Budget update
The 2017-19 biennial budget is moving through
the process and I am looking for your input. Governor Walker, in
January, outlined his tax and spending priorities and the Joint
Finance Committee has been working diligently to review and
amend that proposal. Conversely, the senate is working on an
alternative to Governor Walker's proposal and the assembly has
unveiled its own priorities.
As you might expect, the budget process has been
fluid and ongoing since January. My staff and I are currently
weighing the intricacies of each proposal. Your input and
feedback on the budget will allow me to better ascertain your
concerns. Do not hesitate to call or email my office with
suggestions for improving the budget.
Discussing my legislative priorities on the
Assembly Floor
Transportation safety
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation urges drivers to be
alert for potential pavement problems, traffic slow-downs, and
to move over for roadside workers, including highway repair
crews. A heat wave forecast through much of the state commencing
this week and could create conditions for pavement buckling.
Motorists are asked to take extra caution.
Pavement buckles are most common when the weather quickly
changes from cool to very hot, causing the pavement to expand.
This can cause concrete slabs of pavement to push against each
other, and if the pressure becomes great enough, the pavement
can buckle. While it is difficult to predict if or where
buckling may occur, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
offers the following tips for motorists:
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Slow down, buckle up and eliminate
distractions to focus your full attention on the roadway.
Along with pavement issues, other concerns this time of year
can include deer or debris on the roadway.
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Watch for slowing traffic and be ready to
move over for all roadside workers including highway crews
as they repair damaged pavement.
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Before your trip, check the
511 Travel Information System for the latest on any
incidents or delays.
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If necessary, report serious pavement issues
by calling 911. Be ready to provide specific location
information.
Consumer Safety
The official start of summer is only weeks away, but many of us
are still finalizing our vacation plans. With so many places to
go and travel packages to consider, the Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) asks travelers to watch out for too-good-to-be-true
deals and keep a close eye on any fine print that accompanies an
offer.
"Scammers know that families are always on the lookout for a
good deal on travel packages, and they use their enticement in
their ploys. Demands for upfront payments, vague promises and
high-pressure sales pitches should all be signs that something
is not quite right in a so-called deal," said Fran Frassetto,
Division Administrator for Trade and Consumer Protection.
Fraudulent vacation-related operations often involve one of two
elements: postcard mailers promising free or heavily discounted
travel and online advertisements for rental properties. The
postcards may be fronts for high-pressure sales pitches for
vacation clubs or timeshares. In some cases, they may be ploys
to get potential victims to pay taxes or fees on a non-existent
prize.
Online ads that feature unbelievably low prices on rental
properties in vacation hotspots should alert you to be
suspicious of the offer and to do more research. You might even
notice that scammers have ripped pictures and descriptions of
properties from real estate listings and posted the information
to a classified ad as a rental property.
When considering a vacation offer, remember the following tips:
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Look for a fraud alert or frequently asked
questions page on the website where you found the deal to
see if there are any warning signs you should watch out for
in a solicitation.
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Check that the address of an advertised
rental property really exists. If the property is located in
a resort, call the front desk and confirm specific details
about the location and any promotions they are running.
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Ask for confirmation of all details:
reservation dates, room rates, associated fees or
mandatory charges, room amenities, time of
check-in/check-out the the hotel's cancellation or refund
policy. Knowing this will help when comparing deals.
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Buy your travel package from a business you
have confidence in or that comes recommended by family or
friends.
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Use a credit card if possible for any
purchases. Credit cards give more protection than paying
with cash or check.
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Never wire money up front.
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If you receive a "robocall" saying you won a
"free" vacation prize, it is a scam. Hang up and report the
caller to DATCP.
For additional information or to file a
complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at
http://www.datcp.wi.gov, send an e-mail to
datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection
Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
Pending Legislation
This week, the Wisconsin State Assembly will
vote on two proposals I authored relating to bonding issues for
local units of government. Both bills were approved unanimously
by the senate last month.
Senate Bill 122
The first, Senate Bill 122 makes the
filing of an official bond permissive, not mandatory. At this
writing, state law stipulates that certain municipal officials
must, as a prerequisite to assuming office, file an official
bond. The purpose of the bond is to protect the municipality and
taxpayers against any loss of public funds which might occur
when public officials fail to perform the duties of their
respective office.
Municipalities find these bonding requirements
confusing and an unnecessary expense. Many have justifiably
asked why it is necessary to pay for bonds for various elected
and appointed municipal officials when the municipality has also
purchased employee dishonesty and other insurance coverage
options to protect them and taxpayers against losses caused by
employee wrongdoing.
Senate Bill 123
Senate Bill 123 ensures property taxes are
properly distributed to local taxing entities, chiefly, schools,
municipalities, counties, and technical colleges. Currently,
most property tax payments made in December and January, are
paid to, and collected by, municipal treasurers. Municipalities
retain a share of the property tax and distribute the remainder
to other taxing jurisdictions. Due to the antiquated nature of
the statute n which this is addressed--it has not been amended
since 1991--Wisconsin's surety bond threshold is no longer
sufficient to cover the state and county tax levy in the event a
municipality is unable to distribute the property tax.
Quite simply, Senate Bill 123 updates section
70.67 of Wisconsin State Statutes to require that municipalities
enact either an ordinance guaranteeing a proper distribution of
property taxes to other taxing jurisdictions, or to attain a
surety bond in an amount not less than the total state and
county property tax levy.
Senator Duey Stroebel and I testifying on
Senate Bills 122 and 123.
Assembly Bill 204
Additionally, later this month, my waste heat
recovery bill will come before the assembly for a vote. This
bill, which was approved by the senate 20-13, last month,
promotes waste heat recovery in industries and manufacturing
facilities throughout Wisconsin. Waste heat is generated as a byproduct from all industrial processes
that involve combining raw materials into a useable product. Too
often, heat energy is inadvertently vented through smokestacks
and waste. Assembly Bill 204 would designate heat energy as a
renewable resource as defined under Wisconsin's Renewable
Portfolio Standards, or RPS, as it is colloquially known.
Including new collection technology under RPS
will encourage more industries and manufacturers to promote
waste heat recovery procedures to lessen utility expenses and
potentially use the recovered heat for future energy generation.
Investment in heat recovery equipment has provided both economic
and environmental benefits to a number of state throughout the
country. Moreover, several of our Midwestern neighbors
(Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan) have adopted language
to define waste heat as a renewable resource or energy
efficiency. This legislation benefits local companies such as
Charter Steel and Rockwell Automation.
REINS Act
This week, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed
the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Security (REINS)
Act. This legislation,
Assembly Bill 42 requires legislative approval on any agency
rule that has more than a $10 million price tag over two years.
The $10 million cap is, perhaps, the most important reform in
this legislation, as it ensure that expensive administrative
rules are subject to strict scrutiny by the legislature.
Furthermore, it allows the public to hold individual legislators
accountable for expensive rules.
Assembly Bill 42 makes simple but important
reforms that strengthen the legislature and improve transparency
and accountability in the rule-making process.
This bill makes three fundamental changes to the
rule-making process:
1. Requires the Department of Administration to
make a determination as to an agency's authority to promulgate a
rule.
2. Strengthens the Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules by allowing an independent economic impact
analysis of a proposed rule.
3. Requires a rule with a fiscal impact
exceeding $10 million over two years to receive a vote by the
full legislature before taking effect.
Regulations have the force of law and are
written by unelected bureaucrats. When those rules are going to
have a significant economic impact, they deserve a heightened
level of scrutiny. The REINS Act provides that additional
scrutiny, while ensuring greater involvement for the public in
the rulemaking process and empowering the legislature to
exercise some significant new oversight powers.
Have a great week,
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