/09)
Budget Statement: President Reilly's Message to all UW System faculty and staff (6/1/09)
FAQ on Governor’s furlough directive [pdf] from State Office of Employment Relations (5/29/09)

Further updates will be provided as the state budget bill is acted on by the State Assembly. Once approved, the bill advances to the Senate for consideration.

WHEBR news release supports UW System

2009-05-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

The Wisconsin Higher Education Business Roundtable (WHEBR) today released a news release urging support for the UW System in the 2009-11 biennial state budget.

Read news release: Wisconsin Higher Education Business Roundtable urges Legislature to support vision for a world-class university system, May 28, 2009.

UW System on today's JFC schedule, rev. today (Friday)

2009-05-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

10:35 a.m.

Today's revised Joint Finance Committee notice specifies which agencies will be acted on today. UW System will be among the agencies taken up (Friday, May 22). The Executive Session agenda includes:

Veterans Affairs -- Health Facilities
District Attorneys
Public Defender
Employee Trust Funds -- Domestic Partners
General Provisions -- Domestic Partners
University of Wisconsin System

Please let us know if you have questions.