Thank you for taking the time to read this week's e-update. I always strive to include information you find interesting and informative as it relates to my work in Madison and the 60th Assembly District.
My most important goal remains serving you, my constituents. Helping you find solutions to difficult problems when it seems like the state is unresponsive is the single greatest reward for my staff and me. I take constituents' input seriously and continually work hard on your behalf.
I always have your thoughts and concerns in mind when deciding whether or not to support legislation. Furthermore, I appreciate when you take time out of your schedules to contact me.
Have a great week,
2019-2020 State of Wisconsin Blue Books
Everyone's favorite almanac of state government, The Wisconsin State Blue Book, is now available. Published biennially since 1853, the Wisconsin State Blue Bookis the oldest publication in Wisconsin. Initially, the publication served as a manual for the State Assembly, a pocket-sized volume of fewer than 100 pages, and designed for legislators to have information about state government at their fingertips.
According to the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, the principal authors of this venerable publication, "Over the decades, the Blue Bookevolved in size, scope, and purpose. TheBlue Book's many iterations were caused by the increased availability of information about state government and the public. By 2015, the Blue Bookexceeded 1,000 pages and was laden with dense statistical information that history buffs and political junkies would find engrossing; everyday citizens, conversely, would find this information uninteresting. The 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Blue Book, the second since the publication was revamped, is designed to provide citizens with enthralling content about Wisconsin history and government.
The 2019-2020 Blue Book is intended to serve as an introduction to state and local government, not the primary source for information regarding these entities. More substantive and timely information may be accessed through the Internet than could ever be accessed by a team of researchers tasked with penning a treatise.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the 2019-2020 Blue Book, please click the followinglink. My staff and I will make it a priority to ensure that your copy arrives in a timely fashion.
This week's survey
Each biennium, Assembly offices receive 350 hardcover copies of the State of Wisconsin Blue Book. For someoffices, distributing their full allotment is a herculean endeavor,as constituent requests for the books has declined over the years. In fact, many offices have hundreds of copies of the previousBlue Book remaining. They often continue to take up space in the office or are donated to the Wisconsin State Capitol Tour Desk.
In 2015, my office drafted legislation to reduce the number of Blue Booksallotted to each legislative office. The bill was never introduced, as the Legislative Reference Bureau found that a reduction in the number of books printed would increase printing costs and have no significant fiscal savings.
I am interested in your feedback on whether the state should continue printing hardcover copies of this almanac, transition to an electronic-only publication, or transition to a paperback version (paperback versions were printed in the 1960s and 1970s).
Please, take a minute to answer my one-question survey regarding the State of Wisconsin Blue Book.
Thank you to everyone who answered this week's survey regarding fiscal transparency. Your feedback is important to me and made it clear that overwhelming bipartisan support exists for this legislation. In total, 106 individuals answered this week's question, with 96 percent of respondents expressing support for legislation that would increase fiscal transparency of legislative proposals. Less than one percent of respondents opposed this idea, whereas, 3 percent responded "other."
Some of the responses provided by those who selected "other," are as follows:
"Sounds like it would increase the cost of creating legislation."
"We do not have enough information regarding the specifics of this proposal."
Assembly Committee on Local Government
This week, the Assembly Committee on Local Government held a public hearing on Assembly Bill 490, a bipartisan bill I co-authored with Senator Dale Kooyenga. Additionally, Assembly Bill 256, relating to condemnation authority for local units of government, was voted out of committee and sent to the Assembly for final passage.
Assembly Bill 490
I have long believed that local units of government are the bedrocks of our republic, as they are closest to and most representative of the people who elect them. As such, I submit that local governments should be encouraged to eliminate duplication of services when possible. For example, Nebraska and New York have begun incentivizing share services with state grants. Currently, Wisconsin law penalizes local governments with levy reduction for those wishing to share services (ss. 66.0602 (3) (a). This policy ensures that governments consider an increase in taxes or borrow funds, rather than reduce the size of government.
This bill repeals ss. 66.0602 (3) (a), which will increase the number of shared services throughout the state and help governments begin to transfer services without penalty. A reduction in the size of government will lower the cost to continue operating for local governments and maintain strict levy limits for longer periods of time. The repeal of this statute will provide an incentive for service consolidation and collaboration, which will result in lower property tax levels.
Examples could include: Public-safety answering points (PSAPs), police resources, road jurisdictional transfers, shared administration departments (HR, finance, IT), shared health departments, and merged service agencies such as Aging and Disability Resource Centers.
If you have questions or comments regarding this legislation, do not hesitate to contact me.
Assembly Bill 256
The Assembly Committee on Local Government overwhelmingly approved Assembly Bill 256, a bill I co-authored with Senator Tom Tiffany.
Assembly Bill 256 is a technical fix to 2017 Wisconsin Act 243, which increased caps for Business Replacement Payments when the condemnor is a village, city, or town. For these entities, Act 243 increased the caps to $80,000 for tenants and $100,000 for owner-occupants. Municipalities throughout the state contacted my office to inquire as to why redevelopment authorities (RDAs), community development authorities (CDAs), and counties were not subject to these caps.
This bill extends the same Business Replacement Payment caps to all entities granted condemnation authority under section 32.02 of Wisconsin state statutes. It is imperative to note that BRP caps are applicable to RDAs and CDAs when they are conducting economic development projects on behalf of local units of government.
Testifying in favor of Assembly Bill 490, before the Assembly Local Government Committee.
60th District Events
The following are events that will be held this week in the 60th Assembly District. If you have any upcoming events that you would like included, please contact my office.
One of the best ways to date with what is happening in Madison is to sign up for the legislature's notification tracking system. This service affords you with the opportunity to track legislative activities in Madison. Upon creation of a free account, you can sign up to receive notification about specific bills of committees as well as legislative activity pertaining to a subject (i.e., health care, education, etc.).
If you have any comments regarding the subject of this E-Update, please feel free to contact me.
Rep. Rob Brooks State Capitol, Room 216 North P.O. Box 8952 Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0060 or (608) 267-2369 Rep.Rob.Brooks@legis.wi.gov| |
Everyone's favorite almanac of state government, The Wisconsin State Blue Book, is now available. Published biennially since 1853, the Wisconsin State Blue Book
