December 14, 2007
Volume #29, Issue
#42
AIRPORT AUTHORITIES GROUNDED - The Joint Legislative Council (JLC) met on
Wednesday to
receive a report from the Special Committee on Airport Authorities. The Special Committee
met
periodically from September, 2006 to July, 2007 to investigate whether or not the
legislature should
pass a bill to allow counties to create independent authorities to govern airports in
Wisconsin. Council 48
Executive Director Rich Abelson was a member of the 13 person committee comprised of
elected officials
and public members.
The bill that the committee ultimately drafted, which was opposed by Director Abelson,
would allow for the
creation of unelected, unaccountable Local Airport Districts by counties across the state.
AFSCME, along
with Milwaukee and Dane County among others, successfully lobbied JLC to oppose
introduction of the
bill on a 9 to 12 vote. Wednesday’s vote means the bill will not come forward with an
endorsement from
the 22 member JLC, making it very unlikely to pass the legislature this session.
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DOLLARS RELEASED - With the Federal Deficit
Reduction Act
going into effect on October 1, child support enforcement dollars for Wisconsin were
reduced by $25
million. In anticipation of this action, the Governor and the Joint Finance Committee set
aside $8.25 million
during the state budget to help counties offset the loss of federal dollars. On Wednesday,
JFC released
the funds on a 16-0 vote, providing additional aid to counties of $2.75 million for the
remainder of the
2007-2008 fiscal year, and $5.5 million for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
FRANKENSTEIN HAUNTED BY VANNA WHITE’S GHOST - The question on whether
the constitution
should be changed to limit the Governor’s line item veto authority passed the State
Senate on a 33 to 0
vote on Tuesday. If adopted, the Governor would no longer be able to use his line item
veto to piece
together new sentences in budget and other appropriation bills. Tuesday’s vote
cleared the way for the
Assembly to take action on the so called "Frankenstein Veto" to place the
question on the April ballot. The
last time a constitutional amendment on the line item veto was adopted was in 1990, where
the ability of
the Governor to delete individual letters to create new words, or the "Vanna White
veto," was repealed by
voters in a statewide referendum.
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