March 9, 2007
Volume #29, Issue #8
HANDY STATE BUDGET SUMMARY NOW AVAILABLE - A handy
description of what's in the
Governor's 2007-09 state budget proposal now can be found on-line at the website of the
Legislative
Fiscal Bureau (LFB). Go to the http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/index.html
site, select the Publications link
and then select 2007-09 Budget.
NEW COALITION URGES HEALTH REFORMS IN TIME FOR KICKOFF OF STATEWIDE HEARINGS
TO HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENTS - AFSCME, along with dozens of
other
statewide organizations, today announced the formation of the "Wisconsin Health Care
Reform
Campaign" in three cities to push for major reform in Wisconsin. The launch of the
coalition coincides with
the first in a series of public hearings on this topic, hosted by the State Senate
Committee on Health and
Human Services and chaired by State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton). Today's hearing
was in
Green Bay.
The next hearing by the Senate HHS Committee will be in Eau Claire on Thursday, March 22,
at
Chippewa Valley Technical College. The hearing will start at 4:00 p.m.
Public employees would have a lot to gain at the bargaining table if health care reform
happens. AFSCME
urges members to attend these hearings to register support for a health care system fix.
JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE HEARINGS COMMENCE MARCH 20 - AFSCME
members have
another opportunity to be a part of the process at a series of statewide public hearings
on the Governor's
2007-09 state budget. Funding for wages and benefits, workplace conditions, staffing
levels and the
services you provide are determined by the state budget. This is true whether you serve
the state, county,
city, village, school district or a nonprofit organization. This is your chance to speak
out. Here is a list of the
hearings and cities:
March 20 (Milwaukee) 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
March 21 (Arlington) 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
March 27 (Chippewa Falls) 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.
April 4 (Prairie du Chien) 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.
April 11 (Rhinelander) 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.
April 12 (Green Bay) 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
For more information, contact your Take Back Wisconsin staff person.
JUVENILE CORRECTIONS UPDATE - A long-awaited study prepared by the
State Department of
Corrections on the cost of juvenile corrections was released this week. The study
highlights the unstable
funding for juvenile corrections detentions and the need to find a fix. The study can be
found at:
http://www.wi-doc.com/index_juvenile.htm.
AFSCME is keenly interested in this topic and is working with a
group of organizations, like the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families and the
Wisconsin Counties
Association, to find a solution.
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