Gateway Technical College hosts Legislative Breakfast

I recently attended a legislative breakfast and panel discussion hosted by Gateway Technical College in Racine.  The campus provided an excellent breakfast and I was pleased to meet with the students, fellow public officials, and other attendees of the event.  State Rep. Scott Gunderson, Dave Craig from Congressman Paul Ryan's office, and Michael Wilder from U.S. Senator Russ Feingold's office were also in attendance.

Throughout the duration of the breakfast, we discussed a number of state and federal issues that were on the minds of the attendees, particularly health care reform and the economy.  Dave and Michael provided an update on where federal health care reform legislation is at this time, the Obama Administration's plan in creating jobs, and Dave elaborated more on Congressman Ryan's alternative agenda in reforming not only our health care system, but Social Security, job training, taxes, and the federal budget process as well: A Roadmap for America's Future.

Rep. Gunderson and I discussed our efforts in the Legislature to generate job growth and improve our state's economy.  I focused primarily on reforming the Wisconsin Shares program as one way of saving taxpayer dollars that could instead be used for business incentives in creating jobs.  Rep. Gunderson shared his thoughts on the economic impact of transferring authority to appoint the DNR Secretary from the Governor to the DNR Board.  We also discussed the overall importance of Wisconsin's technical college system in improving the state's economy through job training and helping our workers develop more advanced skills with which to compete in today's labor force.

Overall, the panel discussion was very informative for both the speakers and the audience.  I commend Gateway Technical College for a job well done in organizing the breakfast and for their ongoing contributions in improving the economy.

Pictured from left to right are Michael Wilder from U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold's office, Dave Craig from U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's office, Rep. Samantha Kerkman, and Rep. Scott Gunderson.

 Busy Spring Session Continues

With just over two months left in the 2009-2010 Legislative Session, the pace has certainly picked up as my colleagues in the Assembly and I work to pass legislation for Governor Doyle to sign or veto before he leaves office. 

A number of other bills, many of which I am a co-sponsor, made their way to the Assembly floor this week as well.  These bills include: AB 181 which relates to the penalties enforced for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license or after a suspension or revocation of operating privileges; AB 260 which relates to extraterritorial plat approval on the basis of the land's use (passed on a voice vote); AB 514 which relates to time limitations for commencing prosecution of crimes (passed by a vote of 95-0); AB 592 which relates to registering former military vehicles (concurred by a vote of 32-0); SB 308 (the companion to AB 464) which relates to requiring employers to permit a valid absence or tardiness for employees who are volunteer fire fighters, EMTs, first responders, or ambulance drivers and were responding to an emergency at the time they were to report to work (passed by a vote of 92-3); and AB 552 which relates to penalties for following snowplows (passed on a voice vote).

I am also pleased to report that SB 439, the companion bill to AB 648, passed both the Senate and the Assembly this week.  This bill relates to adopting IRS provisions enabling taxpayers to convert their individual retirement accounts totaling $100,000 to Roth IRA accounts without having a penalty imposed upon them.  Until this bill is signed into law, Wisconsin remains the only state in the nation that penalizes individual retirement account conversions to Roth IRAs.  With the passage of SB 439 out of both houses now, all that remains is for Governor Doyle to sign it into law in the weeks ahead.

In addition to the legislation I voted on during the floor period, I also addressed a number of bills during a public hearing and an executive session that were held by the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics this week.  Among these bills were AB 710 which relates to the inadmissibility of a statement, an apology, or condolences offered by a health care provider; AB 741 which relates to subpoenas and warrants that require the providers of electronic communications services or of remote computing services to provide information or disclose contents to customers of wire or electronic communications; and AB 704 which relates to the uniform power of attorney for finances and property. 

Rep. Samantha Kerkman pictured with (from left to right) Mark Zlevor, Vice President and CFO of Gateway Technical College, and Dr. Scott Pierce, a member of the Gateway Board of Trustees.

No-Call Registration Deadline is February 28th

The Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has announced that the deadline to register for the no-call list is Sunday, February 28th.  This list will then go into effect on April 1st and it will be active for two years.  Anyone who signs up after Sunday will be added to the no-call list that will go into effect on July 1st. 

To register your land line and cell phone on the no-call list and reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, please call 1-866-966-2255.  You can also visit the No-Call website (NoCall.Wisconsin.gov) to register your phone numbers. To keep your numbers on this list, you must register every two years.  Registration is free and though it does not eliminate telemarketing calls, it does help reduce them.

If you need more information about the no-call list or filing a complaint, please contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-800-422-7128 or at DATCPHotline@wi.gov.  You may also visit the DATCP website at www.datcp.state.wi.us.