With an eye on finishing their work on the 2017-2019 biennial state budget, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) met twice over the last week to vote on some of the final remaining items within the budget. On Monday, the committee approved an education package, which is the largest investment in K-12 education in Wisconsin’s history.
Under this plan, every school district in Wisconsin is guaranteed to get more state aid than they did in the last budget. In total, this education plan exceeds $600 million in new money for school districts, with more money directed into the classroom. This package provides an additional $200 in per-pupil funding in FY18 and $204 in FY19 that will be guaranteed to each student throughout the state.
Additionally, as a rural legislator, I am extremely happy to announce that this proposal targets aid to frugal and low spending school districts. Levy limits, which were first established in 1993, have locked frugal school districts, especially in rural areas, into low levy limits and have not kept pace with the cost of education. Roughly 60 percent of K-12 students in the state attend a school in a school district with a levy limit below the statewide average. This proposal increases the low-revenue ceiling to $9,400 per pupil by the second year of the biennium and $100 each year until it reaches $9,800 per pupil. This alone will direct over $23 million in additional state aid to 109 low-spending school districts in this biennium. Over the next 6 years, this will direct over $90 million to over 200 school districts.
Additional Rural School Components of Education Package:
Fully funds the sparsity aid program and creates a new stop-gap mechanism to prevent school districts from losing sparsity aid from one year to the next ($1.6M).
Expands eligibility for high-cost transportation aid so that more districts may receive aid and fully funds the program ($10.4M).
Creates an incentive-based aid program to encourage school districts to share administrative positions so that more money may be spent in the classroom ($2M).
Builds on the Whole Grade Sharing Agreement program created in the last budget by providing incentive aid to encourage school districts to enter into an agreement ($750,000). The Whole Grade Sharing program was a result of the Rural Schools Task Force that I chaired two sessions ago.
Among other provisions within the education package include:
Creates a new Performance Funding aid program to help failing school districts improve ($3.7M).
Creates the Early College Credit program to help high school students take college courses while in high school, cutting down on time-to-degree and college tuition costs
Creates a lifetime license for teachers and administrators that complete six semesters of successful experience.
Provides $1M to connect future teachers with rural school districts facing teacher shortages.
Fully funds Special Education Transitions Incentive Grant which rewards school districts for connecting students with special needs to meaningful employment or postsecondary education ($6.1M).
Creates two new aid programs related to student mental health:
School Mental Health Aid to reimburse schools for costs related to providing mental health services to students ($3M); and,
Community and School Mental Health Collaboration Grants to help schools connect with area health providers to meet students’ needs ($3.25M).
As with any budget related item that passes the JFC, this plan would still have to go through the process of being approved by the full state Legislature and the Governor. The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is tentatively scheduled to meet next week to complete their work on the budget before sending it to the Assembly and Senate.
Assembly Committee on State Affairs Update
The Assembly Committee on State Affairs, which I chair, is looking forward to the start of a busy fall agenda. The committee held a public hearing this past Wednesday to discuss two pieces of legislation.
Assembly Committee on State Affairs Public Hearing on Wednesday, August 30
Assembly Bill 426: Relating to: submission of base budget review reports by state agencies, the legislature, and the courts.
This bill requires that every state agency, including the legislature and the courts, submit a base budget review report once every third biennium. The report must include a description of each programmatic activity of the agency and provide for each programmatic activity an accounting, by fund source, of expenditures for the prior three fiscal years and for the last two quarters of each of the prior three fiscal years. Under the bill, the secretary of administration must develop categories for state agencies to use in organizing the required expenditure information.
Assembly Bill 450: Relating to: retail sales of alcohol beverages at the Ozaukee County fairgrounds.
Beginning in 2012, the Ozaukee County Board received approval by the Department of Revenue to permit licensed vendors to sell liquor on the premises of the Ozaukee County Fairground for special events. The Department of Revenue has recently interpreted Chapter 125: Alcoholic Beverages, differently and informed the Ozaukee County Board that vendors will not be approved to sell liquor and wine in the exposition buildings on the Ozaukee County fairgrounds.
AB 450 allows a retailer to sell alcohol beverages off the retailer's licensed premises if the sale occurs at the Ozaukee County fairgrounds, the retailer is approved by the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors, and the retailer's licensed premises are located in Ozaukee County.
Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions Meeting
In addition to the Assembly committees that I serve on this session, I am also a member of the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for the second consecutive session. Last week, the Tax Exemptions committee met for the first time this session to approve the tax exempt provisions within AB 64/SB 30 (2017-2019 biennial state budget) and August 2017 Special Session Assembly Bill 1, relating to Foxconn.
The Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions was created in 1963 and is a permanent statutory committee of the Legislature. By statute, any proposal which affects any existing statute or creates any new statute relating to the exemption of any property or person from any state or local taxes or special assessment shall be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions. Most notably, the Executive Budget Bill is required to be immediately referred to the committee after its introduction each legislative session.
Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions Meeting on Wednesday, August 23
August 2017 Special Session Assembly Bill 1 contains one provision that creates an exemption from the state sales and use tax for the building materials, supplies, and equipment and taxable landscaping and lawn maintenance services acquired or used solely for the construction or development of facilities located in an information technology manufacturing zone. The committee voted that tax exempt provision of August 2017 Special Session Assembly Bill 1 is appropriate public policy.
Additionally, the committee voted that the following tax exempt provisions within AB64/SB 30 are appropriate public policy:
Income tax exemption for interest earned on bonds or notes issues by the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA)
Income or franchise tax credit, deduction, or exemption sunset
Sales and use tax exemption for certain construction contracts
Amended sales and use tax exemption for occasional sales
Sales tax holiday
Sales and use tax exemption for certain frozen foods manufactured off-site
Membership on the Committee:
Two majority party Senators and one minority party Senator
Two majority party Representatives to the Assembly and one minority party Representative to the Assembly
A representative of the Department of Justice (DOJ), selected by the Attorney General
The secretary of Revenue (DOR) or his or her designated representative
One public members selected by the Governor
Florence County Fair Opening Ceremony
It was great to see such a big turnout for the opening ceremony of the Florence County Fair! I had an opportunity to address the crowd at the fair last Friday night and was happy to see a lot of familiar faces! In addition to the great food and beverages, this year’s fair offered the "Got Fun" Run/Walk, the classic car & motorcycle show, the mud bog, kid’s carnival games and the fan favorite bean bag toss tournament. Look forward to seeing everyone again next summer!
Rep. Swearingen, Dwaine Drewa, and Florence County Fair organizer Jessica Klumpp. Dwaine received the District 1 Volunteer Award for all of the volunteer work he has done for the Florence County Fair.
Summer Picnics in the Northwoods
It was another busy stretch of picnics in the Northwoods the last couple of weekends. I attended the Phelps Fireman’s Picnic, Monico Fire Department Picnic and the Town of Pelican Community Picnic. I would like thank all of the organizers that dedicated months of their time to put on a fantastic showing for these events!
Phelps Fireman's Picnic
Monico Fire Department Picnic
Town of Pelican Community Picnic
Happy Labor Day!
I would like to take a moment to wish everyone a happy Labor Day weekend. With the summer months winding down, I hope that everyone enjoys a fun weekend of grilling out, recreational activities and time spent with family and friends. For all of the students, teachers, and administrators heading back to school next week, I hope that you have a great school year ahead!
The weather is shaping up to look very nice for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, with most parks and forests are reporting that reservable campsites are booked. People looking for last minute end of summer vacation weekend camping trip who don't have a reservation should consider camping at the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. The forest has non-reservable sites at rustic campgrounds that will be open this weekend.
Anglers continue to report productive walleye fishing on Lake Winnebago. Yellow perch fishing action has picked up throughout the system, particularly on Lake Winnebago. With fall approaching, some anglers are already eagerly waiting for the fall white bass run and action already seems to be picking up on the Wolf River.
Anglers on the west shore of Green Bay report catching perch and walleye from Peshtigo to the Pensaukee River. Walleye action on the lower bay has also been very consistent, with some limits reached. Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be excellent throughout the Door County peninsula.
Fishing pressure on Lake Michigan has been light with the recent weather, due largely to strong winds and rain that made it difficult to get a boat out. Those that made it out on calmer days reported mainly chinook salmon and rainbow trout were caught, along with some lake trout, three coho salmon, and one brown trout. Pier fishermen are starting to see a little success with kings finally showing up in harbors and the river channels. The kings are certainly staging to make their fall spawning run. It's only a matter of time before we see them moving upriver.
The mourning dove, early teal and early September Canada goose hunting seasons open in designated areas Friday, September 1. Early goose season hunters should take note that geese are still hitting grain stubble fields big time. Hunters heading out to the fields this week for dove hunting should be prepared to see large numbers of hunters in the available fields. Sunflower fields were planted late due to wet/cold weather earlier this year and may see mixed results in drawing birds in.
Fawns are losing their spots, whitetail bucks are shedding velvet. Young bull elk have also rubbed off their velvet and are polishing and the older bulls have begun to rub off velvet. Elk cow and calf groups are being approached by bulls for the start of the mating season. Bulls are just now beginning to bugle.
The cool nights of the past week have reminded folks that the fall season is getting closer. Signs continue to point to the arrival of fall. Blackberries and hazel nuts are at their peak, acorns are starting to fall, and the brilliant colors of the season are starting. The apple trees are dropping fruit. Goldenrod is in full bloom and New England aster are beginning to show their purple flowers.
Another good week of migration brought many new birds to Wisconsin from their summer haunts in the boreal forests and open tundra of Canada. Warblers continue to steal the show, as they likely will for the next few weeks yet. Common nighthawk migration is past peak in the north, while southern birders found them by the hundreds on the evening of August 30. Reports from the Sauk County area were particularly impressive.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest - The cool nights of the past week have reminded folks that the fall season is getting closer. A few more trees are showings tinges of reds and yellows and more of the understory is starting to turn yellow and brown as plants complete their life cycle for the season. Crows and turkeys can be seen foraging for bugs along roadsides and the songbirds are very quiet now. Juvenile and female hummingbirds are still at area feeders, with the males long gone. The many different golden rods and asters are decorating the paths and roadsides with their yellows, lavenders and whites. Blackberries can still be found if the critters haven't gotten to them first. Area trails have plenty of wet spots, so hikers and hunters need to wear appropriate footwear. Mushrooms are starting to appear on the landscape stimulated by the cool nights and wet weather. It is a great time to be out in the woods! - Rosalie Richter, visitor services associate
World Championship Off-Road Races
This weekend marks the 48th anniversary of the World Championship Off-Road Races at the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. Each year, the off-road races attract indiviudals from not only the Midwest but the entire country to enjoy a fun-filled weekend of great racing, overnight camping and on-site concerts. Expecting the largest crowds in their 48 year history, Crandon International Raceway is offering 29 races during the four day event. To view the schedule of events for the weekend, please click here.
Community Events
Please click the following links for upcoming community events!
