May 1, 2013

The Joint Finance Committee began voting on Governor Walker's 2013-15 biennial state budget Thursday April 25th, and will continue over the next 4-6 weeks. I will provide you with regular updates through emails, letters, and social media to make sure you know what is happening "under the dome." If you ever have questions about the budget process, budget provisions, or any other state legislative issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 Sincerely,

Jennifer Shilling
State Senate, District 32
 

The Joint Finance Committee began voting on Governor Scott Walker's 2013-15 biennial state budget Thursday April 25th. However, two memos released by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau revealed 58 policy items in Governor Walker's proposed budget that have little or nothing to do with state finances.

This information sheds light on the pork projects, earmarks and misplaced policy items hidden in this budget. The Fiscal Bureau has identified policy proposals that repeal consumer protection laws, eliminate local control of employee residency, and expand the unaccountable private school voucher program at the expense of our local public schools. These provisions have no place in the state budget and deserve to be debated openly through the normal legislative process.

Taxpayers expect their elected officials to have transparent debates about the use of their tax dollars. After all of the political rhetoric about opposing fund raids, it is telling that one of the first items taken up during this process was a $3 million raid from the segregated Petroleum Inspection Fund. With all of the sacrifices that have been made by working families and seniors in the last budget, I do not want to see us go back to more budget gimmicks, fund raids and a projected $600 million structural deficit.
 

Click here or on the video above to watch the DNR's video clip "Get Reacquainted - Wisconsin fish are waiting for you!"

The 2013 hook-and-line game fish season opens May 4 on inland waters for walleye, sauger, and northern pike statewide.

The largemouth and smallmouth bass southern zone opens May 4, while the northern bass zone opens for catch and release only from May 4 through June 14, with the harvest season opening June 15. 

Musky season opens May 4 in the southern zone and May 25 in the northern zone. The northern zone is the area north of highways 77, 64, and 29, with Highway 10 as the dividing line.

Regulations haven't changed from last year; the "2013-2014 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations" and "Inland trout regulations" is available at the DNR website.
 

Diggers Hotline is Wisconsin's statewide one-call notification system. It gives excavators and the general public the ability to notify multiple owners of underground facilities with a single call. Remember to allow three working days (excluding weekends and holidays) before you dig. Failure to call before you start your outdoor project has resulted in more than 200,000 unintentional digging accidents annually across the nation.

To file a free request, contact the Diggers Hotline by either dialing 811 or (800) 242-8511 or online at www.DiggersHotline.com.
 

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding Wisconsin residents that electronics should not be put in the trash or at the curb! It is the time of the year that many people empty basements, clean out drawers and find new homes for all the clutter that accumulated over the winter. For a growing number of Wisconsin residents that clutter includes used electronics like computers, cell phones, or TVs.

A 2010 DNR survey estimated that Wisconsin households had 7.4 million TVs, 16 percent of which were unused, and 4.3 million computers, 26 percent of which were unused.

While it may be tempting to toss old cell phones in the trash with the rest of the basement junk, or haul the TV to the curb, state law bans most electronics from Wisconsin landfills and incinerators. Instead, residents can use E-Cycle Wisconsin, a DNR-managed program funded by electronics manufacturers, to recycle electronics at more than 400 locations around the state.

Collection events and permanent drop-off sites registered with E-Cycle Wisconsin have collected more than 100 million pounds of electronics for recycling since the program began in 2010.

The DNR maintains an up-to-date list of collection sites registered with E-Cycle Wisconsin. Residents can find permanent drop-off sites and upcoming special collection events in their county. Many sites accept electronics for free, though some may change a small fee for certain items.

Visit the DNR's website for more details or call Sarah Murray, the DNR E-Cycle Wisconsin coordinator, at 608-264-6001.
 

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