Issue: 
Funding for 911 services that ended in the last two years came from a monthly tax on only cellular phone lines.  Counties and other operators of 911 centers advocated for renewal of a dedicated funding source other than the property tax to keep 911 technology up to date and cover ongoing 911 center expenses.

Outcome:  In the budget, legislators created a ‘Police and Fire’ fee of 75 cents per month on all voice phone lines, both cellular and land line.  In creating the fee, legislators intended the funds to offset reductions in this budget for county and municipal shared revenue payments.  Legislators made the fee temporary by adding a ‘sunset’ provision in two years, at the end of the 2009-2011 biennium.  And, legislators created a new “Enhanced 911” fund, starting at the beginning of the next biennium two years from now, dedicating the same phone line tax revenue specifically for 911 center costs.  However, vetoes by Governor Doyle removed the sunset of the police and fire fee making the monthly phone line tax permanent, and eliminated the Enhanced 911 plan, leaving it to county and municipal government to fund 911 center costs.