Search UW System

UW System Home > Offices > Government Relations > Legislative Update

January 7, 2005

Expected Schedule for the 2005-06 Legislative Session

Legislative Drafts Circulating

Rep. Gottlieb is introducing legislation to create a tuition gift certificate program for UW System, which would allow UWSA to issue tuition gift certificates for use by residents and nonresidents for tuition and academic fees at any UW campus, or study abroad program.  The goal of the program is to create an easy way for individuals and organization to provide financial assistance to UW students.

Reps. Frank Lasee and Jeff Wood are asking for co-sponsors to a revised Taxpayer Bill of Rights, LRB 05-0467/5.  The co-sponsors say this constitutional amendment draft is shorter and simpler to read.

Rep. Spencer Black and Sen. Robert Wirch are co-sponsoring LRB 0576 and LRB 0484. The first is legislation (LRB 0576) to substantially reduce residential property taxes by creating a Homeowners Tax Credit for Wisconsin homeowners.  This bill will cut property taxes by $400 for the average family. The proposal will provide a tax break without hurting education or local services and it will not raise other taxes on individuals. The Homeowners Tax Credit would eliminate school taxes on the first $60,000 of assessed value of the taxpayer's primary residence.  The school districts would receive a payment from the state equal to the lost revenue.  The proposal is funded by closing three of corporate tax loopholes and by targeting the school levy credit to homeowners similar to the way the lottery credit is now distributed. 

The second is a companion constitutional amendment (LRB 0484) to amend the uniformity clause to allow the Legislature to exempt a portion of the value of the primary residence of a Wisconsin resident from property taxes.   This would be similar to the lottery credit amendment except that the relief would not be restricted to revenue from the lottery.''

Sen. Mike Ellis is reintroducing his bills (LRB 1150/1) related to comprehensive campaign finance reform and to merge the state Ethics and Elections Boards into a new Government Accountability Board that would have greater independence and increased investigative and enforcement authority as compared to current law.

Senate and Assembly 2005 Committee Assignments

Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee:

Rep. Kreibich, Chair; Ballweg, Underheim, Nass, Jeskewitz, Towns, Lamb, Shilling, Schneider, Black, Boyle, Molepske.

Senate Higher Education and Tourism Committee:

Sen. Harsdorf, Chair; Kedzie, Kapanke, Breske, Plale.

Joint Committee on Finance:

Rep. Dean Kaufert, Chair; Ward, Stone, Rhoades, Meyer, Jensen, Pocan, Colon.

Sen. Fitzgerald, Co-Chair; Lazich, Vice-Chair; Darling, Cowles, Leibham, Olsen, Decker, Taylor.

Joint Audit Committee:

Rep. Suzanne Jeskewitz, Chair; Kaufert, Kerkman, Travis, Cullen.

Sen. Roessler, Co-Chair; Cowles, Fitzgerald, Miller, Lassa.

State Building Commission:

Sen. Roessler, Co-Chair; Zien, Risser.

Rep. Vrakas, Co-Chair; Fitzgerald, Schilling.

Other Important Dates

Please note the following important events and dates to keep on your calendars:

January 12: Governor Doyle’s State of the State Address

January 19: Conference on Taxing and Spending Limits in Wisconsin, hosted by the Robert M. La Follette School for Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  This conference will begin at 8 am at the Monona Terrace in Madison, and costs $30 dollars, including lunch.  Please see http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/publicservice/spending.html for on-line registration and more details.

February 8: Governor Doyle’s 2005-07 State Biennial Budget Address

End Note

A brief summary of Legislative action on bills affecting the UW System is available at http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/lupdate/2004/u040514bill_actions.pdf.  

For further information, contact Margaret Lewis at (608) 262-4464.

Information on the Web

UW System Government Relations:
http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/

UW System Budget:
http://www.uwsa.edu/budplan/

Wisconsin Legislature:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/