September 7, 2007
Volume #29, Issue #31
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AGAIN ONLY MEETS ONCE THIS WEEK - For the second straight
week
the Legislature’s Conference Committee only met once. Again the Committee traded
barbs over the two
versions of the budget with no measurable progress being made. However, a definite message
has
developed on the Republican side of the table.
Faced with the prospects of local governments and school boards turning to property tax
increases to
fund their needs in the absence of a state budget, the Conference Committee is under fire
to get to work.
Democrats, highlighting the uncertainty local governments and school districts face in
regard to the
amount of state aid they can count on, pushed for Republicans to act with greater urgency
to complete the
state budget. Republican members of the Committee responded by offering to work out a K-12
and Shared
Revenue/Aid to Local Government package to be passed separately from the rest of the state
budget.
Democrats reminded the Republican members of all of the other areas of the budget that are
being
impacted by the delay, and stressed the need to complete an entire budget document soon.
While the rhetoric and partisan finger pointing hasn’t changed much at the public
meetings of the
Conference Committee, AFSCME believes behind the scenes negotiations are occurring. It is
important
to continue to contact your State Legislators and urge them to reject the negative impacts
on public
employees contained in the Assembly version of the budget.
Daily vigils continue in the Capitol Tuesday through Thursday each week. AFSCME members
from across
the State are also continuing to come to Madison on organized trips. Contact the AFSCME
Council 11
office or your area Take Back Wisconsin staff for information on joining the vigils or
coming to Madison to
visit your Legislators and attend the Conference Committee meetings.
PRO-LABOR LEGISLATION SET FOR VOTE - Two weeks ago the Senate Labor
Committee held a
public hearing on several pro-labor bills. AFSCME members testified in favor of Senate
Bill (SB) 121,
legislation that prohibits an employer under the Municipal Employment Relations Act (MERA)
from ending
fair share agreements or grievance arbitration in the middle of a contract hiatus. That
bill, along with
SB 243, which would make teacher preparation time a mandatory subject of collective
bargaining and
SB 83, which exempts unemployment compensation from state income taxes, will be voted on
by the
Committee on Tuesday.
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