Governor Walker Signs Pleasant Prairie TID Bill into Law

I am pleased to announce that Governor Scott Walker signed the Pleasant Prairie Tax Incremental District (TID) bill that I introduced earlier this session into law today.  Within previous editions of Capitol Insight, I have made references to Assembly Bill 105.  I introduced this legislation with Representative John Steinbrink and Representative Peter Barca before it was referred to the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve as Chair. 

The purpose of AB 105 was to change the requirements for establishing a tax incremental financing district within the Village of Pleasant Prairie.  Doing so would enable area companies such as Uline to expands its operations and the Bio-Medical Innovation Center to implement its operations in furthering economic development.  This legislation would help Uline create 500 new jobs while the Bio-Medical Innovation Center will add another 300 jobs to begin its operations.

As AB 105 advanced through the Assembly, Senator Van Wanggaard and Senator Bob Wirch introduced the companion bill, Senate Bill 144.  SB 144 unanimously passed the Senate last week and then passed the Assembly on a voice vote. 

Governor Walker then signed the bill into law today, stating in his press release, "This law will give Pleasant Prairie and the greater Kenosha area flexibility to use their tax incremental district to continue to grow jobs.  This bipartisan bill is an example of a pro-jobs initiative that Democrats and Republicans can join together on to continue to move Wisconsin's economy forward."

I thank my colleagues and Governor Walker for all of the hard work and effort that was put into SB 144.  I believe this measure will truly benefit Kenosha County's economy in the long run. 

The Metal Shop moves into Kenosha County

Adding to the growing number of jobs in Kenosha County is the Metal Shop, a metal fabrication company in the process of moving its operations from Crystal Lake, Illinois to Pleasant Prairie.  The primary reason for the company's move is to be closer to Catalyst Exhibits, which relocated to Pleasant Prairie back in early March of this year.

As Todd Swift, Vice President of Operations for the Metal Shop, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "We're coming because of Catalyst.  We're their sole supplier for the exhibit side of the business."

The Metal Shop should be completely moved into Pleasant Prairie's LakeView Corporate Park, where Catalyst Exhibits is also located, by August.

Key IT Solutions Celebrates Grand Opening in Salem

Still more jobs have arrived in Kenosha County as Key IT Solutions, LLC celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony that I attended in Salem on July 23rd.  A computer consulting, repair, and networking business, Key IT Solutions, LLC provides small and medium-sized businesses with a variety of computer and information technology services.  Among the services the company offers are: networking services, virus/spyware/malware removal, Google apps migrations, Gmail e-mail set-up, and residential consulting.  I welcome Key IT Solutions, LLC and its employees to the community!

Rep. Kerkman is pictured at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Key IT Solutions, LLC. 

Wisconsin Gains 9,500 Jobs in June

The economic recovery continues in Wisconsin, and it's producing promising results.  Recently, Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development unveiled seasonally adjusted data indicating that the state added 9,500 jobs for the month of June.  Overall, the private sector added 12,900 jobs while the public sector lost 3,400 jobs.  The remaining balance of 9,500 jobs accounts for more than half of the 18,000 net jobs created across the entire nation during the month of June.

Much of this job growth is attributed to the state's tourism industry, as visitors from around the country come to our state to enjoy our fairs, festivals, museums, waterways, the breathtaking scenery of our state parks and campgrounds, and, of course, everything Wisconsin Dells has to offer.  According to the Department of Workforce Development, there were 6,200 jobs created within the leisure and hospitality industry in June.  Many of these jobs are expected to remain after the summer to accommodate hunters and visitors wishing to see Wisconsin's fall colors, and snowmobilers and other winter recreation enthusiasts.

How the Debt Ceiling would Affect Wisconsin

Over the last few weeks, we've seen, read, or heard a substantial amount of news coverage focused on the debate among our leaders in Congress and President Barack Obama over the federal debt ceiling.  The question at hand is whether or not to increase our nation's debt limit by another $1 trillion in order to continue meeting our financial obligations here at home and abroad.

This week, Secretary Mike Huebsch of the state's Department of Administration (DOA) submitted a memo to Governor Scott Walker that outlines the possible impact on Wisconsin in the event the debt ceiling is not increased.  According to Secretary Huebsch's memo, 29 percent of Wisconsin's state budget ($9.3 billion) is comprised of federal revenue.  The top beneficiaries of federal dollars are Medicaid, federal research conducted by the University of Wisconsin, student financial aid, transportation, TANF block grants, workforce training, child care and child welfare services, and low-income energy assistance, to name a few.

In the event the federal debt ceiling debate is not resolved by August 2nd, Secretary Huebsch announced that Wisconsin has enough cash to continue meeting its own financial obligations for at least three months.  Beyond that, a federal default on our nation's debt obligations would result in greater economic turmoil and the DOA would be forced to implement "a payment prioritization plan under the statutes."  This would entail the DOA having to reallocate funds from different agencies and direct them toward the agencies that oversee essential programs such as Medical Assistance.

My colleagues and I will continue monitoring the debate in Washington over the federal debt ceiling in the event we would need to act immediately to ensure Wisconsin remains as financially secure as possible in the aftermath.

Public Hearing held on Assembly Bill 194

This week the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve as Chair, held a public hearing to discuss Assembly Bill 194.  Introduced by my colleagues, Representative Erik Severson (R-Osceola) and Representative Michelle Litjens (R-Vinland), this measure would require state agencies to submit budget requests that contain an analysis of the implications for agency operations and expenditures in the event of financial insolvency or substantially reduced payments by the federal government.

Given the ongoing discussions in Washington over increasing the federal debt ceiling by $1 trillion, I felt that the timing was appropriate to bring AB 194 to the attention of my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee.  As the bill's co-authors indicated during their testimonies before the committee, our state must be prepared financially in the event the federal government defaults on its financial obligations or completely shuts down.  Rep. Litjens pointed out that approximately one-third of Wisconsin's budget is funded by the federal government ($9.3 billion annually) while Rep. Severson indicated that any decrease in that amount would seriously affect our ability to continue providing essential services to the people of our state.  Secretary Mike Huebsch of the Department of Administration (DOA) also testified during the hearing, and spoke of the "unprecedented nature" of what is happening in Washington right now.

The key components of AB 194 require state agencies to establish an overall contingency plan should the federal government ever default on its financial obligations.  They include: identifying risks to the agency in the event of financial insolvency by the federal government; estimating the impact the potential loss of federal revenue would have on the agency; recommending that strategies be put in place to allow the agency to prioritize the use of federal cash on hand; and tracking the federal government's inability to meet its financial obligations and taking necessary precautions to ensure continued funding of essential state programs and services.  Ultimately, AB 194 will help Wisconsin be better prepared in the event of a federal financial emergency. 

Secretary Huebsch noted during his testimony that "Wisconsin will be better able to navigate through this uncertainty than other states that have not been as aggressive in putting their financial house in order... The recently enacted budget has put Wisconsin in a much better position to manage through any suspension of federal payments that support certain programs."

Rep. Kerkman presides over the public hearing held on Assembly Bill 194.  

Representative Erik Severson and Representative Michelle Litjens, co-authors of Assembly Bill 194, testify before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee on AB 194.  Seated to the left in the background is Secretary Mike Huebsch of the Department of Administration.  

Caylee's Law Formally Introduced

After working closely with my colleagues as well as law enforcement officials and district attorneys from around the state, I formally introduced Caylee's Law this week.  I was joined by Rep. Petryk, Rep. Pridemore, Rep. Endsley, Rep. Kleefisch, Rep. Spanbauer, Rep. Bernier, Senator Lassa, Senator Lazich, and Senator Carpenter in releasing the co-sponsorship memo that will enable more of our colleagues to sign on in support of this bipartisan measure.

As many of you are aware, Caylee's Law is named after two-year-old Caylee Anthony.  Caylee had been reported missing 31 days after she was last seen alive in Florida.  Her remains were found six months later.  Much suspicion fell on her mother, Casey Anthony, in her death.  However, Casey was recently found "not guilty" of murdering little Caylee which spurred a nationwide movement in support of passing Caylee's Law in every state.

The measure my colleagues and I have introduced requires a parent or legal guardian to report the death of their child immediately when that death is perceived as suspicious or accidental.  Failure to do so would be considered a Class I felony that includes a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years and six months or both.

The bill also requires that a child's disappearance be reported within 24 hours (if under the age of 12) or within 48 hours (if 12 years of age and older).  The following penalties would apply for parents and legal guardians who fail in this regard: Class A misdemeanor (with up to a $10,000 fine, imprisonment up to nine months, or both), Class H felony in the event of bodily harm (with up to a $10,000 fine, imprisonment up to six years, or both), Class F felony in the event of great bodily harm (with up to a $25,000 fine, imprisonment up to 12 years and six months, or both), and Class D felony in the death of the child (with up to a $100,000 fine, imprisonment up to 25 years, or both).

I will continue to provide updates as this legislation moves forward into the fall session.

Fox 6 News Continues Investigating FoodShare Abuse

I was recently interviewed again by Bryan Polcyn, an investigative reporter with Fox 6 News out of Milwaukee who has been tracking incidents of fraud and abuse within Wisconsin's FoodShare program.  The latest segment he prepared highlights the lack of nutritional items offered by certain retailers who accept Quest Cards, the "debit card" used by FoodShare participants to purchase food.  Some of these retailers include liquor stores where the only "nutritional" item typically offered is fruit juice.

A number of you have contacted me about this very issue, and I've discussed it on-air with Vicki McKenna when I appeared on her radio show earlier this year.  It is an outrage that a taxpayer-funded program intended to provide good food and nutrition to those in need allows participants to purchase items such as candy and soda.  Unfortunately, it has been difficult getting the federal government to recognize this as a problem.  New York City discovered this when an ordinance was proposed to ban the use of food stamps in purchasing soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce the city's rate of obesity and diabetes.

I was previously interviewed for another segment by Fox 6 News on the prevalence of retailer scams in the FoodShare program, which aired in May.  I am glad more attention has been devoted to the problems that exist within FoodShare, particularly as the audit I requested of the program continues.  The audit report on FoodShare should be released sometime this fall.

Racine County Fair Underway

I spent some time outdoors this week at the Racine County Fair in Union Grove.  Despite the rainy weather, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a number of fair attendees as well as 4-H competition participants and judges.  The Racine Journal Times also highlighted the new buildings and landscaping that greeted this year's fair attendees. 

As many of you may recall, a tornado touched down and blew through the fairgrounds last November.  Sixteen of the 22 buildings at the fairgrounds were reportedly damaged or destroyed.  With a lot of hard work and dedication by the community and the surrounding area, however, the buildings were rebuilt in time for the fair.

If you and your family are interested in attending the Racine County Fair, the festivities will continue through Sunday evening at 11:30pm.  The fairgrounds are located at 19805 Durand Avenue (Highway 11) in Yorkville.  Admission for adults and children aged 14 and up is $8.00, and $6.00 for children aged 8-13 and seniors.  Kids seven years of age and younger are admitted free of charge.  More information can be found via the Racine Journal Times or the Racine County Fair's website.  See you at the fair!

If you are interested in tracking the progress of legislation introduced this session, please visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov/ and click on the Notification Service link found on the homepage.