Vos Appoints Born Assembly JFC Co-Chair
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | December 2, 2020
From WisPolitics.com …
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos today appointed Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, to take over as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee after incumbent John Nygren, R-Marinette, resigned from the Legislature.
Along with elevating Born to co-chair, Vos, R-Rochester, announced that Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, will remain committee vice-chair.
Nygren’s resignation takes effect today. He is leaving to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.
See the release here.
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More on GOP COVID-19 Package
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | December 2, 2020
From WisPolitics.com …
Assembly Republicans are proposing sweeping legislation to deal with COVID-19 that would pressure schools to return to in-person instruction and place new restrictions on the closures that local officials can order to deal with the pandemic.
The bill also includes a provision requiring the administration to eliminate the backlog in unemployment claims. If certain benchmarks weren’t met, the Joint Finance Committee would have the power to cut the salaries of the Workforce Development secretary, deputy secretary and unemployment division administrator.
The 23-page summary of the bill from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau includes a host of changes that would address GOP complaints about some steps Gov. Tony Evers and local officials have taken during the pandemic. It also would give lawmakers oversight of the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine and place new restrictions on the business closures that local officials can order to deal with the pandemic.
The proposal was released late yesterday after incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, called for using surplus Medicaid funds to address COVID-19 needs with federal money expiring at month’s end. He also said his caucus had discussed various proposals related to COVID-19 and had “serious concerns relating to the most effective distribution of new state funding.”
“Wisconsin needs a comprehensive response and Assembly Republicans are ready to act before the end of the year,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester. “We look forward to working with our legislative colleagues and the Governor on bipartisan solutions that the state deserves in this crisis.”
Vos and LeMahieu met yesterday afternoon with Evers via phone.
“Gov. Evers has repeatedly asked Republicans for their plan to respond to COVID-19 and remains ready and willing to work together on a proposal that will pass both houses with bipartisan support,” said Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback. “It’s unfortunate that Republicans can’t even agree among themselves on a plan for our state’s response to this pandemic.”
To pressure schools to return to in-person instruction, the bill would penalize districts that provide only virtual instruction rather than in-person learning for the 2020-21 school year. Those school boards would have to pay $371 to the parent or guardian of a student if they approve virtual instruction in lieu of in-person teaching. The provision also would apply to schools that provide virtual instruction for 50 percent of the semester.
It also includes liability protections for schools, health care providers and others while requiring the Evers administration to eliminate the backlog in the unemployment program.
The bill also would bar DHS and local officials from prohibiting public gatherings in churches and require executive branch employees to return to their state offices by Jan. 31, when state buildings would have to return to normal hours for the public. The provisions on state employees and buildings wouldn’t apply to the UW.
Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, knocked the bill for “extremely politically divisive” provisions.
“Not only do Wisconsin Republicans not want to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, they want to put into law limits on local governments in their ability to respond in the way that works for their community. This bill is politically driven, undermines Governor Evers’ efforts to combat the virus, and ignores the reality our state is facing.”
See the release here.
See the LFB summary of the bill here.
See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Coverage here.
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Assembly Republicans Offer COVID-19 Proposal
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | December 1, 2020
From The Wheeler Report . . .
Assembly Speaker Vos and the Assembly Republicans announced a package to address the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the release, the package includes:
- Create of a $100 million fund to respond to the public health emergency
- Double the number of local public health staff working on the COVID-19 response
- Offer weekly rapid antigen tests for home use
- Continue the prohibition of co-payments for any COVID-19 tests
- Establish legislative oversight of vaccine distribution plan
- Provide guidelines for state employees to return to work
- Reauthorize state employee transfers
- Establish limited liability for schools, businesses and local governments
- Allow for an essential family member/caregiver to visit a loved one in nursing homes in specific circumstances
- Re-establish personal electronic computing device grants for schools ($9 million)
- Require teacher instruction from school buildings by end of January, providing exceptions
- Require school board approval of virtual instruction by two-thirds vote of the board
- Provide payments to parents of $371 (half of the per pupil aid increase for the year) for students who have had at least 50% virtual instruction since September
- Allow health service providers from other states to practice in Wisconsin
- Require UW System to provide credit to students who assist in the COVID-19 response
- Create of business grants for the hospitality industry
- Require the Department of Workforce Development to eliminate the backlog of unemployment insurance claims
The proposal also includes statutory changes to affect the distribution of certain COVID-19 vaccines.
Vos said, “Wisconsin needs a comprehensive response and Assembly Republicans are ready to act before the end of the year.”
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Nygren Resigning From the Legislature
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | December 1, 2020
From WisPolitics.com …
Joint Finance Co-chair John Nygren, R-Marinette, announced today he is resigning from the Legislature effective tomorrow to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.
See the release here.
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COVID-19 Precipitates Changes to GED Testing and Credentialing
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | December 1, 2020
From the Legal Side…
In its most recent Legal Update, the Strang Patteson Law Firm focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred changes in GED testing and credentialing.
The SAA regularly receives these legal updates and we believe this is valuable information for SAA members. We are distributing this update to SAA members with the permission of the Strang Patteson Law Firm. The information in this update is no substitute for consulting with your district legal counsel, and we encourage you to do so.
Topics: SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update, SAA Legal Side | No Comments »