- Wisconsin Governor Doyle to Give “State-of-the-State” Tomorrow Night
- Details of New TABOR Constitutional Amendment Are Released
- LTC Providers Encouraged to Attend Regional TABOR Forums
- Update: LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARINGS
- Update: NEW LEGISALTIVE BILLS \ RECENTLY INTRODUCED
Wisconsin Governor Doyle to Give “State-of-the-State” Tomorrow Night
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) will give his annual State-of-the-State address tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. This speech is important because it will not only outline the Governor’s priorities for the next two years, but will also establish key issues for his November 2006 re-election campaign. Long-term care is expected to be one of the many issues highlighted in his speech tomorrow night, which will include his goal of expanding managed care in Wisconsin’s long-term care system. This expansion may include references to the current Family Care Pilots and\or the recent submission of 51 responses to a Request-for-Information (RFI) for long-term care reform. The Department of Health and Family Services issued last October a RFI designed to identify potential partners and/or ideas to help the State plan and implement a more integrated and better managed system of long-term care on a statewide basis. Responses to the RFI were due on December 31, 2005. Please check your local television listing to view the speech. You can also listen to the speech on Wisconsin Public Radio or on the web at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/insession/assembly/index.htm
End of Legislative Session Nears
The State Senate and Assembly will return tomorrow to finish the last few months of the 2005-06 Legislative Session, which is scheduled to end in May 2006. Since there are a limited amount of days the Senate and Assembly will be in session, a flurry of committee votes; long and controversial session days; and, numerous bill signings and vetoes will dominate the rest of this legislative session. To view the schedule of committee hearings and floor session dates, click on: Legislative Floor Calendar or Legislative Committee Schedule.
Details of New TABOR Constitutional Amendment Are Released
One Legislative proposal that has not yet been introduced, but will likely be a priority for both the Senate and Assembly is TABOR (Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights). TABOR is a proposal that would place fiscal policy - state and local government spending restraints into the State’s Constitution – which would directly impact spending in all state and local programs, including Medicaid, Medicaid Waiver and other long-term care funding programs. The controversy surrounding TABOR’s negative impact on Colorado’s economy and healthcare funding fueled opposition to the proposal here in Wisconsin last year – which ultimately lead to its failure last session. Certain legislators have been working with special interest groups for over a year now on a new TABOR constitutional amendment proposal, which may be introduced in the coming days. Details on the new TABOR constitutional amendment have been limited, but organizations representing local government released the following information on the new TABOR constitutional amendment last week:
- Place in the Constitution a formula to restrict state and local government spending. The formula would be based on “Consumer Price Index (CPI) + Growth”.
- Wisconsin communities could not raise fees to pay for things now paid for by the levy.
- Economic development debt service will not be under the limit.
- Municipal electric, phone, water and sewer utility revenue would be exempt from limits, but storm-water utility revenue would be included.
- Legal judgments may be outside the amendment
- Limits in some fashion would take into account transfers of services from one unit of government to another.
- No local refunds of “excess revenues” would be required.
- State aid for municipal services provided to state properties might be considered as part of the levy.
Information will be made available on the new TABOR constitutional amendment as it is made available.
LTC Providers Encouraged to Attend Regional TABOR Forums
To learn more about TABOR, its possible impact on healthcare, and help bring public attention to this issue please attend one of the following informational forums:
Wisconsin Council and Children and Families: “The Trouble with TABOR” forums:
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
NEW LEGISALTIVE BILLS \ RECENTLY INTRODUCED
SB-501. Frivolous Lawsuits (Grothman) Damages for frivolous claims. To Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
AB-911. CPAs (Mursau) Certified Public Accountants. To committee on Small Business.
AB-912. AB-912. Credit Reports (Fitzgerald) Allows individuals to restrict release of credit reports. To State Affairs.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARINGS & SESSION DATES
Wisconsin State Senate Floor Session
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Senate Chambers
Wisconsin State Assembly Floor Session
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:00 AM State Capitol, Assembly Chambers
State-of-the-State Address:
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 7:00 PM State Capitol, Assembly Chambers
Wisconsin State Senate Floor Session
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Senate Chambers
Wisconsin State Assembly Floor Session
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Assembly Chambers
Wisconsin State Senate Floor Session
Thursday, January 19, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Senate Chambers
Wisconsin State Assembly Floor Session
Thursday, January 19, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Assembly Chambers
Assembly Committee on Judiciary
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 9:00 AM State Capitol, Room 328-NW
Executive session on:
AB-650. Non-probate transfer of real property at death.
AB-871. Restrictions on post date checks and checks given for past consideration.
Assembly Committee on Public Health
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 9:45 AM State Capitol, Room 415-NW
Executive session on:
AB-881. Public health planning, services and functions; reporting of communicable diseases; public health agreements; required vaccinations, isolation, or quarantine; contracts between municipalities and federally recognized American Indian tribes.
Assembly Committee on Health
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Room 417-North
Executive session on:
AB-659. Consent for the recovery, processing or distribution of certain anatomical gifts.
AB-722. Licensure of pharmacies outside the state.
AB-830. Anatomical gifts; powers and duties of coroners and medical examiners.
Assembly Committee on Ways and Means
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:30 AM State Capitol, Room 300-NE
AB-903. Individual income tax deduction for certain amounts of mileage reimbursement received by volunteer drivers.
AB-910. Creates a procedure for certain taxpayers to defer taxation on certain reinvested capital gains.
Senate Committee on Higher Education and Tourism
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Room 300-SE.
AB-387. Eligibility of a person enrolled in a program that confers a master’s degree in nursing for a loan under the Nursing Student Loan Program.
An executive session may be held on any of the above items following the public hearing.
Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections & Privacy
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:00 AM State Capitol, Room 201-SE
Executive session on:
SB-447. Punitive damage awards.
SB-501. Damages for frivolous claims.
AB-143. Access to pre-sentence investigation reports.
AB-188. Prohibits certain computer postings that invite harassment or obscene, lewd or profane communications.
Assembly Commmittee on Labor
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:05 AM State Capital, Room 225-NW
AB-520. Requires companies to report net losses of jobs to the Dept of Commerce; makes such companies and certain expatriate companies ineligible for certain tax exemptions, governmental contracts, grants and loans.
AB-860. Assessment on large employers that do not provide subsidized health care coverage.
AB-703. Makes companies that hire illegal aliens ineligible for certain tax exemptions, governmental contracts, grants and loans.
Assembly Committee on State Affairs
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:00 AM State Capitol, Room 328-NW.
Executive session on:
AB-912. Allows individuals to restrict release of credit reports.
Senate Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:00 AM State Capitol, Room 412-East
Executive Committee Action (Vote on Bills)
SB-441. Anatomical gifts and the power and duties of coroners and medical examiners.
AB-201. Compatibility of the offices of coroner or medical examiner and certain emergency services positions.
SB-477. Licensing midwives.
AB-826. Prohibits a person responsible for a child’s welfare while being transported in a child care vehicle from leaving the child unattended.
SB-423. Prohibits a person responsible for a child’s welfare while being transported in a child care vehicle from leaving the child unattended.
AB-485. Regulation of funeral directors and establishments, cremation and advertising.
AB-258. Prescription drug labels.
AB-802. Supplemental MA payments to county and municipal nursing homes.
AB-829. Expands Volunteer Health Care Provider Program to include provision of services to students from 4-year-old kindergarten to grate 6 in public elementary, charter, and private schools participating in the Choice Program; expands definition of volunteer health care provider.
AB-122. MA reimbursement for transportation by specialized medical vehicle.
AB-521. Termination of parental rights.
An exec session will be held on the above items and:
SB-420. The definition of a group health benefit plan.
AB-511. Sexual abuse of children placed in substitute care.
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