April 11, 2008
Volume #30, Issue #11
STATE BUDGET UPDATE - Legislative
leaders continue to hold informal talks over the budget deficit
situation, but no decisions have been reached yet and there is no news to report
at this time. Rest assured
we are in contact with lawmakers to make sure they are aware of our concerns.
SPECIAL SESSION ON THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT -
A deal has been reached for legislative approval
of the Great Lakes Compact, which sets forth rules restricting water diversions
from the Great Lakes. Assembly
Republicans had been opposed to the deal and had refused to vote on legislation
to ratify Wisconsin’s
participation in the Compact. The Great Lakes Compact had been negotiated by
governors from eight Great
Lakes states and had been approved by State Legislatures of seven states.
The deal will not affect the language of the Compact, but it involves
compromises on the legislation that was
drafted to endorse the Compact.
The Assembly is tentatively planning to be in Special Session on April 17 but
the State Senate is expected to
meet at a later date.
AFSCME does not have concerns with the Great Lakes Compact but we are closely
watching this issue
because the political dynamics could affect the outcome of the budget repair
talks and legislative approval of
the state employee contracts.
MILITARY SERVICE CREDIT UNDER THE WRS -
We are often asked about the status of legislation to grant
veterans credit under the Wisconsin Retirement System for their military
service. Year after year these bills die,
in part due to a lack of information about the cost to the WRS of creating this
benefit. This year AB-43 and its
Senate companion, SB-19, appear to have met the same fate as previous bills.
This year, however, backers of this legislation successfully persuaded the Joint
Finance Committee to include
in the budget an amendment that provides $15,000 to hire an actuary to do a
study of the cost of AB- 43/SB-19
to the WRS. Having this information is a big step forward. It means that next
session, which begins in January
2009, when AB-43 and SB-19 are reintroduced, lawmakers will be in a better
position to decide whether or not
to approve legislation to give veterans the credit they deserve for serving in
our armed forces. There is no
guarantee that these bills will pass next year but having the actuary study will
be helpful.
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