edited by: Chris Liebenthal,
Wisconsin Editor
Early this morning, while you were asleep, the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, controlled by Democrats, was voting to increase your taxes.
The committee voted 11-5 to create a board that would have the power to impose a one percent sales tax in Milwaukee County. Sales tax revenue [...]
A proposed statewide smoking ban, Assembly Bill 252 (AB 252) will get a public hearing next Wednesday in the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform. The language of AB 252 is the same used by the governor in his proposed state budget.
A vote is being planned [...]
On April 1, 2009, the federal cigarette tax increased from 39 cents to $1.01 per pack, resulting in an increase of $6.3 billion according to the Tax Foundation in Washington D.C.
Increased tax revenue will be used for the federal State Children's Health Insurance program. However, there [...]
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has issued a report on the condition of the state’s transportation fund. The LFB says the balance at the end of the biennium is $7.6 million, $24.7 million less than was estimated by Governor Doyle at the time he introduced his 2009-11 state [...]
The Wisconsin State Journal has editorialized in the past against Governor Doyle’s proposed tax on oil companies, and I have commended the newspaper for its stance. However, in their latest piece on funding transportation, Wisconsin State Journal editorial writers have taken two mighty swings and missed.
1) [...]
Last month I blogged that Governor Doyle was about to raid another state fund. This time, he wants millions of dollars in cell phone rebates to be transferred to local governments.
The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee that is reviewing the governor’s proposed budget voted last week along [...]
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) recently discovered what it called non-fiscal policy items in Governor Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 state budget. A total of 80 such items was found.
All of those policy items should have been removed from budget negotiations and taken up as separate bills. However, [...]
Suggestions to save the state over $2 billion and ease prison overcrowding involve locking up fewer criminals and releasing many from custody early. The Council of State Governments Justice Center has made a series of recommendations to the state Legislature. They include alternatives that result in reduced incarceration. That [...]
The Sheboygan Press opens an editorial with this question:
“Is there no fund safe from Gov. Jim Doyle's long arms?”
The answer is no.
The raids on the transportation fund are well-documented. How about PECFA?
PECFA stands for the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Awards. The [...]
That is the word from Wisconsin Emergency Management (This website keeps updating).
Meanwhile, Stateline reports on preparations being made in other states
One of the most rewarding and gratifying duties I have as a state Senator is presenting special state plaques of recognition to young men achieving the honor of Eagle Scout.
I thoroughly enjoy the Eagle Scout ceremonies I attend. They are a wonderful testament to the caliber [...]
I agree wholeheartedly with the Franklin Common Council’s recent vote to oppose a provision in Governor Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 state budget that would impose new traffic- stop record- keeping responsibilities on local law enforcement departments in counties with populations of 125,000 or more starting in 2011.
The requirement [...]
The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs has issued the following release:
At approximately 11:30 a.m. today [Sunday, April 26] the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared a public health emergency in response to recent Swine Influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
State of [...]
Here is the calendar for the state Senate floor session scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.:
First Order. Call of Roll.
Second Order. Chief clerk's entries.
Third Order. Introduction, first reading and reference of proposals.
Fourth Order. Report of committees. [...]
Here is an update from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) for the I-94 NORTH-SOUTH freeway project:
Construction update April 27-May 3:
I-94 North-South Freeway Project update for Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties
All closures are weather-dependent and subject to change.
New long-term closures are BOLD.
[...]
I have always supported a photo ID requirement for voting.
A new effort is being waged this legislative session in Madison to enact a photo ID law. I am the main Senate co-sponsor of a photo ID bill authored by my colleague state Senator Joe Leibham that will [...]
For quite some time, Governor Doyle has embraced the idea of a so-called assessment on oil companies. The public knows quite well that is doublespeak for a tax, a tax that might be unconstitutional, and if enacted, would only be passed on to consumers at the gas pump. Editorial [...]
Stateline reports the total of the budget gaps in all 50 states is now over $200 billion.
As a result, many states, including Wisconsin are making bad choices by increasing a number of taxes and fees.
Read more from Stateline.
This is not good.
The New York Times writes that Special Inspector General Neil Barofksy issued an eye-opening report Tuesday that the price tag for TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) has ballooned from $700 billion to $3 TRILLION.
The report describes the bailout program as one of “unprecedented scope, [...]
On a voice vote Thursday, the state Senate approved a bill that mandates insurance coverage for cochlear implants for children. The state Assembly also approved the bill and Governor Doyle is expected to sign it.
I expressed my reservations on the Senate floor. Wisconsin Radio Network has [...]
On the floor of the state Senate Thursday, I voted against the governor’s appointments of Roger Axtell and Mike Weiden to the UW Hospital and Clinics Board.
As members of the UW Hospital and Clinics Board, Axtell and Weiden on February 4, 2009 voted with the majority as the [...]
Less than two weeks after hunters at statewide Conservation Congress meetings expressed frustration and anger over the state’s controversial earn-a-buck program, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has voted to suspend the program indefinitely.
The Associated Press has details.
Apparently Democrats running the state Legislature and the governor’s office have not heard about the following:
1) There’s a recession going on.
2) Businesses are laying off workers.
3) Businesses are cutting salaries.
4) All 50 states are facing budget crises, necessitating hiring freezes or [...]
All last week, I blogged about the findings of the Tax Foundation’s 2009 nationwide survey on attitudes of American taxpayers.
Former senior adviser to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove writes in the Wall Street Journal, “It hasn't gotten a ton of attention, but people are fed up [...]
Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has issued a memo offering guidance to the state’s district attorneys about the right to openly carry firearms.
You can read the details here.
Read more from the Journal Sentinel.
I have blogged about St. James in Mukwonago participating in a national contest, the Lexus Eco Challenge.
Laurel Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has written a very nice column with word that the students of St. James did very well in this environmental contest:
“They've collected a cool $40,000 [...]
According to Stateline, the Obama administration has given its approval to $6.5 billion of the $27.5 billion in federal stimulus funding for highways and bridges.
Which state leads the way in number of projects and amount of federal funding?
Is it New York?
California?
[...]
Twenty-five employees of state agencies in Wisconsin, including 15 Department of Corrections (DOC) correctional officers and correctional sergeants and 10 Department of Health Services staff each earned more than $50,000 in premium overtime in addition to their regular wages during 2008. That information is contained in an audit of overtime [...]
Here is the current status of deliberations on the 2009-11 state budget.
Governor Doyle proposed his budget a few months ago and the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) held public hearings around the state. Thursday, the JFC began reviewing and voting on the various provisions contained in the [...]
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. has just released the results of its 2009 nationwide survey on attitudes of American taxpayers. The survey was conducted between February 18 and 27, 2009 among 2,002 adults (aged 18 or older).
For the first time, this question was posed to [...]
The New Berlin Lioness will host their 32nd Annual Champagne Breakfast this Sunday, April 19, 2009. The breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holy Apostles School Gymnasium in New Berlin located at 3875 S 159th Street.
The top-notch menu includes the Lioness’ [...]
I am the co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 6 (SR 6) that reaffirms Wisconsin’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment. SR 6 reads in part:
“Whereas, the legislature has forwarded to the federal government numerous resolutions opposing federal encroachment on state powers but has received no response or result from [...]
My blog of January 27, 2009, “Congress does not have the magic wand to help the states,” reported several forecasts that the huge federal stimulus package would not solve the budget crises afflicting all 50 states. We now have hard, cold evidence, at least from one state, that those [...]
Here is an important update to my recent blog about the turkey hunting season that just opened.
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports that wildfire conditions are in the High to Very High range.
The DNR has issued warnings to turkey hunters.
When it comes to Americans’ views about taxes, there is a stark contrast between political parties and ideologies.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. has just released the results of its 2009 nationwide survey on attitudes of American taxpayers. The survey was conducted between February 18 and [...]
Millions of income-tax filers in America do not have federal income tax liability. After credits and deductions are taken, 45.6 million or one-third of all filers pay zero federal income tax, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. has just released the [...]
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. has just released the results of its 2009 nationwide survey on attitudes of American taxpayers. The survey was conducted between February 18 and 27, 2009 among 2,002 adults (aged 18 or older).
As part of the survey, taxpayers were asked [...]
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C. has just released the results of its 2009 nationwide survey on attitudes of American taxpayers. The survey was conducted between February 18 and 27, 2009 among 2,002 adults (aged 18 or older).
As part of the survey, taxpayers were asked [...]
Mary Blott of the Mukwonago Chamber of Commerce informs me that this Saturday, April 18, 2009, the Elegant Farmer will host, “The Big Read,” a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts intended to inspire Americans to pick up a good book. The book featured at “The [...]
Governor Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 state budget includes a provision to create a statewide same sex domestic partner registry. Doyle’s proposal comes despite the fact that Wisconsin’s constitution bans same sex marriage and bans legal status for other forms of same sex relationships.
That has led critics, including me, [...]
Conservation Congress meetings about wildlife issues were held in all 72 counties Monday. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that in Brown County, most hunters voiced frustrations about the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) handling of the deer herd and the controversial earn-a buck program.
The Appleton Post-Crescent reports [...]
The nation’s #1 expert on taxes, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation in Washington D.C., has released a new report on American attitudes about several tax issues based on a recent nationwide survey. The Tax Foundation finds that tax complexity, tax fairness, and tax burdens remain areas of concern for American [...]
The New Berlin Lioness will host their 32nd Annual Champagne Breakfast this Sunday, April 19, 2009. The breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holy Apostles School Gymnasium in New Berlin located at 3875 S 159th Street.
The top-notch menu includes the Lioness’ [...]
Here is an update from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) for the I-94 NORTH-SOUTH freeway project:
Construction update April 12- April 19:
I-94 North-South Freeway Project update in Milwaukee County
All closures are weather-dependent and subject to change
MONDAY, APRIL 13
Lane Closures of Howell [...]
To be sure, Easter is spring colors and bright, shiny new clothes and bunnies and chocolate eggs and big dinners and family time. Easter is all of that, and more.
This Sunday, we celebrate Jesus Christ’s triumph over death that paved the way for eternal life. The Resurrection [...]
MSN Money has an interactive map showing where the states rank on gasoline, cigarette, beer and sales taxes. On three of the four Wisconsin has some of the highest taxes in the nation.
MSN Money predicts there will be a push in many states to increase the so-called [...]
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has released a memo with its calculations that property taxes for the average Wisconsin home would increase $91 on bills this December and an additional $134 next year under Governor Doyle’s proposed state 2009-11 state budget.
The property tax increase would be 3.2 [...]
A public information meeting to discuss the reconstruction of the County Y (Racine Avenue) and I-43 interchange in Waukesha County will be held Thursday night in New Berlin.
Here are the details.
USA Today reports what all too many Americans unfortunately have come to realize. There is a growing trend of companies slashing or eliminating employee benefits, and workers have little confidence the pendulum will swing anytime soon. The newspaper writes:
“Health care costs for employees have been rising for years, [...]
I first blogged about Scott Hansen during May 2008. Hansen, the victim of a near tragic accident, was the subject of an emotional piece by WISN-TV Channel 12 and state Department of Transportation (DOT) public service announcements urging motorists to obey the Move Over Law.
Scott Hansen [...]
The Christian Science Monitor is reporting that four states, Georgia, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona have acted to prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition rates. These rates are generally far less expensive than rates charged to out-of-state students.
The rough economy is one reason for the move. Another [...]
Important annual Conservation Congress County Meetings take place all across Wisconsin in less than two weeks. Hunters and fishers have an opportunity to discuss and voice their views on dozens of outdoor issues.
Here are full details.
One of the matters to be addressed at [...]
Wisconsin’s spring turkey season officially opens April 15, 2009 and, according to state wildlife officials, the prospects look good. The wild turkey population is reported to be healthy and plentiful even though the winter was harsh.
The 2009 spring turkey season has six, five-day time periods that [...]
Here is information I have received from the state Department of Transportation about an important upcoming meeting in New Berlin about the County Y/I-43 interchange project. I urge all concerned parties to attend:
Public meeting scheduled for I-43 and County Y in Waukesha County
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation [...]
Last fall, I blogged about the village of Greendale’s tremendous showing in the national America in Bloom competition.
I have been informed by Greendale America In Bloom co-chair Mary Helen Block that the village will also be participating in this year’s contest.
Best of luck to [...]
Thank you for appearing and testifying at the WISCONSIN JOBS NOW Task Force meeting Monday, March 23, 2009 at BioResearch Inc. in Brown Deer.
As I expected, you brought a wealth of expertise and I was extremely impressed with your contributions. The insight and personal experiences you [...]
The Wall Street Journal has taken notice that Wisconsin is among several states attempting to balance budgets off the backs of higher wage earners.
Governor Doyle’s proposal to impose higher taxes on wealthier residents is bad economic policy for the state. During December 2007, I blogged that [...]
I am pleased that Waukesha County is one of 105 counties in the country to be selected to participate in the National Children’s Study (NCS). The project is considered to be the largest, most comprehensive study of children’s health in the history of the United States. The goal is [...]
I have blogged extensively about efforts by Wal-Mart to develop affordable heath care. Other retailers like Target, CVS, and Walgreens have followed suit.
Innovation continues as Walgreens will offer free medical services to individuals without jobs and are uninsured. Here are more details about the Take Care Recovery Plan at [...]
Tax Freedom Day is the day Americans will have earned enough money to pay this year’s tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels.
Tax Freedom Day in Wisconsin will also fall on April 13, 2009. That compares to last year’s Tax Freedom day of April [...]
The third meeting of the WISCONSIN JOBS NOW TASK FORCE was held Monday in Eau Claire. About 50 businesspeople attended to discuss their concerns about Wisconsin’s business climate, according to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.
Here is my blog about last week’s task force meeting in [...]
Recently I learned that someone was sending emails to my office, and the emails were not reaching my inbox. As you can imagine, the sender was frustrated at not receiving a reply. This is unacceptable for both the sender and for me.
I contacted staff at the Legislative Technical Service [...]
As a Harley Davidson owner, rider, and enthusiast, I was intrigued by a New York Times piece that chronicles the company’s recent financial troubles.
Loyalty is not an issue. The New York Times writes:
“When customers buy a Harley, they’re instantly a member of a family [...]
Kevin and his wife Jennifer welcomed Kyla Audrey Fischer to our world last night, Wednesday, March 25, at 10:45 p.m. Kyla is 6 pounds and 21 inches long.
Kevin says everyone is healthy and doing well. Kevin is a very proud, excited Daddy. I am so happy for Kevin and his [...]
“We’re at war!”
“I’m in business. That doesn’t make me GM or AIG.”
“I’m not some faceless b**tard. I’m a capitalist.”
Thirty-three business leaders testified about their concerns with Wisconsin business policies at the WISCONSIN JOBS NOW Task Force’s latest meeting Monday at BioResearch Inc. in [...]
Here is the update for this week from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) for the I-94 NORTH-SOUTH freeway project:
Construction update week of March 22-27:
I-94 North-South preliminary work update in Milwaukee County
All closures are weather-dependent and subject to change. New long-term closures are BOLD.
[...]
The boy’s basketball team at Holy Apostles of New Berlin had a great run in the Padre Serra tournament, finishing 4th among 36 teams. The tournament concluded Sunday at Mount Mary College.
Ty Sabin of Holy Apostles was named to the All-Tournament team.
Congratulations to Holy Apostles [...]
The WISCONSIN JOBS NOW Task Force holds a meeting in Brown Deer Monday, March 23, 2009 to hear critical testimony about how to revive Wisconsin’s economy. A successful meeting was held on March 10, 2009 in Howard, near Green Bay.
It is imperative Wisconsin businesspeople attend, share [...]
Governor Doyle’s proposed 2009-11 state budget gets worse and worse. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has issued a memo that the state faces another huge budget shortfall in the 2011-13 biennium.
The LFB writes, “For 2011-12, the general fund would need to generate $713 million in order [...]
Proposed legislation that could be introduced soon in Madison would increase the authority of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Here is an analysis of part of the legislation by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau. Read carefully:
“Under current law, DNR administers a statewide program to control [...]
Here is yet another example of Governor Doyle’s penchant for raiding funds.
The governor is calling for $25 million in rebates designed for consumers to instead be transferred to local governments. It is another in a pattern of moves by the governor to raid funds to use for [...]
It is officially underway.
Most college basketball enthusiasts and casual observers are able to handle March Madness, the onslaught of the annual NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Many, unfortunately, cannot.
This is the time of year Rose Gruber’s telephone gets very busy. Gruber is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin [...]
