Contents Include:
1. Heal Without Harm Coalition on WisconsinEye
2. State Budget Signed Into Law
3. WCC Urges Legislature to Restore EITC Increases
4. Upcoming Hearings of Interest
5. New Bills of Interest
6. Websites of Interest
Heal Without Harm Coalition on WisconsinEye
This morning, the public affairs network, WisconsinEye, interviewed the four founding members of the Heal Without Harm (HWH) Coalition, including WCC Executive Director, Kim Wadas. Since its formation in 2015, the Coalition has been advocating for the ethical use of fetal body parts in Wisconsin's research communities. To learn more about the HWH's proposed legislation, visit the Coalition's website.
State Budget Signed Into Law
On September 21, Governor Walker signed the state budget bill after issuing 99 vetoes. The Assembly and Senate had previously passed the budget, now known as
2017 Wisconsin Act 59. The WCC will send out a summary of the final budget in an upcoming Capitol Update.
Neither the Assembly nor the Senate plans to be in session during the scheduled mid-October floor period. Both houses are expected to be on the floor for the final floor period of the year, from October 31 to November 9.
WCC Urges Legislature to Restore EITC Increases
On September 13, the WCC and leaders of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Council of Churches sent a letter to the Wisconsin Legislature urging its members to restore an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that Governor Walker had included in his state budget. The letter explained that, "
The EITC increases workers' incomes, thus enabling those living in poverty to lead more dignified lives and contribute more fully to the life of their community.
" The Governor
's budget proposal would have increased the EITC credit rate for parents with one child from 4 to 11 percent of the federal credit starting in the 2018 tax year
;
newly married couples would have been able to avoid credit reductions due to their marital status
; and n
oncustodial parents who meet their obligated levels of child support payments would have been eligible to receive the credit.
The Governor's increases had been removed by the Joint Committee on Finance. The Legislature did not restore them and the signed budget did not include them.
Upcoming Hearings of Interest
(N.B. Only bills of interest are flagged. In most cases, committees will be considering other bills as well.)
Assembly Health, 10 am, Thu, Sep 28, 300-NE
AB-462 Complex Rehab Tech (Jagler, John) Complex rehabilitation technology for complex needs patients in the Medical Assistance program and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
AB-500
Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (VanderMeer, Nancy) Ratification of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, and providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures.
Senate Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection, 10:30 am, Thu, Sep. 28, 201-SE
AB-115 Grant Money for Legal Aid (Legislative Council) The authority of the departments of administration, children and families, workforce development, justice, and health services to allocate federal grant money for civil legal aid.
AB-116 Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council (Legislative Council) The creation of the Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council.
Speaker's Task Force on Foster Care, 12 noon, Thu, Sep. 28, La Crosse County Administrative Center, Auditorium, 212 6th Street N.
Testimony will be accepted from invited speakers and the general public on matters relating to the foster care system. The hearing will end at 5 pm.
Senate Workforce Development, Military Affair and Senior Issues and Assembly Workforce Development,
10 am
, Fri, Sep 29
, The Osthoff Resort, Palm Garden Ballroom,
101 Osthoff Ave, Elkhart Lake
Joint Informational Hearing on:
Workforce training, retention and attraction. Testimony only from the following invited speakers: the Department of Workforce Development, the UW System, the WI Technical College System, and businesses from across the state on Wisconsin's current workforce development programs and remaining workforce challenges.
Assembly Environment and Forestry, 12 noon, Tue, Oct. 3, 328 NW
AB-118
Burial Sites (Legislative Council) Disclosure of burial sites located on residential real estate and various changes relating to the preservation and disturbance of burial sites.
New Bills of Interest
SB-402
Firearm Possession at School (Tiffany, Tom) Suspending and expelling a pupil for possession of a firearm at school. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
SB-407
College Credit Transfers (Feyen, Daniel) Transfer policies for college credit earned by high school pupils. Referred to Senate Universities and Technical Colleges
SB-408
Firearm Purchases (Darling, Alberta) Furnishing, purchasing, or possessing a firearm for a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, mandatory minimum sentences for individuals who commit certain firearm violations, and providing criminal penalties. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
SB-415 Disability Reporting (Testin, Patrick) Reporting on an operator license or identification card application the existence of a disability that is not immediately apparent to another. Referred to Senate Transportation and Veterans Affairs
SB-416
FoodShare Pilot Program (Harsdorf, Sheila) FoodShare healthy eating incentive pilot program and making an appropriation.
Referred to Senate Public Benefits, Licensing & State-Federal Relations
SB-417 Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (Marklein, Howard) Ratification of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, and providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures. Referred to Senate Health & Human Services
SB-420 Child Labor Permits (Marklein, Howard) Child labor permits. Referred to Senate Labor & Regulatory Reform
AB-493
Choice Program Fraud (Genrich, Eric) Fraud in parental choice programs and providing a criminal penalty. Referred to Assembly Education
AB-496
Firearm Possession at School (Kleefisch, Joel) Suspending and expelling a pupil for possession of a firearm at school. Referred to Assembly Education
AB-499
Nonferrous Mining (Hutton, Rob) The regulation of nonferrous metallic mining, prospecting, exploration, and bulk sampling, repealing administrative rules relating to wetlands, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Labor
AB-500
Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (VanderMeer, Nancy) Ratification of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, and providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures.
Referred to Assembly Health
AB-501 FoodShare Pilot Program (Rohrkaste, Michael) FoodShare healthy eating incentive pilot program and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Public Benefit Reform
AB-504 Child Labor Permits (Novak, Todd) Child labor permits. Referred to Assembly Children and Families
