Legeslative Agenda | Legislative Archive

WISCONSIN LONG-TERM CARE UPDATE
December 19, 2005

• TABOR Constitutional Amendment Debate Returns
• Concealed Carry Passes Assembly, Bill goes to Senate for Final Vote
• Legislature Passes Bill Eliminating the “Automatic Indexing” of Wisconsin’s Gas Tax
• 33rd Assembly District Has Chosen Mark Newcomer in the Republican Primary
• Update: LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARINGS
• Update: NEW LEGISALTIVE BILLS \ RECENTLY INTRODUCED

TABOR Constitutional Amendment Debate Returns
Association Members are Encouraged to Attend Regional TABOR Forums
The debate on whether or not Wisconsin should amend its State Constitution with the “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” (TABOR) is expected to begin again next month, in January.  TABOR is a proposal that would place fiscal policy or state and local government spending restraints into the State’s Constitution.  Although the bill is still in the drafting stages and details are still uncertain, time for passage in the legislature is running out.  Therefore, introduction and public hearings are likely to be announced in January.  Since this controversial issue will be an amendment to the Constitution, which the Governor has not authority to veto the proposal.

Last year a coalition of healthcare providers, patient advocates, county human service agencies, and labor unions came together as the “Save Medicaid Coalition” to oppose TABOR and its likely negative impact on the healthcare profession and quality care.  To learn more about TABOR and its possible impact on healthcare, please attend one of the following informational forums:

Wisconsin Council and Children and Families: “The Trouble with TABOR” forums:

Metro Milwaukee: Wednesday, January 11 – 6:30-7:30pm
Tommy G Thompson Youth Center, 640 S 84th Street, West Allis

Cleveland (Sheboygan/Manitowoc): Wednesday, January 25, 6:30-7:30pm
Wisconsin at Lakeshore Technical College, 2nd floor Lakeshore Building, 1290 North Ave

Eau Claire: Wednesday, February 8 – 6:30-7:30pm
Chippewa Valley Technical College, Big River Conference Center, Room 30A, lower level of the Business Education Center Building

Green Bay: Wednesday, February 15 – 6:30-7:30pm
Brown County Public Library, basement Meeting Rooms 1& 2

Concealed Carry Passes Assembly, Bill goes to Senate for Final Vote
Senate Bill 403 (SB-403.), the legislation that would allow an individual with a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public, passed the Assembly last Tuesday 64-32.  The Assembly amended the bill, which would provide additional restrictions on carrying a weapon in school zones and a stricter blood alcohol content.  Since the Assembly amended the bill, the legislation must now return to the Senate for final passage.  When the concealed carry bill does pass the Senate, Governor Doyle is expected to veto the bill.  Even though the vote for passage in the Assembly was less than the 2\3 votes required to override a veto – a special election that will occur on January 10th is likely to provide an additional vote to the Assembly in support of SB-403, which could tip the scales and provide Republicans the vote necessary to gain a 2\3 majority for an override.  A veto override needs to be approved by 2\3 of both houses.  The Senate last session voted to override the Governor’s veto.  In short, this means that the final outcome of whether concealed carry will be allowed in Wisconsin will be very controversial and close.

Please note that Senate Bill 403 currently prohibits the carrying of concealed weapons in “healthcare facilities”, unless the facility administrator wishes to allow concealed carry in his\her facility.  Healthcare facilities include: hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, CBRFs, RCACs, Adult Family Homes, Home Health Agencies (and more).

Legislature Passes Bill Eliminating the “Automatic Indexing” of Wisconsin’s Gas Tax
The Assembly voted 74-23 last night on passage of SB-331., which would eliminate the annual automatic adjustment of the motor vehicle fuel tax rate.  Under current law Wisconsin’s gas tax rate was automatically indexed, meaning the legislature was not required to vote on gas tax increases – they occurred automatically.  This proposal was controversial, because one of the strongest lobbying interest groups, the Road Builders”, opposed the bill.  However, public opinion seems to have created the necessary momentum for final passage.  The bill now heads for the Governor’s desk for his signature.

33rd Assembly District Has Chosen Mark Newcomer in the Republican Primary
Mark Newcomer (R-Hartland) won the Republican Primary election Tuesday, defeating his four other opponents.  Mark Newcomer will now face Patrick Byrne (D-Delafield) in the general election on January 10, 2006.  The district is considered a Republican district, meaning Mark Newcomer is the favorite to win the election and could have a significant impact on the anticipated veto override vote on SB-403, the concealed carry legislation.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARINGS

Assembly Committee on Labor
Tuesday, December 20, 2005  10:00 AM   State Capitol, Room 225-NW
AB-736. Drug and alcohol testing of employees required to be paid prevailing wage rate for work on public works projects other than state highway projects.
AB-857. Final offer limits under the Municipal Employment Relations Act.

Senate Committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care
Assembly Committee on Health
Tuesday, January 3, 2005   10:00 AM   State Capitol, Room 417-N.
LRB 3240.  Requiring a contract with a data organization for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of health care claims information; eliminating the Board of Health Care Information, the Interagency Coordinating Council, and the Independent Review Board.

NEW LEGISALTIVE BILLS \ RECENTLY INTRODUCED

AB-853.    Anesthesia (Gielow) Authorizes administering anesthesia in an office-based setting. To Health.
AB-855.    Frivolous Claims (Gundrum) Requires damages be paid in frivolous claims. (Affects Supreme Court Order 03-06, which repealed a previous provision, in July 2005). To Judiciary.
AB-860.    Health Care Assessments (Berceau) Provides for an assessment on large employers that do not provide subsidized health care coverage. To Labor.
AB-861.    Health Club Memberships (Hines) Individual income tax deduction for health and fitness center memberships. To Public Health.
AB-862.    Health Care Coverage (Vos) Authorizes self-funded employer groups for providing health care coverage. To Insurance.
AB-867.    Unemployment Insurance (Wieckert) Various change in the unemployment compensation law, authorized positions for the Depart. of Justice.  To Insurance.
AB-869.    Nursing schools (Underheim) Changes affecting nursing school faculties. To Health.
AB-876.    Child Safety Alarms (Young) Requires certain vehicles used to transport children to/from a child care provider to have child safety alarms installed. To Children and Families.

SB-474.     Worker’s Comp (Schultz) Makes various changes in the worker’s compensation law. To Labor and Election Process Reform.

LRB-4043   (Albers) Payments to certain nursing homes located in Assembly District 50.
LRB-3097   (Lasee) Uniform commercial building code.
LRB-3025   (Mursau) Certified Public Accountants Licensure.
LRB-3943   (Darling) Prohibit construction of a halfway house for sexually violent persons in Milwaukee.
LRB-4055   (Gielow) Group health care plans offered by health benefit purchasing cooperatives.
LRB-0933   (Wieckert) Capital Gains Deferred.