100th Legislative Session Off to a Busy Start

Since Inauguration Day, my colleagues in the Legislature and I have been very busy working on Special Session legislation introduced by Governor Scott Walker.  Two of the Special Session bills introduced were referred to committees on which I serve.  

Many of you contacted my office to express your support or opposition to Special Session Assembly Bill 1 and Special Session Senate Bill 1: tort reform in order to deter frivolous lawsuits that have hampered much-needed economic growth and job creation within Wisconsin's business community.  Both bills appeared before the Judiciary and Ethics Committee, on which I serve as a member.  The committee held a joint public hearing on this legislation with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce and Government Operations last week before voting in favor of passage during the Executive Session held this week.  SB 1 was then immediately referred to the floor of the Assembly where all of my colleagues and I ultimately voted on this legislation.  By a vote of 57-36, SB 1 passed and has been messaged to Governor Scott Walker for his signature.

Special Session Assembly Bill 5 was referred to the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve as Chair.  The committee held a public hearing as well as an Executive Session on this measure this week, and it successfully passed.  It will now be taken up by the entire Assembly during an upcoming floor period.

I mentioned the purpose of this legislation in my previous edition of Capitol Insight; however, based on some of the feedback I've received, there has been some confusion on this legislation.  Should AB 5 pass, it will require a 2/3 vote by the Legislature in order to raise any taxes in Wisconsin.  In no way does this bill intend to raise taxes, particularly in this economic climate.  Rather, in the event a legislator drafts a bill intended to raise taxes in the future, that bill will need a "super-majority" vote by both houses of the Legislature in favor of passage in order to become law as opposed to a "simple majority" vote (and passing by a much-smaller margin).  This bill will make it more difficult to raise taxes during future sessions, and putting a greater financial burden on our state's businesses and hard-working taxpayers.  I hope this clarifies the intent of the bill; otherwise, I am happy to address any lingering questions and concerns surrounding AB 5.

Last, but not least, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee held its inaugural public hearing last week.  I serve as Co-Chair of this committee with Senator Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay).  Our first order of business was a proposed audit of the state's Medicaid programs, including those that serve low-income residents as well as the blind, elderly and disabled.  A number of concerns and "red flags" pertaining to these $6.7 billion worth of programs were brought to the attention of the committee members and me, and we decided to pursue a thorough audit to determine where specific problem areas are and how much they're costing the taxpayers each year.  The committee voted unanimously in favor of pursuing this audit after hearing testimonies provided by Deputy Secretary Kitty Rhoades and Medicaid Director Brett Davis of the Department of Health Services.

In addition to the Medicaid audit, a very disturbing issue was brought to my attention this week by the Legislative Audit Bureau that I will be devoting much attention to in the coming weeks.  Senator Cowles and I were briefed by the Legislative Audit Bureau on questionable accounting maneuvers by former Governor Jim Doyle that have left us $45.3 million deeper in the red for the remainder of this fiscal biennium.

In order to give the "illusion" of a balanced budget for the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium, the Doyle Administration, particularly the Department of Administration, lapsed more than $19 million from various cashless program revenue appropriations to the state's General Fund (which provides the bulk of funding for state-funded programs and services).  Additionally, the Doyle Administration charged more than $25 million worth of expenditures to the 2010-2011 fiscal year, even though the purchases were made from 2009 to 2010.

Senator Cowles and I are very alarmed and concerned by what the Legislative Audit Bureau uncovered from the previous administration and will work diligently to address this matter and ensure it does not happen again.  The Legislative Audit Bureau has also released the letter detailing its findings for public viewing.

As the Legislative Session progresses, I welcome visitors to my website for continuous updates, copies of press releases, and past issues of Capitol Insight to learn more about how your state government is working for you.  You may also wish to visit the Wisconsin Legislature's website where you'll have access to the Notification Service.  This will enable you to follow legislation from the time it is introduced until it is either vetoed or signed into law by the Governor. 

Rep. Kerkman and Senator Robert Cowles preside over the public hearing held by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee on the proposed audit of Medicaid.

Contacting Your Federal Elected Officials

With another election cycle behind us, I am happy to provide you with the contact information of your elected officials who represent you in Congress.  If you have concerns pertaining to issues such as Social Security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or Medicare, to name a few, these are the individuals you would need to contact.

Newly-elected U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has established a district office in Milwaukee, where he can be reached at 414-276-7282.  The contact number for U.S. Senator Herb Kohl's district office in Milwaukee is 414-297-4451.  Congressman Paul Ryan maintains three offices throughout his district.  Depending on where in the district you live, you can reach Congressman Ryan and his staff at their three offices in Racine at 262-637-5689, in Kenosha at 262-654-1901, and in Janesville at 608-752-4050.  Congressman Ryan also maintains a toll-free constituent hotline which is 1-888-909-7926.

 Update on Governor Walker's State of the State Address

In my previous edition of Capitol Insight, I had mentioned the date of Governor Scott Walker's State of the State Address.  The event was initially scheduled to take place on January 25th, but President Obama is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union Address that same evening.  Therefore, the State of the State Address will take place on Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00pm, and will be broadcasted via Wisconsin Public Television.

Youth in Governance Program Seeking Applications

The Kenosha County Board of Supervisors is currently accepting applications for the 2011 Youth in Governance Program.  This is an exciting opportunity for high school sophomores and juniors to learn more about their government and the overall political process.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know participants in this program since it was established in 2007 and welcome the opportunity to meet with this year's participants.

If you know of an outstanding high school sophomore or junior who resides in Kenosha County, has a GPA of a 2.5 or higher, and would be able to attend monthly meetings, I encourage you to nominate them to participate in the 2011 Youth in Governance Program.  For more information and to obtain a nomination form, please contact John de Montmollin, the Kenosha County UW-Extension Youth & Family Educator, at 262-857-1945 or by e-mail at john.demontmollin@ces.uwex.edu.  The deadline for submitting nomination forms is February 11, 2011.

Rep. Kerkman (far right) is pictured with Senator Bob Wirch and participants of the 2010 Kenosha County Youth in Governance Program held last spring.