Government Relations

Legislative Update

April 2, 2007

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In this issue:

STATE UPDATE

Recent State Capitol Activity

Information Technology Task Force Created

Assembly Speaker Huebsch announced the creation of an Information Technology Task Force which will be chaired by Rep. Phil Montgomery to study recent failed state government computer projects.  The committee will be comprised of legislators, public officials, and private-sector experts.  According to Huebsch, the Task Force will be directed to, “look for answers about how this pattern of failures was allowed to develop, identify ways to prevent any more of them in the future, and hold agencies accountable for wasting the taxpayers’ money.”

In mid-April, the Legislative Audit Bureau will be releasing a comprehensive audit of all state agency Information Technology Systems projects, one of which is the discontinued UW System Appointment, Payroll and Benefits System (APBS) computer system.

This follows a February 2007 internal audit prepared by UW System office of Operations Review and Audit, titled “Options for Board of Regents Oversight of Major Information Technology Projects”, that was presented to the Board of Regents Business, Finance, and Audit Committee on March 8, 2007.  The Committee agreed to revisit the recommendations and options for Board oversight of major IT projects after the LAB report has been released. View UWSA Internal Audit

Biennial Budget

NEW For on-the spot coverage of Joint Finance Committee action on the budget, please visit this public blog hosted by Wispolitics.com.   (no password required)

See coverage of UW System at its Agency briefing before the Committee by scrolling to March 22nd, near 4:30 pm.

Joint Finance Statewide Budget Hearings

The Joint Finance Committee has three remaining statewide public hearings on Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget bill.  The remaining hearing schedule is as follows: 

  • Wednesday, April 4.  Prairie du Chien High School Auditorium, 800 E. Crawford St., Prairie du Chien.
  • Wednesday, April 11.  Nicolet College Learning Resource Center Theatre,
    5634 College Dr., Rhinelander.
  • Thursday, April 12.  National Railroad Museum Lenfestey Center, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay.

Everyone is curious as to the date the 2007-09 biennial budget will be signed into law.  This Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau document  shows the timeline of the passage of budgets since 1997.  You may want to share this with your colleagues!

Budget Tools/Resources

NEW The Biennial Budget Bulletin [PDF] – UW System Summary of the 2007-09 Governor’s Budget

LFB Summary of Governor’s Budget

LFB Informational Paper [PDF] on the UW System

State Legislation Update

Legislative Activity

March 27 -- The Assembly Committee on Education held a public hearing on AB 83 (A. Ott/Vinehout), which creates an agricultural education and workforce development council and AB 30 (Petrowski/Darling), which would permit an educational agency to refuse to employ or to terminate from employment an unpardoned felon.  No action was taken on these bills.

March 28 -- The Assembly Jobs and Economy Committee held a public hearing on AB 67 (Zipperer/Darling), which creates an income tax and franchise tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a university, college, or technical college.  Written testimony was provided by UW System Special Assistant Jessica Tormey.  No action was taken on the bill.

Upcoming Legislative Committee Hearings

April 10 -- The Assembly Colleges and Universities committee has scheduled a public hearing at 10:00 a.m. in room 225 Northwest on AB 65 (Wieckert/Plale), creates a nonrefundable individual and corporate income tax credit based on interest received from bonds or notes issued by the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority for purposes related to an educational facility and authorizing the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority to issue bonds to finance a project undertaken by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities related to an educational facility; and AB 151 (Hahn/Leibham), which makes a college student who is convicted of possessing, with intent to manufacture, distribute, or deliver, a controlled substance ineligible for state student financial aid.

April 19 – Sen. Vinehout has tentative plans to hold a public hearing of the Senate Agriculture and Higher Education Committee.  More details will be provided at a later date as plans are finalized.

May/June -- The Special Committee on Affirmative Action is planning to meet two more times before the end of June.  The first meeting will be held in Milwaukee on either May 1 or May 7.  The second meeting is scheduled for June 1 at 10:00 in the state Capitol.  Agendas for these meetings have not yet been finalized, except for the appearance of Prof. Frank. H. Wu, Dean of Wayne State University Law School.  Dean Wu is the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White and also co-author of Race, Rights and Reparation:  Law and the Japanese American Internment.

Legislation Introduced

Rep. Schneider introduced AB 8 which prohibits someone who is in a locker room from intentionally depicting a nude or partially nude person, through a photograph, motion picture, or other means while the person is nude or partially nude in the locker room.  The bill requires anyone owning or operating, a locker room, including the state, to adopt a written policy on who may enter and remain in the locker room for the purpose of interviewing or seeking information from any person.  The policy must reflect the privacy interests of the individuals who use the locker room.  View full text

FEDERAL UPDATE

House Appropriations Subcomittee on Education Hearing

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies held hearings this week. U.S. Representative David Obey (D-WI) chairs the subcommittee. 

Testimony was provided by Terry Hartle, the Senior Vice President at the American Council on Education, regarding Title IV (Student Financial Aid) and Title VI (International Education) of the Higher Education Act (letter from President Reilly to Congressman Obey regarding SEOG and Perkins Loan funding).

Dr. Julie Underwood, Dean of the School of Education at UW-Madison, and representing the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, also testified on behalf of building a strong teaching force through establishment of a Marshall Plan for educators.  She highlighted work at UW-Milwaukee under a Teacher Quality Improvement Grant (grants which the President’s FY08 budget targets for elimination).

View Hartle and Underwood’s testimony

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 3
“Central Wisconsin Days” Legislative Reception
Contact: Tom Miller (715) 346-3014;
5:00-6:30 p.m., Olive Lounge, Hilton Hotel, Madison, $7/per person        

April 6
Listening session with Congressman Ron Kind, UW-La Crosse, Cleary Center, 10:00 a.m.  

April 12-13
UW System Board of Regents Meeting -- at UW-Oshkosh

April 18 
Posters in the Rotunda (undergraduate research display in Capitol Rotunda)
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Formal program at noon
Contact Laurie Dies at ldies@uwsa.edu

Spirit Day (community, alumni, legislator visits), 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Legislative Reception, 5:00-7:30 p.m., Inn on the Park, $8/per person
Contact Mike Fahey at  mikefahey@uwalumni.com

April 20
8th Annual UW System Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

May 8
“Door County Legislative Day” with evening reception and authentic Door County fish boil.

May 10-11
UW System Board of Regents Meeting

June 7-8
UW System Board of Regents Meeting – at UW-Milwaukee

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Are your Area Legislators on Board for the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin?

Your participation in supporting the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin is a must. We strongly encourage UW System institutions to contact area legislators to secure their endorsement for this important budget, to ensure reinvestment in higher education.  See full details of the Growth Agenda

Please forward us your Joint Finance Committee Public Hearing testimony!

We're updating our Growth Agenda website daily.  We would like to share those comments made by your community leaders at the state wide JFC Public Hearings on the budget as well. Please forward any materials to Kathy Dickerson at:  kdickerson@uwsa.edu.

 

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