Fighting National Debt
I am a cosponsor of two pieces of legislation to address our
skyrocketing national debt. These both passed the Assembly this
week. One allows a convention of states to discuss and draft
amendments to the US Constitution, and the other creates a
delegate selection process for the convention.
Article V of the United States Constitution includes a
framework for potential future changes. When amendments have
been added in the past, they were approved by a supermajority
(at least two-thirds) of Congress and three-fourths of the
states.
Assembly Joint Resolution 81 (AJR 81), would use a
lesser-known component of Article V, allowing two-thirds of
state legislatures to call for a convention of states to draft
amendments. Then, three-fourths of the states would need to vote
to ratify the amendment. We think this is the best option to
combat national debt since the federal government has been
unable to pass meaningful debt reduction legislation. The states
have a way to keep the federal government in check, and the
founding fathers gave us this tool.
If AJR 81 is adopted, Wisconsin would become one of 20 other
states calling for this type of convention on a balanced budget
amendment.
Assembly Bill 635 (AB 635), creates a process to select
delegates who would serve at an Article V Convention. This bill
includes the following provisions: The Legislature and the
Governor appoint five delegates to attend the convention as
follows:
- The Speaker of the Assembly appoints two members of the
Assembly
- The President of the Senate appoints two members of the
Senate
- The Governor appoints one member of either the Assembly
or the Senate
A majority vote of a state's five delegates represents the
state's position on a matter.
We must take steps to address our national debt. It's important
that future generations not be held back by massive debt that
they didn't take part in accumulating. Most of us want a
balanced budget, but it still hasn't happened. This resolution
is a big step in helping us get real control over our national
debt and start a better, more fiscally responsible future for
generations to come.
SAFE Act is another step to saving lives
On Tuesday, the State Assembly passed
Assembly Bill 464, the SAFE Act (Stopping Abuse Fatalities
through Enforcement), and I hope it passes the Senate quickly.
If enacted, this bill will implement model court procedures to
ensure that convicted abusers who have been ordered to surrender
their firearms actually do it. It is already the law that those
with a domestic abuse or child abuse injunction must surrender
any firearms they possess. However, there's no standard
procedure to make sure this happens.
If you would like to read more detail about this legislation,
click
here.
Emergency Heating Assistance Bill Passes Assembly
Recently, the price per gallon of propane has risen due to
inadequate supply to meet a soaring demand. In response,
Governor Walker expanded eligibility for low income energy
assistance and established a $4 million loan guarantee program,
which helped propane dealers with financing so they can purchase
and distribute their product to those who need it. Those in the
middle class or who are seniors are still paying high prices for
propane, so we passed
Assembly Bill 770. AB 770 targets those who don't qualify
for the low income assistance and offers a loan guarantee
program.
Homeowners can acquire low-interest loans to get propane and
heating supplies approved by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic
Development Authority (WHEDA), in a way that's similar to
drought assistance. The loans cannot exceed $2,500 and the
borrower's household income can't exceed 200 percent of the
median family income in their county. The bill now goes to the
Senate for attention. |