Hello and welcome back to the newest edition of my E-Update!  A lot has happened here at the Capitol since my last E-update that I would like to share with you. 

Meeting with the Governor

A primary focus of the group has been the difficulty we face in adequately counseling our high school students regarding their educational and career plans. Increasingly, our school Guidance Counselors are stretched thin because of having to deal with discipline, social problems and mental health issues. We have many students going to a four-year college who graduate with a large debt load and no employment. At the same time, we have thousands of high paying technical jobs open in the state that often require a two-year degree or less.

Our goal is to provide students and families with better information and exposure to these other options so that they can make informed decisions. Our work will likely result in a pilot program in one area of the state to enhance the counseling for these students.

The Governor and I discussed Algoma High School, which has done an exemplary job of involving local businesses in exposing students to these technical opportunities. We are exploring ways to replicate their success and encourage businesses to partner with schools in other areas around the state.

These issues are extremely important to the Governor and he was very interested and encouraging. Workforce development has been a high priority of his administration and he was able to offer some valuable insights on how we can attack these twin problems of rising student debt and a shortage of technical workers.

Picture:
My Meeting with Governor Walker.

Civil Service Reform

In the past few weeks, the Assembly has taken up a number of controversial topics. Often the facts of these issues get lost amidst all of the media and internet uproar. This week we will take up Civil Service Reform, which promises to be contentious as well.

Governor Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. approved the Civil Service Law in our state in 1905, using the slogan that “the best shall serve the state.” Since that time, we have had a proud tradition of strong civil service for our employees. Now, more than 100 years later, we need to update our system to reflect changes in our workforce, in technology, and in employee case law. It is vital that we maintain the integrity of our system that our citizens expect.

We are faced with a situation where 40 percent of our 30,000 state employees will be eligible for retirement in the next ten years while our eligible workforce is shrinking. Compounding the problem is an antiquated hiring system that is costly and time consuming. Currently, it takes an average of six to eight months to fill a single position. The best candidates often take other positions in the private sector by the time a decision is made.

The overarching goal of this bill is to proactively address a looming crisis brought on by the retirement of the baby boom generation. These reforms make it easier to hire and retain the best workers for our state. The State of Wisconsin is a unique employer and we must be very careful to protect our employees from political pressure. I believe these reforms contain safeguards to assure that.

Under this proposal, the Civil Service Exam, which has been the primary determinant in hiring decisions, will no longer be required. It will be replaced by a resume-based system for evaluating applicants. The most frequent criticism is that a resume-based system is more subjective and will lead to preferential hiring of political friends, or “cronyism.” This is certainly a legitimate concern, but safeguards will be put in place to prevent this. Resumes will be evaluated by multiple evaluators and done in a blind manner so that they do not know who they are evaluating. Furthermore, an annual audit will be done to assure that this goal of impartial evaluation has been met. It should also be pointed out that it is illegal to base hiring on political affiliation.

In my role as President of the Sturgeon Bay School Board, as well as being the owner of a veterinary practice, I have been involved in the hiring of dozens of people. It is difficult for me to imagine anyone arguing that a written test is a better indicator of a good employee than careful examination of their work history, their academic record, and their recommendations. Certainly we must be vigilant for any appearance of cronyism, but if we truly want to hire the best people available, I have no doubt that resumes give far better information than a test.

The other major element of this bill is a clearer definition of “just cause” in terminating employees. Currently, it is ridiculously cumbersome to fire a bad employee. We have many, many examples of cases where employees kept their jobs after being discovered using illegal drugs at work, spending entire workdays viewing pornography, and even having sex with coworkers on the job. An employee must currently miss four consecutive workdays without calling in before they can be considered for dismissal. Obviously, no private workplace would tolerate such behavior. Under this bill, “just cause” is clearly defined and includes a list of egregious acts that will result in dismissal, such as theft, physical assault, possession of drugs, and the display or distribution of pornography.

Even after employees are discovered to be involved in obvious acts of indiscretion, it can currently take years for an employee to be disciplined. At any given time, there are 80 to 100 state employees being paid to stay home while their cases are being investigated. This proposal would define “just cause” and use a clear, three step appeals process that will result in a decision being made within six or seven months.

In my short time in the Assembly, I have been overwhelmingly impressed by the competence and dedication of our state employees. Our taxpayers deserve such employees. I believe that these reforms will go far to assure Governor LaFollette’s goal that “the best shall serve the state” continues into future generations.

Taste of Kewaunee County

Over 300 business and community members from the region, gathered to celebrate the local food and drink offerings from Kewaunee County at the 7th Annual Taste of the County on October 21st at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds! The Kewaunee County Economic Development Buy Local showcased twenty-six food and beverage businesses with enormous selections of palette pleasing samples from soups to sweets. This successful celebration of the diverse culinary and beverage merchants in Kewaunee County acted as a stage for the existing and emerging talents in the area.

Events like the Taste of the County provide an opportunity to highlight the talents and strengths of our local business community, as well as the assets of the county. The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation extends its thanks to sponsors and participants. Proceeds from the event will help advance grassroots economic development initiatives in Kewaunee County.

Pictured Above: North Water Bakery and Deli.

Blue Books Available

If you would like a complimentary copy of the 2015-2016 Wisconsin State Blue Book, please follow the proved link:

          http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/01/kitchens/constituent-services/ 

The 2015-2016 Blue Book is also available online:

          http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/publications/wisconsin-blue-book/

In Closing...

Thank you for taking the time to read over my E-Update. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact my office.

Representative Joel Kitchens