Voter ID Requirement Blocked

The voter ID requirement has once again been blocked, this time by the U.S. Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote to stay a lower court’s ruling.  The vote overrides the 7^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision that ruled the law as constitutional and had put the requirement back into effect in the past few weeks.  The state now has 90 days to appeal the appellate court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court which will then either take up the case or turn down the appeal.

At this point it seems highly unlikely that the voter ID requirement will be put back in place for the upcoming general election, although Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has said that he will continue to work to defend the law and hopes to have it in place by November 4^th.

Wisconsin State Journal: U.S. Supreme Court blocks implementation of Voter ID in Wisconsin

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: U.S. Supreme Court blocks Wisconsin voter ID law

Voter ID Informational Resources from the GAB

Update: The voter ID requirement has been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Please see October 10th  post for more information.

As you have most likely heard, the state’s voter ID requirements will be in effect for the November 4 general election. This means that voters will need to present poll workers with an acceptable form of photo ID in order to cast a ballot on election day. If you are voting absentee, you must provide the municipal clerk with a copy of your photo ID along with your absentee ballot application if you are requesting a ballot by mail, or present your photo ID to the clerk’s office if you are voting in-person absentee (early voting).

The following photo IDs are acceptable for voting purposes, and can be unexpired or expired after the date of the most recent general election:

o A Wisconsin DOT-issued driver license, even if driving privileges are revoked or suspended

o A Wisconsin DOT-issued identification card

o Military ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service

o A U.S. passport book or card

Other types of IDs are also acceptable but must be unexpired. To see the full list, click here.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is providing free state ID cards for voting. To learn about getting a free Wisconsin ID card, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website:http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/apply/idcard.htm.

The Government Accountability Board has launched a new website to help voters better understand the new photo ID requirements for voting and what they’ll need to bring with them to the polls on November 4.  Take a look at Bring it to the Ballot for comprehensive information on voter ID:  http://www.bringit.wi.gov/

In-person Absentee Voting

If you are planning on voting early at your municipal clerk’s office, you may do so from October 20 to October 31. Weekend voting is no longer permitted in Wisconsin, so clerks’ offices can only provide voters with a ballot Monday-Friday, during normal business hours.

Finding your polling place and seeing who is on your ballot

To find your polling place and see what will be on your ballot, follow this link.

Capitol Update, February 3

School Accountability

A bill that would make changes to school accountability was pulled from an executive session in the Senate Committee on Education after chairman and bill author Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) said he did not have enough votes to pass the current version.  One of the biggest changes that the bill proposes would be to change the rating system for schools to an A-F grade, instead of the current five-tiered category system.  DPI would then be required to give at least 5% of schools in the state an F grade, which is equivalent to about 100 schools.  Schools that receive an F grade three years in a row, or a combination of 5 years in a row of D’s and F’s, would be required  to contract with a charter-management company.

On Tuesday, Senator Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) put out a request for input on the bill.  Critics have stated concerns over the proposed grading system and five percent failing requirement.  They also argue that the bill gives preferential treatment to voucher schools who are not required to administer the same test as public schools and can choose to only test students enrolled through the voucher program. 

Governor Walker has stated that he would like to sign a school accountability bill by the end of the session.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bill would close failing Wisconsin public schools, cut voucher payments

The Chippewa Herald: DPI calls accountability bill’s testing, grading ‘dubious’

DPI: Letter to School and District Accountability Design Team regarding SB-286

Election

State Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) has announced that he will not be seeking re-election this year.  Senator Schultz was elected into the Assembly for the first time in 1982 and the Senate in 1991.  He has acknowledged that he will not rule out potentially running for Congress in the future. Schultz also declined to endorse Republican candidate Representative Howard Marklein, who decided to run for Schultz’s seat after he broke with the Republican caucus on several key votes during the past two years, including the controversial mining bill and Act 10.

Channel 3000: Sen. Dale Schultz to retire

Senator Dale Schultz: Schultz Won’t Seek Another Term

Dave Leeper has announced that he will run for State Treasurer.  He is currently working as an attorney and formerly held the position of Green County District Attorney.

DPW: Former Green County District Attorney Dave Leeper Announces Candidacy for Wisconsin State Treasurer

Pete Flesch (D-Soldiers Grove) has announced that he will run for the Assembly seat in the 96^th District.  He is a retired dairy farmer who is the current Crawford County Board Chairman.  The seat is currently held by Lee Nerison (R-Westby).

Pete Flesch for Assembly: Announces candidacy for 96^th Assembly District

WXOW: Flesch enters race for 96^th Assembly seat

Jon Kruse (R-Sturgeon Bay), a small business owner, has announced that he will run for the Assembly seat in the 1^st District.  The seat is currently held by Garey Bies who recently announced that he will not be seeking re-election.

Kruse for Assembly: Kruse Seeks Bid for Assembly

Gov. Walker to Deliver State of the State Tonight

Governor Walker will deliver his annual State of the State address tonight at 7 p.m. before a joint session of the legislature. The speech will focus on the income and property tax cuts the Governor is proposing in light of the state’s nearly $1 billion surplus.

According to the Governor's office, the proposed tax cut plan will:

·        Cut $406 million from property taxes, resulting in a $100 reduction on the average homeowner’s property tax bill

·         Reduce income taxes by $98 million, which cuts taxes for the average filer by $44-$58

·         Reduce the amount of income taxes withheld on paychecks.

·         Deposit $100 million into the state’s rainy day fund

The plan will increase the state’s projected structural deficit by $100 million. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau currently estimates that the state will have a $725 million shortfall going into the next biennial budget.  Democrats and several Senate Republicans have expressed concerns over the state’s structural deficit and have urged the legislature to use caution when considering any further tax cuts this session.  However, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) says Assembly Republicans are “united behind the idea” of additional tax cuts.

Ways to Watch the State of the State

1.       Wisconsin Eye will live stream the speech and provide additional analysis before and after the address. Coverage will also be available on Wisconsin Eye’s T.V. station (Charter 995 - Time Warner 363)

2.       Governor Walker launched prosperity.wi.gov yesterday, which will live stream the speech and provide additional information on the Governor’s plan

3.       Wisconsin Public Television will provide coverage online and on T.V.

4.       Several local T.V. stations will be providing live streams of the address on their websites, including Channel 3000 and WKOW in Madison, check your local station’s website to see if they are also covering the event

    5.  Wisconsin Radio Network will provide live audio of the speech 

Capitol Update December 20

Governor’s Race

Governor Walker has not officially announced yet that he will run for re-election, but he did say on Monday that “I don’t see any way I don’t run for governor again.”  This statement came as result of rumors that Governor Walker will not be running for re-election, and will instead focus on a 2016 presidential run.

Wisconsin Public Radio: Walker Dismisses Rumors That He Won’t Seek Re-Election

Assembly Special Election

A special election for the vacant 82^nd Assembly District seat was held on Tuesday.  Republican Ken Skowronski beat out Democrat John Hermes in the election.  The special election was needed as a result of former Republican Representative Jeff Stone accepting a position as head of the state Public Service Commission’s water division.

WKOW: Skowronski wins special Assembly election

School District Health Insurance Study

Representative John Jagler (R-Watertown) and Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) have introduced Assembly Bill 579 and Senate Bill 438, which would require the State Superintendent to annually collect detailed information about the cost of health insurance benefits from each school district in the state.

Under the bill, the state superintendent shall include in his or her report, for each school district, the total health care benefit cost incurred by the school district and the average of the health care benefit cost incurred, by the school district, per school district employee for all school district employees that receive health care benefits from the school district.

AB 579 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Labor and SB 438 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education.

Biometric Data Collection

Representative Tom Larson (R-Colfax) has introduced a bill which prohibits a school from collecting biometric data, such as fingerprint identification or retinal scanning, from a student unless a parent or guardian has provided written consent.  The bill is in response to the recommendations approved by the Assembly Select Committee on Common Core Standards. There is no known school district that is currently collecting such data and the Common Core standards do not include the collection of biometric data.  The bill is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Representative Tom Larson: Larson Introduces Biometric Data Bill

Collection of Student Information

Representative Don Pridemore (R-Erin) introduced a bill that puts limits on the collection of a student’s personal information.  The bill includes provisions which limit who is able to access a pupil’s records, which information is provided to a parent or guardian when requested, requires consent to provide personally identifiable student data to a research organization and to maintain records of such disclosures.  It also prohibits the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) from collecting more student data than it is permitted to, from providing such data to a federal agency and it requires that DPI post on its website the data that it collects and why.

The bill addresses one of the recommendations made by the Assembly Select Committee on Common Core Standards.  It is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Representative Don Pridemore: Pridemore introduces bill to protect student information

Union Re-certifications

On Thursday, voting closed for the annual re-certification elections of the 400 unions representing teachers, school support staff and school office workers in the state.  The purpose of the voting is to see whether members want the union to continue to represent them in negotiations on base wage increases based on inflation, the only collective bargaining that Act 10 permits.  Act 10 also requires that 51% of the union’s eligible voters approve of the re-certification.

Somewhere between 80-90% of the school worker’s unions received enough votes to continue to wage negotiations.

Wisconsin State Journal: Most Wis. School unions survive elections

Race-Based Mascots

On Thursday Governor Walker signed AB 297 into law as 2013 Wisconsin Act 115,which makes it more difficult to challenge the use of race-based mascots and school nicknames.

Act 115 essentially reverses a 2010 law that required the Department of Public Instruction to review a school’s use of a race-based mascot or nickname if a complaint was filed against the district. Under Act 115, complaints on offensive mascots or nicknames will now be referred to the Department of Administration instead of DPI and must be accompanied by a petition signed by members of the community equivalent to 10% of the district’s student population.  The Act also shifts the burden of proof from the school district to those filing the complaint.

AB297 passed through the Assembly in October and the Senate in November.  Walker delayed signing the bill until today, the last day he could act on the bill before it automatically becomes law. Walker says he empathized with opponents of the bill but argues that it is a matter of freedom of speech for schools and that changing a school’s mascot or nickname should be a local decision.  Opponents argued that it’s a matter of discrimination and civil rights, not freedom of speech.

Governor Walker sent a letter to tribal leaders before signing the bill, telling them of his intentions.  He suggests that the best solution is educating others on why certain phrases and symbols are offensive.

WISN: Governor says he will decide on mascot bill next week

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Scott Walker signals he will sign school mascot bill

The Oshkosh Northwestern: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker empathizes with mascot bill opponent

The Cap Times: Gov. Walker’s defense of Indian Mascot bill as free speech called ‘bogus’

Wisconsin State Journal: Scott Walker will sign bill making it harder to force schools to drop Indian nicknames