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Legislative Update

February 27, 2006

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STATE UPDATE

Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA) Hearing Scheduled

A joint hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Taxpayer Protection Amendment and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee has been scheduled. The hearing will be held Wednesday, March 1 at 4:00 p.m., Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Woodfield Room, Pewaukee on AJR 77/SJR 63, new constitutional amendment to limit state revenues. See full text of amendment at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AJR-77.pdf

Upcoming Legislative Hearings: Approval of State Building Projects, Education Tax Credit for Businesses, UW Medical School Enrollment, Lab of Hygiene Board Membership, Tuition Exemptions for Veterans, Medical Student Transfer Program, UW Medical School Enrollment, Rights of UW Students, Drug Dealers Ineligible for State Financial Aid

The Joint Committee on Finance will hold an executive session on Monday, Feb. 27, at noon, in Room 412 on SB 613. SB 613 expands the current UW/technical college tuition remission for veterans established in the 2005-07 biennial budget from 50% to 100%. It would also allow the family of a veteran who dies as a result of a service-connected disability to be eligible for tuition remission.

The Assembly State Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 9:30 a.m., in Room 415 Northwest, on AB 921. The bill makes changes to laws governing approval of state building projects and contracts; bidding procedures on contracts; and allocation of village assets and liabilities upon dissolution.

The Senate Job Creation, Economic Development and Consumer Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 1, at 1:00 p.m., in Room 330 Southwest, on AB 297. AB 297 creates a tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a university, college or technical college.

The Senate Higher Education and Tourism Committee will hold a public hearing on March 1, at 10:00 am., in Room 330 Southwest, on SB 549 and SB 554. SB 549 repeals current law that reduced the size of the class entering the UW Medical School by 2.5 percent for each academic year between 1984-1988. SB 554 is remedial legislation relating to the State Laboratory of Hygiene Board, nonresident tuition exemption for nonresident veterans, and medical student transfer program.

The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 7, on AB 1002, AB 578 and AB 1035. AB 1002 repeals current law that reduced the size of the class entering the UW Medical School by 2.5 percent for each academic year between 1984-1988; AB 578 relates to the rights of UW System students; and AB 1035 makes a postsecondary student convicted of possessing a controlled substance or controlled substance ineligible for state financial aid. An executive session may be held on the above bills, as well as AB 701, AB 819, SB 338.

Assembly Action

On Feb. 23, the Assembly, on a voice vote, passed AB 835. The bill would grant tuition remission for children and surviving spouses of ambulance drivers, corrections officers, EMTs, firefighters and law enforcement officers. The bill now goes to the Senate for committee action.

Legislative Committee Action: Medical Student Loan Program, Approval of State Building Contracts, Tuition Remission for Vets and Their Dependents

On Feb. 22, the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform Committee passed the following:

SB 478. Approval of state building projects and contracts. Passage recommended: 5-0.
SB 613. Exempt certain veterans from tuition and fees at the UW System and at technical colleges and would expand eligibility for tuition fee remissions of un-remarried surviving spouses and children of certain deceased veterans. Passage recommended: 5-0.

On Feb. 23, the Assembly Public Health Committee, by a vote of 8-0, recommended passage of AB 976.
AB 976 creates a loan program, to be administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board, for tuition, fees, and expenses for resident medical school students enrolled in the UW-Madison Medical School who agree to practice medicine for a minimum of two years in rural areas of the state following graduation.

Legislation Introduced: Drug Dealers Ineligible for State Financial Aid

Rep. Hahn has introduced AB 1035, which makes a postsecondary student convicted of possessing a controlled substance or controlled substance analogue ineligible for state financial aid. Please see full text at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-1035.pdf

Rep. Nass has introduced AB 1068, which prohibits the UW Board of Regents from doing either of the following until July 1, 2007: (1) increase salaries of certain senior executive and administrator positions by more than 5 percent unless the increase is funded with gifts, grants, or federal revenue; (2) prohibits reducing nonresident tuition levels below the 2005-06 academic year levels. The bill has been referred to the Colleges & Universities Committee. Please see full text at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB-1068.pdf

FEDERAL UPDATE

Congress has been out of session this week for the Presidents’ Day recess. Both the Senate and House will return this week. The Senate will consider the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act; the House will vote on a motion to go to conference on the pension overhaul bill.

Kris Andrews, Assistant Vice President for Federal Relations, met with Wisconsin congressional delegation staff in Washington, D.C. last week and delivered the FY07 Federal Priorities binder. She discussed UW System federal priorities for FY07, as well as how the President’s proposed budget is likely to impact UW students and institutions. She also discussed several initiatives that have been introduced in Congress to advance research, math and science education, foreign languages, and competitiveness, and what UW institutions can do to further these and other national priorities.

What Kris heard from congressional staff is also being reported by CQToday – that this year’s budget process will be complicated by several factors, in particular the Administration’s proposed election-year cuts in non-homeland security domestic discretionary spending. Many Hill staffers echoed former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici who said, “I think it’s one of the more doubtful years for getting the budget passed in years.” House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula has also said, “I strongly urge you to be mindful of the considerable impact the programs in this bill have on Americans.” Also in the category of good news, Rep. Frank Wolf, Chairman of the House Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee has said that the President’s proposed funding increases for the National Science Foundation and core programs at the National Institute for Standards and Technology would be funded. House and Senate Budget committees will mark up their respective budget resolutions in March, with the goal of adopting the conference report by April 15.