Senate Committee Passes Delinquent Library Account Bill

Today the Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government unanimously approved  Senate Bill 466, which allows a public library to provide a collections agency or law enforcement agency with  information about patrons who have delinquent accounts. Under the bill, a delinquent account must total $50 before it can be referred to law enforcement. 

SB 466 can now be voted on by the full Senate. The Assembly Committee on  Urban and Local Affairs will vote on Assembly Bill 609, the Assembly version of the bill, on February 2. 

New Bill Would Provide STEM Grants to Rural Schools

Representative Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) introduced Assembly Bill 799 on Friday, which creates a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant program for rural schools.

AB 799 would provide grants between $3,000 and $20,000 to schools with less than 1,000 students to establish, maintain, and expand educational programming related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  

In order to receive a STEM grant, a school must secure matching funds of at least 10% from a private or public entity.

AB 799 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Mining and Rural Development.

State Senate Passes Bill Deleting State Treasurer

The State Senate passed Assembly Joint Resolution 5 this evening on a vote of 20-13. 

As you know, AJR5/SJR4 deletes the state treasurer from the constitution and replaces the treasurer with the lieutenant governor on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) offered an amendment that would have put the state superintendent on the BCPL instead of the lieutenant governor, but that amendment was rejected on a party-line vote.

Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) argued that deleting the state treasurer puts the state at risk of  financial fraud and abuse and that it would be better to reinstate the duties of the treasurer that were previously reassigned to other state agencies. Senator Janet Bewley (D-Bayfield) also spoke against AJR 5, arguing that the distribution of powers is important to Democracy and that deleting a constitutional officer results in the consolidation of power.

Senator Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac), AJR 5’s author, told the Senators that the resolution puts the question to the people and lets them decide if they want a treasurer or not. He also highlighted the fact that the last two state treasurers have run on the platform of deleting the position. 

Since AJR5/SJR 4 amends the state constitution, it must be passed in two consecutive session of the Legislature. AJR 5 has now officially passed the Legislature this session. It can now be re-introduced in the 2017-18 session for second consideration. After the bill is passed for the second time by the Legislature, it will be put to voters in a statewide referendum.

Senate to Vote on State Treasurer Resolution Tomorrow!

The State Senate will vote on Assembly Joint Resolution 5 tomorrow, January 20.

As you know, AJR5/SJR4 deletes the state treasurer from the constitution and replaces the treasurer with the lieutenant governor on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.

WEMTA believes there are potential unintended consequences of AJR 5/SJR 4 that could put school library funding at risk.  We believe that replacing the State Treasurer with the Lieutenant Governor on the BCPL jeopardizes our founding fathers’ commitment to maintaining a constitutionally protected form of school library funding. As envisioned by our founding fathers, current BCPL Commissioners do not play a leading role in K-12 school funding or the state budget process—this makes them ideal custodians of the Common School Fund and helps protect the integrity of the fund.

If you have concerns about this proposal, now is the time to contact your State Senator.

Since AJR5/SJR 4 amends the state constitution, it must be passed in two consecutive session of the Legislature. This is a critical vote. If AJR5 is passed by the Senate tomorrow, it will have officially passed the Legislature this session. It can then be re-introduced in the 2017-18 session for second consideration. 

After the bill is passed for the second time by the Legislature, it will be put to voters in a statewide referendum. 

HOW DO I CONTACT MY LEGISLATOR?

The first step in contacting your legislator is knowing who your legislator is. The easiest way to do this is the tool found on the Legislature’s home page, athttp://legis.wisconsin.gov. In the right-hand side of that page is a link that says Find My Legislators!  Type your address in the box below that link to get the names of your state representative and senator.

·  Phone.  You may leave a message for your legislator’s Capitol office or indicate your position on legislation through the toll free Legislative Hotline, at 1-800-362-9472.

·  E-mail. The e-mail addresses of members of the Wisconsin Legislature all have the same format. For members of the Assembly, the form is Rep.Jones@legis.wisconsin.gov; for members of the Senate, the form is Sen.Adams@legis.wisconsin.gov.

Don't Forget to Watch the State of the State Tonight!

Governor Walker is set to deliver his annual State of the State address at 7 p.m. tonight.

Walker is expected to discuss his policy agenda for the next year, which includes college affordability and workforce initiatives.

You can stream the speech using Wisconsin Eye: http://www.wiseye.org/. Or you can watch Wisconsin Eye on Charter Channel 995 and Time Warner Channel 363.

Other ways to watch include:

Wisconsin Public Television

http://workingforwisconsin.wi.gov/