Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight

This page, prepared by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, provides an overview of recent and upcoming activities in the Wisconsin Legislature. It will usually appear weekly, but less frequently when the legislature is not in floor session. Links to more detailed information sources are highlighted. A link at the end of this feature accesses earlier issues of the Spotlight.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION -- WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22

Budget Action

Majority Republicans and minority Democrats in the assembly reached agreement on September 16 on a bipartisan assembly version of the budget. It passed on a 75-to-24 vote. The senate has begun work on the assembly version, but no date for floor debate has been set.

Assembly Amendment 8 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 encompassed the assembly's main changes to the substitute amendment approved earlier by the Joint Committee on Finance. Major changes from the Joint Finance version include: a one cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax and a $5 increase in registration fees; allowing parents to send children to any public school; reducing the income tax rate by 5% over 5 years and ending the "marriage penalty" for couples filing joint income tax returns; elimination of the personal property tax on business computers; increasing the cigarette tax by 15 cents per pack; continued subsidy of local recycling programs; and contracting with other states for 1,000 more prison beds.

If the budget is approved by the Legislature in September, it will be the latest date for adoption of a budget in the last 13 legislative sessions. By comparison, the 1995 budget was sent to the governor on June 29, and the 1993 budget cleared on July 17. Although budgets in the late 60s and early 70s tended to pass later than has been recent practice, only the 1971 budget, which passed the legislature on October 27, ran beyond the current budget schedule.

Because a new budget was not enacted into law by the beginning of the fiscal year which began on July 1, state agencies have continued to operate at their 1995-97 appropriation levels.

The complete text of all 1997 Wisconsin bills and joint resolutions is available in pdf format for reading or printing.

1997-1999 BUDGET CAN BE SEARCHED ON THE NET

The 1997-99 budget bill can be searched on the Web. By using the Folio search tool, you may locate specific words or phrases in the document. If you need help searching the budget, contact the Legislative Reference Bureau Reference Desk at (608) 266-0341.

The complete text of Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 to AB-100; Assembly Amendment 8 to ASA-1 (as amended by Assembly Amendments 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12 and 13 to Assembly Amendment 8); and Assembly Amendment 9 to ASA-1 (as amended by Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 9) are available through the Legislation page, along with all other bills and amendments introduced in this session.

ON THE AGENDA

Scheduled Hearings

The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and Government Operations will hold a public hearing on SJR-27, relating to memorializing Congress to work toward an international ban on land mines; SB-32, relating to the 5-year vesting requirement to receive an annuity under the Wisconsin retirement system; AB-4, relating to publication or dissemination of false information pertaining to a response to certain questions; AB-142, relating to the method of selection of election officials; and AB-158, relating to increasing the fees charged by a register of deeds for recording certain plats. The committee will also consider the appointments of Ned W. Bechthold to the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation; David A. Benner, Frederick W. Franklin, Roman M. Jungers and Roberta P. (Bobbette) Overby to the Accounting Examining Board; LaMarr Franklin to the Real Estate Appraisers Board; Marie B. Kohlbeck to the Auctioneer Board; and Christine Nuernberg to the Real Estate Board on Thursday, September 25, at 10:00 am, Room 106, Lower Level, 1 East Main Street, Madison.

Check the complete list of hearings for more information, including times and places.