January 12, 2007
Volume #29, Issue #2
LEGISLATIVE SESSION: HOW TO HELP PROTECT YOUR JOB - This is
a good time of year for
AFSCME members to contact legislators and begin building the relationships that may make a
big
difference in our efforts to persuade legislators to fund public services and support your
jobs. Legislators
pay close attention to what voters in their districts think, and your involvement is an
important part of our
overall lobbying effort.
This is the start of the two year legislative cycle, and you'll begin to hear more from us
on legislative
developments. We'll be sending you information via these updates as well as through the
Take Back
Wisconsin staff and your Council's website.
If you don't know who your legislator is, to to the Wisconsin State Legislature website at
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ and click on
"Who Represents Me?" You can also get the toll-free numbers of
your representative and senator by going to this webiste. Every legislator has a toll-free
number that goes
directly into his or her office. Y ou can also find this information in the Blue Book.
Important Dates to Keep in Mind:
January 30 -- Gov. Doyle will deliver his "State of the State" speech before the
Legislature.
January 30 -- The Legislature will be in special session to vote on ethics reform
legislation and possibly
other issues as well.
February 13 -- Gov. Doyle will unveil his 2007-09 state budget bill. After the budget is
released, the
Legislature's
Joint Finance Committee will be charged with dissecting it. The process
takes
about 5 months, maybe longer. The committee will begin the budget review process
with
a series of public hearings that will take place sometime in early March, if not sooner.
AFSCME
members are strongly encouraged to attend these public hearings -- we will
send
you the details as soon as they are available.
April 25 -- AFSCME Lobby Day.
LEGISLATIVE WEBSITES. . .For those
"online", here are some good info spots:
Wisconsin State Legislature: www.legis.state.wi.us/
"Who Are My Legislators": www.legis.state.wi.us./waml/
State of Wisconsin: www.wisconsin.gov/state/home
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau: www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/
Wisconsin Legislative Council: www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/
Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau: www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/
Wisconsin Ethics Board: http://ethics.state.wi.us