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On February 20th, Governor Walker presented his budget proposal to the State Legislature. The biennial budget is the largest and most important bill the legislature will take up during the two year session. Deciding how Wisconsin’s taxpayer dollars are spent is usually a contentious process, but it gives the public a clear view of the priorities of our elected officials. The Governor’s 2013-15 proposed budget contains over $67 billion dollars of spending which is more than a billion dollars more that was spent over the 2011-13 budget, As we move further into the process I want to hear from constituents on what issues you think are the most important. Right now, the budget is still being evaluated by our non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB). In the meantime, the Department of Administration has prepared a brief summary (see link below) broken down by affected subject areas. Please be cautious using these documents as they are prepared by the Department of Administration (DOA) and are not necessarily complete or 100% accurate:

http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp

I will be making an effort to keep you apprised of the budget process through these newsletters. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

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Racing toward school privatization:

Included in the Governor’s proposed budget is an increase and expansion of funding for private school vouchers. An additional $94 million dollars is allocated to increase per pupil voucher school payments, create a statewide special needs voucher program and expand the voucher program to any school district that meeting the following criteria:

• More than 4,000 students enrolled

• Two schools identified as "failing to meet expectations" or "meeting few expectations" on the new Wisconsin school report cards

• Have 20 pupils from the district indicate they intend to participate

For more information, please see my guest op-ed in the Capitol Times

Click here to read the story!

Ask Sondy:

Q: Would it have cost Wisconsin any additional money this biennium to expand Medicaid? 



A: No. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal government would have paid 100 percent of the cost for an expansion to Medicaid for the first three years (2014-2016) and no less than 90 percent after 2016. There is no language forbidding states from capturing federal dollars from 2014 to 2016 and dropping coverage thereafter for cost concerns. Additionally, under the current model, the federal government pays 60 percent for Medicaid and states pick up the rest.

Unclaimed Property:



The Office of the State Treasurer handles unclaimed property for the state. Last year, in the 80th Assembly District alone, there was over $1 million returned to more than 900 people. If you feel that you might have unclaimed property, you can search the State Treasurer’s website by following the link provided below: 

https://statetreasury.wisconsin.gov/UCPWeb/ucpsearch.aspx

March is Music in our Schools Month!



Music is an integral part of a complete education that helps many young children grow academically and personally. The arts need our continued support, and those participating in school arts programs deserve congratulations and appreciation. 

Many students will be getting the chance to perform concerts at the Wisconsin State Capitol over the next month to celebrate Music in our Schools Month. Here is a list of the dates and schools participating: 

http://www.wmea.com/index.php?module=cms&page=60

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On February 20th, Governor Walker presented his budget proposal to the State Legislature. The biennial budget is the largest and most important bill the legislature will take up during the two year session. Deciding how Wisconsin’s taxpayer dollars are spent is usually a contentious process, but it gives the public a clear view of the priorities of our elected officials. The Governor’s 2013-15 proposed budget contains over $67 billion dollars of spending which is more than a billion dollars more that was spent over the 2011-13 budget, As we move further into the process I want to hear from constituents on what issues you think are the most important. Right now, the budget is still being evaluated by our non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB). In the meantime, the Department of Administration has prepared a brief summary (see link below) broken down by affected subject areas. Please be cautious using these documents as they are prepared by the Department of Administration (DOA) and are not necessarily complete or 100% accurate:

http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp

 I will be making an effort to keep you apprised of the budget process through these newsletters. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

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A new poll shows that public opposition to the provisions of the Open-Pit Mining Bill (SB 1/AB 1) has grown significantly since last year. Wisconsin voters oppose the bill by a 33% margin (62-29). Opposition has increased 20 points since last year with undecideds having shifted into the opposition camp. Those voters who consider themselves “independent” opposed the bill by a 44% margin. Support for the bill among Republicans has also dropped.

The poll also tested:

Whether mining companies should be allowed to fill wetlands with waste and other materials (Oppose 67-24).

Whether the amount of money the DNR can collect from mining companies for permit reviews should be capped (Oppose 78-13).

Whether the role of legislators is to bring jobs to the state no matter the cost to the environment or to balance jobs at environmental concerns (Balance 77-18).

How concerned voters are that the mining company played a key role in writing the Open-Pit Mining Bill (Concerned 77-20).

The only question now is whether legislators will stand with the Wisconsinites they represent or an out-of-state mining company.

The poll by Public Policy Polling surveyed 911 Wisconsin voters on February 18th and 19th, exactly one year since a similar poll was conducted. The margin of error is +/-3%.

• Let The People Decide

Special interests that favor new mining rules hold $610 to $1 contribution advantage

January 28, 2013

Madison – Special interests that back loosening mining regulations for a Florida company that wants to dig an open pit iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin have contributed $15.6 million to the Republican-controlled legislature and GOP Governor Scott Walker who are likely to approve mining permit changes in the coming months.

The Democracy Campaign review also found the campaign contributions made by mining deregulation interests swamped those of mining deregulation opponents – environmental groups – by a ratio of $610 to $1. Environmental groups which oppose the Republican mining proposal introduced in mid-January contributed only $25,544 to legislators between 2010 and June 2012 and to the governor between 2010 and April 23, 2012.

Support for a nearly identical GOP proposal last session to reduce groundwater, wetland, waste rock disposal and other environment laws for iron ore mining and impose deadlines on the state to review mine proposals so companies can get permits faster was led by manufacturing, construction, business, banking, transportation and four other special interests, according to state lobbying records.

This array of powerful special interests support mining deregulation because they will benefit from the short- and long-term construction and operation of Gogebic Taconite’s proposed mine in Ashland and Iron counties. Gogebic Taconite is a Wisconsin-based subsidiary of the Cline Group which controls large coal mining operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois and Ohio.

Walker, who has campaigned around the state to gin up support for changing rules to attract mining projects, received $11.34 million from 2010 through April 23, 2012 from interests that support mining deregulation (Table 1) including $67,068 from the prospective mine’s owner, Christopher Cline, his employees and other mining industry executives. During the same period, Walker received only $650 from environmental groups.

The legislature, which is controlled by Republicans 59-39 in the Assembly and 18-15 in the Senate, received $4.25 million from 2010 through June 30, 2012 from interests that support mining deregulation (Table 2) including nearly $13,000 from Cline, his employees and other mining industry executives. During the same period, legislators received only $24,894 from environmental groups.

This mining deregulation bill much like the failed proposal in the last legislative session is generally backed by Republicans who claim it will create hundreds of needed jobs in northern Wisconsin and the rest of the state and opposed by Democratic legislators who claim the job creation benefits are uncertain and that both bills allow iron ore mining practices that will hurt the environment.

Republican legislators and two legislative campaign committees used by legislative leaders to milk special interests for campaign cash to use on elections received $3.38 million or 79 percent of the contributions made by mining deregulation interests. Democratic legislators and their two legislative campaign committees received $875,866 or 21 percent of the contributions made by mining deregulation interests.

Republican legislators accepted an average $43,878 each from mining deregulation interests compared to an average $16,220 accepted by each Democratic legislator between 2010 and June 2012.

Twenty-one legislators and legislative campaign committees used by legislative leaders to milk special interests for campaign cash to use at election time received $50,000 or more in campaign contributions during the two-and-a-half-year period from the special interests that back mining deregulation. Most of the top recipients – 18 – were majority Republican legislators and about a third of them were targeted incumbents or challengers involved in some of the 13 Senate recall races in 2011 and 2012 where candidates spent an estimated $50.7 million (Table 3).

Topping the list of those who received campaign cash from interests that back mining deregulation was veteran Republican Senator Alberta Darling of River Hills who accepted $467,293. Darling spent a record $1.23 million during the 2011 recall elections to keep her job. Darling was followed by the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate – one of the four legislative campaign committees Democratic and Republican Senate and Assembly leaders use to rake in special interest cash to spend at election time – which raised $313,413. GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, who was a recall target in 2012, rounded out the top three raising $262,735. 

Table 1

Contributions To Republican Governor Scott Walker

From Special Interests That Support Mining Deregulation

2010 – April 23, 2012

*Total represents political action committee contributions from the Operating Engineers Local 139, Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association and Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters which supported last session’s mining proposal.

Table 2

Contributions To The 2013-14 Legislature

From Special Interests That Support Mining Deregulation

2010 – June 2012

*Total represents political action committee contributions from Operating Engineers Local 139, Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association, Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters, Wisconsin Laborers District Council and the Iron Workers District Council which supported last session’s mining proposal.

Table 3

Top Legislative Recipients* Of Campaign Contributions

From Special Interests That Support Mining Deregulation

2010 – June 2012

*Table represents legislators and committees who received $50,000 or more from special interests.

The Million Dollar Bill

Senators Cullen and Schultz have introduced an alternative mining bill, based on more than 20 hours of testimony taken last fall from mining experts, state and federal regulators, and environmental advocates. Senator Cullen has announced he intends to hold a listening session soon in Ashland County, near the site of the proposed mine. The League has not taken a position on the alternative proposal.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Transportation Finance and Policy Commission this week released its final report: Keep Wisconsin Moving: Smart Investments, Measurable Results.  According to the Wisconsin Budget Project blog, revenue for the state Transportation Fund would be boosted by about $6.8 billion over the next ten years if lawmakers would enact the recommendations in the report. The Commission recommends using the additional revenue to increase spending by about $479 million per year, including $36.3 million for public transit. The League will support the allocation for public transit and other parts of the report, with details forthcoming. Click here to see the full report.

Dear SWWAP,

http://www.alfranken.com/page/-/email/franken_1301_overturn-cu_email.pngYou don’t need me to tell you how much damage Citizens United has caused in the three years since the decision came down. You just need to turn on a TV.

Corporate-backed special interests own the airwaves come election time -- and, all too often, they own our elections, too.

We could mark the three-year anniversary of Citizens United by crying in our grape soda. Or we could mark it by fighting back.

A group of Senators -- including Sherrod Brown, Mark Begich, Jon Tester, Max Baucus & Tom Udall -- and I are teaming up to make a new push to undo the disastrous effects of Citizens United. Want in? Just click here and sign our petition.

Make no mistake: Progressives can still win big fights, even three years after Citizens United.

But the longer we let this decision stand, the harder it’s going to be. The more influence these corporate special interests have over our elections, the more influence they’ll have over our government -- and the harder it will be for us to enact reform.

It’s a vicious cycle. And that’s why now is such an important moment for action.

Three years of Citizens United is enough -- please sign our petition and help us restore our democracy!

There’s nothing nice to say about Citizens United. And there’s nothing to celebrate on its anniversary. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something to mark the occasion. Let’s commit to undoing the effects of Citizens United -- and let’s restore our democracy.

Thanks,
Al

Top Ten Reasons to KILL THE BILL AB426—on Mining