Thursday, January 2, 2014

2014 Legislative Preview

The legislature will reconvene on January 14 to begin the final stretch of the 2013-14 legislative session, which officially ends on April 3. 

Republican leaders have identified a package of bills meant to address heroin abuse, additional charter school legislation, and the bills authored by the Speaker’s Task Force on Mental Health as their top priorities for the last few months of the legislative session. Democrats say they will continue to work on economic issues, including student loan relief and tax reform. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he would like to look at additional tax cuts if the state’s surplus increases in the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s January budget projections.

Also on the horizon is the November 2014 election.

Democrat Mary Burke announced her candidacy for governor in October and State Senator John Lehman (D-Racine) is the first Democratic candidate in the race for lieutenant governor.  State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) is considering a run for governor as well but has yet to make an official announcement.

Governor Walker indicated in several year-end interviews that he would like to eliminate the state income tax and it appears he intends to make it a campaign issue. 

In addition to the governor’s race, every member of the state Assembly, state senators from odd-numbered districts, the Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General will be up for re-election in 2014.



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