2015-16 Education Committee Membership Finalized

Membership on the legislature's education committees is nearly finalized. With the exception of Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), all legislative leaders have appointed committee members for the 2015-16 legislative session which begins January 5. Rep. Barca is expected to name Democratic Assembly Committee members within in the next week. 

Chairman of the newly created Senate Committee on Education Reform and Government Operations, Senator Paul Farrow, recently told reporters that his top priorities are expanding the school choice program, passing school accountability legislation and potentially making changes to the state's educational standards and school funding formula. 

Assembly Republicans have identified school accountability and the creation of Wisconsin-based academic standards as top priorities for the 2015-16 session in their Forward Agenda. Assembly Republicans also plan to move forward with recommendations put forth by the Speaker's Task Force on Rural Schools last session, which includes increased access to classes through the state's digital learning portal. 

It is also likely that the legislature will again seek to eliminate the Secretary of State and State Treasurer from the state constitution and replace them with the State Superintendent and Lieutenant Governor on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which oversees the Common School Fund. 

State K-12 school funding levels will be determined as part of the next state budget, which Governor Walker plans to introduce in late January. 

Senate Committee on Education 

Sen. Luther Olsen (Chair, R-Ripon)

Sen. Alberta Darling (Vice-Chair, R-River Hills)

Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)

Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee)
Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison)
Sen-elect Janet Bewley (D-Ashland)

Senate Committee on Education Reform & Government Operations

Sen. Paul Farrow (Chair, R-Pewaukee)

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (Vice-Chair, R-River Falls)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)

Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd (D-Milwaukee)

Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma)

Senate Committee on Universities & Technical Colleges 

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (Chair, R-River Falls)

Sen-elect Steve Nass (Vice Chair, R-Whitewater)

Sen. Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac)

Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay)
Sen-elect Janet Bewley (D-Ashland)

Assembly Committee on Education

Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (Chair, R-Fond du Lac)

Rep.-Elect Joel Kitchens (Vice-Chair, R-Sturgeon Bay)

Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown)

Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson)

Rep. Jesse Rodriguez (R-Franklin)

Rep.-Elect Robert Brooks (R-Saukville)

Rep.-Elect Cody Horlacher (R-Elkhorn)

Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville)

Rep.-Elect Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake)

Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield)
Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Middleton)
Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)
Rep. Eric Genrich (D-Green Bay)
Rep. Mandela Barnes (D-Milwaukee)
Rep.-elect Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) 

Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities

Rep. Dave Murphy (Chair, R-Greenville)

Rep.-Elect Robert Brooks (Vice-Chair, R-Saukville)

Rep.-Elect Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah)

Rep.-Elect Romaine Quinn (R-Rice Lake)

Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Franklin)

Rep. Warren Petryk (R-Eleva)

Rep. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)

Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) 

Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City)

Rep.-Elect John Macco (R-De Pere) 
Rep. Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire)
Rep. Terese Berceau (D-Madison)
Rep. Jill Billings (D-LaCrosse) 
Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton)
Rep. Andy Jorgensen (D-Fort Atkinson) 

FCC Approves E-rate Cap Increase

The Federal Communications Commission approved FCC Chairman Wheeler's proposal to increase E-rate funding to meet high-speed broadband needs today.

Chairman Wheeler's proposal calls for increasing the E-rate cap by $1.5 billion, which brings total funding for the program to approximately $3.9 billion per year.

According to a fact sheet released by Wheeler, "63% of public schools--over 40 million students--don't have broadband connections to the building capable of taking advantage of modern digital learning."

The universal service fee, which is included on phone bills, will now increase by $0.16 per month for individual payers with the Commission's approval of the E-rate cap increase..

As you may recall, the FCC voted in July to increase funding for Wi-Fi connections in schools and libraries.

Joint Finance Committee Taking Shape, Senate Committee Chairs Announced

Governor Walker will release his 2015-17 state budget within the first few months of the new legislative session, and the powerful Joint Finance Committee will have the first opportunity to make changes to the proposed two-year spending plan.  Joint Finance Committee members will travel the state to conduct public hearings on the proposed budget and then make any changes that they deem necessary---this includes adding, modifying or completing removing items from the Governor's proposal.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) recently named his appointees to the Joint Finance Committee.  Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) will again serve as the Assembly Chair and Representative Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) will serve as the Vice-Chair.  Vos also appointed Representatives Dean Knudson (R-Hudson), Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton),  Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh), and Mary Czaja (R-Irma) to the Committee.  Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) gets to appoint two Democratic Representatives to the Committee but has not released their names yet.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) announced this week that Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) will remain the Senate Chair and Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) will serve as Vice-Chair.  Fitzgerald also appointed Senators Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) and Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) to serve on the Committee. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) appointed Senators Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) and Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) to the Committee.

Senator Fitzgerald also made the Republican Senate committee appointments this week, which include:

Senate Committee on Education 

Luther Olsen (Chair)

Alberta Darling (Vice-Chair)

Leah Vukmir

Steve Nass

Senate Committee on Education Reform & Government Operations

Paul Farrow (Chair)

Sheila Harsdorf (Vice-Chair)

Steve Nass

Senate Committee on Universities & Technical Colleges 

Sheila Harsdorf (Chair)

Steve Nass (Vice Chair)

Rick Gudex

FCC to Vote on Broadband Funding Next Week

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on FCC Chairman Wheeler's proposal to increase E-rate funding to meet high-speed broadband needs at their December 11 meeting.

Chairman Wheeler's proposal calls for increasing the E-rate cap by $1.5 billion, which would bring total funding for the program to approximately $3.9 billion per year.

According to a fact sheet released by Wheeler, "63% of public schools--over 40 million students--don't have broadband connections to the building capable of taking advantage of modern digital learning."

If the proposed E-rate cap increase is approved by the Commission, the universal service fee, which is included on phone bills, would increase by $0.16 per month for individual payers.

As you may recall, the FCC voted in July to increase funding for Wi-Fi connections in schools and libraries.