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,
Legislation and floor session
Historically, the legislature's Joint Finance Committee, regardless of the party in power, has removed policy items, those devoid of a fiscal estimate or impact, from the biennial budget. Throughout my tenure in the legislature, I have been outspoken in my opposition to the inclusion of non-fiscal provisions in the state budget. I supported removing policy from Governor Walker's 2015 and 2017 biennial budgets, even though I agreed with those policies. For the same reason, I also supported removing policy items from Governor Evers' 2019 budget, not merely because I disagreed with the policies. In the same way, I favor removing policy items from Governor Evers' proposed 2021 budget. Policy items should be introduced as standalone legislation.
During the 2017 session, for example, I supported removing the following policy items from the budget:
Allowing University of Wisconsin students to opt out of paying segregated, non-tuition fees for extra-curricular student programs,
Removing a requirement that public and private charter and voucher schools teach students a minimum number of hours each school year,
Repealing the state prevailing wage for state building and highway projects, and
Increasing the fine for inattentive driving and texting while driving.
There were countless other provisions, many of which I agreed with, that I supported removing from Governor Walker's 2017 budget.
This week, the Joint Finance Committee voted to remove 384 policy items from Governor Evers' biennial budget. No budget in state history has contained more non-fiscal provisions.
The following represents an epigrammatic summation of some of the most controversial items removed from Governor Evers' biennial budget:
A ban on vaping at schools.
Legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana.
Requiring the Department of Public Instruction to include information about climate change in public school curricula.
Raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.60 by the end of 2021 and $10.15 by 2024.
Mandating background checks on all firearms purchases.
Raising the age to be charged with a crime as an adult from 17 to 18.
Repealing 2011 Act 10 and all the savings that came with it.
Banning police from using no-knock warrants.
Creating a $2.9 million program to pay for driver education courses for those in poverty.
Ending "dark store" policies for property assessments.
Rejection of federal Medicaid expansion dollars.
Despite agreeing with a couple of these policies--I support the legalization of medicinal marijuana and was the principal author of the legislation eliminating the "dark store" loophole--I am opposed to the inclusion of policy items in the budget. As you can see, my position on this issue has been consistent. I have rejected the inclusion of policy items in the budget by both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Please take a moment to answer this week's survey question regarding the inclusion of policy items in the biennial budget.
Thank you for answering last week's survey question regarding authority over the spending of American Rescue Plan Act funds. In total, 156 individuals responded to last week's survey question. When asked who should have spending authority over these dollars, 47 percent of respondents stated the authority should be shared by the executive and legislative branches.
On the contrary, 26 percent of respondents believed that Governor Evers has the sole authority to spend this money; just 19 percent of respondents voted to give spending authority to the legislature.
What is more, 8 percent of respondents voted "other." Responses include:
"My preference would be for Governor Evers and the legislature to work together on the disbursement of these funds."
"Taxpayers of Wisconsin should be given this money. After all, we are the ones who will be forced to pay this money back."
"The legislature could submit recommendations but ultimately, the governor and agency executives should spend this money."
"We should be fiscally prudent and not spend this money. Save this money for a true emergency or return it to the federal government."
Legislation and floor session
This week, the legislature convened to pass some consequential pieces of legislation, several of which I authored. For bills I authored have been included on Tuesday's floor calendar, Assembly Bill 101, relating to parenting plans affecting the family; Assembly Bill 104, relating to calculating child support obligation and elimination of family support; Assembly Bill 107, relating to the physical placement of a child; and Senate Bill 46, relating to the presumption of riparian rights on navigable waterways.
All four of these bills were approved unanimously via voice vote in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Next week's e-update will contain a more comprehensive analysis of these bills and the others being voted on by the Wisconsin State Assembly.
State Budget update
The Joint Committee on Finance began writing the 2021-2023 biennial budget this week. The process commenced with the committee removing hundreds of divisive policy items from the governor's budget proposal. His request is unworkable, unrealistic, and unsustainable, including massive spending and tax increases.
Thanks to responsible budgeting over the past decade, Wisconsin has seen record surpluses that have been used to lower the tax burden for the people of our state. Governor Evers' budget raises taxes by $1 billion to pay for a historically high level of spending. Governor Evers would have increased spending by nearly ten percent--more than $8 billion over the biennium--which would have been the largest spending increase in more than twenty years.
The Joint Finance Committee removed the most policy items ever from a governor's budget proposal including: the doubling of the state energy tax; Medicaid expansion; repeal of right-to-work; and the elimination of the 2011 Act 10 reforms.
Events
The following are events that will be held this week in the 60th Assembly District. If you have any upcoming events 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| |
