Construction Trades Coalition Spending Against GOP Senate Campaigns
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 8, 2016
From WisPolitics.com …
The Construction Trades Coalition is up with a new radio campaign saying it’s time to “cut our losses” with a GOP state Senate.
The group, which did not respond to messages seeking comment, reported to the state Ethics Commission it is spending $27,196 on radio targeting four GOP-held state Senate seats. It is the first filing the Ethics Commission has received indicating an independent expenditure from an outside group in a legislative race since the Aug. 9 primary.
The group has radio spots posted to a website that indicate they’re running during Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers games. A WisPolitics.com reporter heard one of the ads over the weekend.
In one version, two announcers discuss an upcoming “tough legislative session for Team Wisconsin” like it was a football game.
One announcer says Wisconsin ranked 36th in private-sector job growth “last season.”
“We got out scored by 35 states,” the other says.
They also say Wisconsin is $1 billion short in road funding, and state veterans are prevented from getting good-paying jobs.
“Game plan: cut our losses, cut the Republican state senators, time for a new team in Madison,” one says to close the spot.
The ads do not mention any state senators by name.
The Construction Trades Coalition reported spending $5,439 each on radio ads opposing GOP Sens. Sheila Harsdorf, of River Falls; Tom Tiffany, of Hazelhurst; Luther Olsen, of Ripon; and Rick Gudex, of Fond du Lac. An equal amount was spent targeting Dan Feyen, the Republican seeking to replace Gudex in the 18th SD.
The CTC filing also shows it spent $246 on website development opposing the five Republicans.
The site that includes the radio ads also has report cards on the Republicans. Each gets an “F” for votes: on state highway funding after supporting Gov. Scott Walker’s latest budget; to pare back the state’s prevailing wage law, which the site says makes it harder for vets to find family sustaining jobs in construction; and on student loan debt for failing to “fight to reduce students’ and their families’ debt.” In regard to Feyen, it charges he “may continue the disastrous legislative policies supported by Senator Gudex.”
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Assembly GOP Announces Forward Agenda
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 7, 2016
From The Wheeler Report . . .
The Assembly Republicans announced their 2017-18 Forward Agenda. Rep. Steinke presented a video to the media discussing the various areas of the program. In the transportation section the video said, “All options are on the table.” Steinke said the first action will be to realize all potential savings within transportation, but if new revenue is needed Assembly Republicans are prepared to look at all the options. Vos said there is “no magic bullet” for transportation, but the state has borrowed too much in the past, and it is not cheaper to delay projects or borrow for them.
With regards to higher education, Rep. Murphy said the Assembly Republicans agree with continuing the tuition freeze at the UW System. Murphy said the Assembly Republicans support performance metrics for the UW System which could be tied to the 4-year graduation rate, increased job placement in high demand fields, and increased job placement overall.
When asked about AB-1, Speaker Vos said the caucus had not decided what item will be AB-1 yet, but technology access, specifically getting laptops or tablets to all high school freshmen was a priority. Vos said Assembly Republicans have created a website and “We’re listening,” encouraging people to read the agenda and provide feedback to legislators. The agenda is broken down into three categories with specific items by category.
Job Growth and Government Reforms
- Tax Reform: Hold the line on taxes, simply the tax code, tax incentives for job growth and economic development.
- Tax Reform: Creating a task force to study Wisconsin’s tax structure.
- Incentivizing Generosity: Creating IRA charitable rollovers, sales tax holiday, eliminate the “victory tax”
- Transportation: Enact cost saving reforms, improving incentives and penalties during construction process, Transportation audit, new revenue generating opportunities (naming rights, drones for project inspections, tollways, advertising and sponsorships), user fees, giving options to local governments.
- Reviewing Government Regulation: domestic partnership streamlining, administrative rule reform, Red Tape Review, elimination of the State Treasurer, evidence based policy making.
- Improving Veterans Services
- WEDC Accountability and Economic Development
- Fighting Federal Government Overreach
- Responding to Technology: autonomous vehicles, personal delivery devices, individualized transit options, home rental services, modernizing the dairy and agricultural industries, broadband expansion, promote international trade and exports
Education and Workforce Development
- K-12 Administration Reform: public schools (evaluate school funding formula, provide money-saving flexibilities), reducing administrative overheard, increase cooperation among school districts, zones of innovation, expansive summer school programs
- Continued Support for School Choice: explore education savings accounts.
- Addressing the Skills Gap and Encouraging Technical Education and STEM Careers: support technical training in schools, introduce students to local technical jobs, STEM, computer science and robotics, fab labs
- Preparing Students for the Future: 1:1 learning initiative, financial literacy and life skills courses, civics education
- Addressing Urban Issues: opportunity schools and partnership program, meeting the challenges of teaching in an urban environment, improve classroom safety,
- Addressing Rural Issues: broadband access, minimum aid payments
- Higher Education: improving transfer of credits, time to degree and degree completion, ideological diversity and free speech protections, encouraging business experience and internships, performance metrics, financial aid, remedial education
- Developing our Workforce: career education and workforce development coordinators, occupational licensing reform, expansion of the transitional jobs program, certification of qualification for employment, disability workforce improvement, incentivizing startups in STEM fields
Health and Public Safety
- Health: Heroin and opiate prevention and education, focus on Alzheimer’s, mental health proposals, healthcare worker shortage, sexual assault nurse examiners, Medicaid, improving and expanding volunteer health care program, rights to try, long-term care investment fund, CBD oil
- Fighting Crime: crime in Milwaukee, Blue Lives Matter, juvenile justice system review, carjacking, fighting recidivism, synthetic drugs, underscore the seriousness of drunk driving, human trafficking
- Public Safety: recruitment and retention for law enforcement and corrections professionals, PSAPs-911 funding, volunteer firefighters and EMS certifications, uninsured drivers,
- Environmental issues: groundwater quantity concerns, protecting water quality, Stewardship funding
- Stronger Families: parental leave savings accounts.
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Where Will Wisconsin Find Enough Workers?
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 6, 2016
In Case You Missed It . . .
This is a familiar theme from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance . . . and it couldn’t be more on point. The implications for and importance of our work with every student we serve is unmistakable. I look forward to hearing from Wistax Research Director Dale Knapp on this topic and more at the WASDA Fall Superintendents Conference.
Check out the article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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State Tax Collections Fall Short of Projections
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 6, 2016
Check out the State Journal’s brief coverage of the Department of Revenue and Legislative Fiscal Bureau announcement yesterday that state tax collections are $85 million short of projections. This announcement confirms our expectation that the 2017-19 state budget battle over very limited revenues will be fierce.
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Walker Approval Rating Rebounds in Latest Poll
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | September 1, 2016
From channel3000.com . . .
Gov. Scott Walker’s approval rating has rebounded to its highest point in months.
A Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday shows Walker’s approval at 43 percent. It was 38 percent in a poll three weeks ago, the same as it was in July. It was last at 43 percent in March.
Walker’s approval rating first fell below 40 percent in August 2015 and has hovered around 40 percent ever since. It dropped to its lowest levels as Walker launched his failed presidential bid and it has not recovered since, even as Walker has emphasized traveling around Wisconsin more.
The latest Marquette Law School Poll was conducted Aug. 25 through Sunday, sampling 803 registered Wisconsin voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 points.
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