The Assembly met on Wednesday, May 13, to vote on a number of bills.  Assembly Bill 177 revises the FoodShare program (which used to be and often still is called "food stamps") to require participants to spend at least 67% of their monthly benefits on foods on the list authorized for the federal special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, plus a number of other specified types of foods.  Under current law, there are no restrictions on what FoodShare participants may buy with their benefits, and AB 177 would ensure that they spend at least two-thirds of their benefits on nutritious foods, which is the primary purpose of the FoodShare program.  That is why I voted for AB 177.  It may be necessary for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to obtain a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to put these reforms into effect, and AB 177 authorizes DHS to request one.

The Assembly also passed Assembly Bills 191 and 192, both of which condition certain state assistance programs on applicants completing a questionnaire that screens for controlled substance abuse.  AB 191 deals with programs offered through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, including the Transitional Jobs program, W-2, and the FoodShare employment and training program (FSET).  If an applicant's questionnaire responses give the department a reasonable suspicion of drug abuse, the applicant must be tested; if the applicant tests positive for drug use, he or she will only remain eligible for benefits if he or she agrees to participate in treatment, the cost of which is borne by the department.  (In the case of FSET, DHS would have to receive a waiver from the USDA in order to implement this reform.)

AB 192 applies similar principles to the unemployment insurance program under the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.  This reform would apply to applicants who worked in occupations in which employers regularly conduct drug testing or worked in certain industries (such as childcare, construction, or trades involving operating motor vehicles or heavy machinery).

I cosponsored both AB 191 and AB 192 because I believe drug abuse can be a significant obstacle to employment and financial independence.  These programs are supposed to be temporary safety nets, not permanent ways of life.  If an applicant abuses drugs, he or she is not doing everything possible to get his or her life back on track - is not keeping up his or her end of the bargain with the state.

In addition, the Assembly concurred in Senate Bill 67, which addresses issues that have come about from the troubled implementation of the Badger Exam, the new state standardized test.  Under current law, schools are required to perform teacher and principal evaluations beginning in the 2014-2015 school year; the Badger Exam results would have been used in the evaluations.  Because the exam's implementation has not gone smoothly, many legislators suggested delaying the evaluation requirement by one year; to do otherwise would have been unfair to teachers and principals.  As ultimately passed by the Senate, SB 67 keeps the evaluations on schedule, but forbids school boards from taking Badger Exam results into account.  SB 67 has enjoyed bipartisan support in both houses and passed the Assembly on a voice vote.

The Assembly also concurred in Senate amendments to Assembly Bill 27, which raises the speed limit on most freeways and expressways from 65 m.p.h. to 70 m.p.h.  SB 67 and AB 27 will now go to Governor Walker for his approval.

When the Legislature is in session, you may follow along on WisconsinEye or WisPolitics' Quorum Call blog.

The Joint Committee on Finance held two executive sessions this week on the 2015-2017 state budget bill, Assembly Bill 21 and Senate Bill 21.  The committee will continue to meet until it has worked its way through the entire budget; its next meetings will be May 19 and May 21.

Earlier today, the Assembly and Senate co-chairs of the finance committee announced that the committee will remove the changes to IRIS and Family Care that Governor Walker had included in AB 21 and SB 21.  My office has received many comments from concerned IRIS participants, their families, and other stakeholders over the past few months, and I am pleased that the committee has decided to take a step back.  This is not to say that no changes will be made; under the new proposal, DHS will have some authority to negotiate Family Care changes with the federal government, within certain parameters.  However, those changes would require public input and not simply be the products of legislative or gubernatorial fiat.

You may follow the finance committee's activities on WisPolitics' Budget Blog.