June 6, 2008
Volume #30, Issue #16
GOVERNOR DOYLE SIGNS STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS - This week Governor
Doyle signed into
law the bills that mark the final Legislative and executive action on the
2007-09 State employee contracts,
including five of AFSCME Council 24’s bargaining units. The Governor thanked our
State employee
bargaining team members for their leadership on the contracts and in helping
with the State budget.
THE UNDERCURRENT OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE IN THE SUMMER AND
INTO
THE FALL - The 2007-08 Legislative session is now officially over. While
lawmakers and candidates have
set their sights on the fall elections, there continues to be an undercurrent of
Legislative activity, both inside
and outside the Capitol. Within the Capitol, special Legislative study
committees will meet to carry out in-depth
discussions on some key issues, including:
· Juvenile corrections and how to deal with high-risk juvenile offenders
· Emergency management
· Building Wisconsin’s workforce
· Strengthening Wisconsin’s families
· State-tribal relations
· Creating regional transportation authorities
These committees, comprised of Legislators and public members who are experts on
the various topics, will
meet monthly over the summer and into the fall with the goal of developing a
package of recommendations
on the topics that will be brought before the next Legislature, which will
return in January of 2009. AFSCME
will be monitoring these committees and will provide input where appropriate.
From outside the Capitol, advocacy groups are organizing and preparing
their agendas to bring to candidates
in the fall and to elected officials next January.
AFSCME has been participating in discussions with allies on topics such as the
future of transportation
funding (with the Transportation Development Association and other allies),
protecting State aid to local
governments (Shared Revenue) and building support for repealing loopholes in our
corporate income tax
laws to ensure that corporations operating in Wisconsin and using services are
paying their share of the
cost of those services. We’ve also been holding discussions about how to break
out of the endless cycle
of deficit budgeting, and how to elect State and local officials who will truly
work to protect the public sector.
Each of these topics merits greater attention which we intend to provide for you
in future AFSCME Legislative
Bulletins or in articles in your AFSCME Reports monthly newspaper. We are
committed to giving you a taste
of some of the issues brewing which we hope will come before lawmakers in the
2009-10 session. Right now
is the time to plant the seeds, both with our membership and with
candidates running for office.
LEGISLATIVE WEBSITES. . .For those
"online", here are some good info spots: