August 10, 2007 Volume #29, Issue #27
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE STILL SLOGGING THROUGH THE BUDGET - The
eight member Joint
Legislative Conference Committee on the state budget continues to meet this week, with
four Democrats
and four Republicans coming to the table armed with proposals that are debated endlessly
and which
become stalled due to the profound differences between each party’s budget
priorities. Most budget
observers agree little progress will be made until after Labor Day, if not later.
This week, the Committee debated property tax levy limits. Republicans offered their
caucus position on
limits for technical colleges, counties and municipalities, and a reduction in the
fee that was slated for an
increase (under the Governor’s proposal) to pay for more Shared Revenue for municipal
services
(provided by Council 40 and 48 members) and for an increase in Youth Aids, which help
counties pay for
skyrocketing juvenile corrections costs. Senate Democrats flatly refused this proposal.
Republicans, in turn, rejected the Senate Democrats’/Governor Doyle’s proposal
to earmark aid to bolster
Milwaukee’s economic infrastructure and provide law enforcement support to the
struggling city.
On Thursday, the Committee took up the higher education portion of the budget, including
student
financial aid, UW System funding, and UW academic facilities improvements under the State
Building
Commission. (As of this writing, the Committee has not taken action on these yet).
AFSCME members continue doing vigils in the Capitol Rotunda and filling the Conference
Committee
work room with AFSCME green and Corrections blue. Our presence also is being felt on the
email circuit –
AFSCME members’ emails are making a very strong impression on legislators (of both
parties and in both
houses).
Friendly legislators have told us, repeatedly, that we must not give up, and we must
not assume that
Governor Doyle will easily be able to fix the Republican’s anti-worker budget. We
need to keep up the
pressure with phone calls, emails, letters, Capitol vigils, and meetings with legislators.
Please do your part
– send another message to your Senator and Assembly representative this week.
AFSCME makes it as easy as possible for you to be in touch with your legislator. Contact
your Take Back
America staffer for samples of letters that you or members of your local can send to these
legislators.
Check your Council’s web site. All AFSCME members can use the State Employees
Political Action
(SEPAC) website (www-wseu-sepac.org) and use sample letters/emails there.
Contact your state elected officials and urge them to:
- Set aside the parts of the Assembly GOP budget that harass and disrespect public employees
- Restore the state employee Compensation Reserves to allow us to bargain fair contracts
- Support the increase in Shared Revenue and Youth Aids (which is made possible with the
Governor’s plan to increase in the Real Estate Transfer Fee) to support Wisconsin’s counties
and municipalities- Support Governor Doyle’s "Milwaukee Initiative"
AFSCME, ALLIES WORKING TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE ARC BUDGET - Recently,
AFSCME and 28
other organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin citizens (and
taxpayers) held a
press conference at the Capitol urging the Committee to "craft a budget that reflects
the core values that
make Wisconsin a great place to live". The 29 organizations included AARP, Wisconsin
Counties
Association, Wisconsin Citizen Action, Institute for Wisconsin’ Future, Wisconsin
Early Childhood
Association, WEAC, the Wisconsin Council of Churches, the Survival Coalition, and others.
The press
release can be found on Wheeler (see July 26 edition): www.thewheelerreport.com
or on the website of the
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families: www.wccf.org.
SENATORS TO VISIT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS - On Monday, August 13,
members of the
Senate Judiciary and Corrections Committee will visit Stanley Correctional Institution and
later that
morning will hold a hearing at 1:30 p.m. on "the state of the judiciary" at the
Eau Claire County
Courthouse. Members of AFSCME Local 122 will meet with Committee Chairwoman Senator Lena
Taylor
(D-Milwaukee) and other Committee members to speak on issues unique to Stanley, which has
the lowest
staff/inmate ratio of all of Wisconsin’s correctional institutions, making it a
dangerous place. Stanley also
has ongoing facility issues stemming from shoddy private contractor work. Corrections
officers intend to
speak with the legislators on the need to pass a CO "Right to Know" and to
address the "John Doe" law,
which deals with investigations of inmate complaints.
On Tuesday, August 14, the Senate Judiciary and Corrections Committee will visit Chippewa
Valley
Correctional Treatment Facility to learn about operations at Wisconsin’s only
treatment institution. Local
122 will be on hand to give the employees’ perspective on how things work at that
institution. Later that
day, the Committee will hold a public hearing on "the state of the judiciary" in
the Juneau County
Courthouse.
Later this month, the Committee will visit Taycheedah Correctional Institution and, in
September, the
Committee will tour the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility in Boscobel. Sen. Taylor intends
to take the
Committee through Dodge Correctional Institution some time later this fall. Details will
follow in sub-
sequent bulletins or, for more information, contact AFSCME Lobbyist Susan McMurray at
608-836-6666.
AFSCME members have a unique opportunity to impress upon legislators the concerns they
have with
the institutions in which they work.
CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLE CLOSED WITH SIGNING OF SB 122 INTO LAW - On
Wednesday,
Governor Doyle traveled to Green Bay to sign into law Senate Bill 122, which address a
corporate tax
loophole created under the "Newark Decision". Gov. Doyle praised the bipartisan
effort by legislators that
resulted in passage of this law. The bill was approved unanimously by both houses of the
Legislature,
thanks to the leadership of Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Allouez),
and Rep.
Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah).
The AFL-CIO, AFSCME and The Alliance to Protect the Public Good worked to secure passage
of the law.
In the words of AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Phil Neuenfeldt, "For over 30 years, the
largest corporations
have found new ways to avoid taxes every year while working families pay higher and higher
taxes. It isn’t
right and it has to change. SB 122 is the first step in rebuilding a tax system that is
fair to everyone and
raises adequate money to pay for the services we all need." (See www.thewheelerreport.com
under the
press release dated August 8, 2007 from "The Alliance to Protect the Public
Good" for more information.
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