JFC Co-Chairs: Don’t “Spend” Additional State Money
By John Forester(Don't Use) | May 11, 2011
From WisPolitics.com …
— The co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee today welcomed the additional $636 million the state is expected to receive over the next two years as an opportunity to smooth out some of the rough edges in the guv’s budget.
But they both urged restraint today, saying the money would best go toward paying the state’s bills and lowering its debt rather than creating new programs or boosting spending on existing ones.
“We’re not just going to spend the money,” said Co-Chair Alberta Darling, R-River Hills.
“We’re not going to use the credit card and create new programs.”
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau said this afternoon the new revenue from sales and corporate taxes will be weaker than previously expected, but the stronger income tax numbers will easily offset that. General fund tax revenues are expected to be higher than the previous estimate by $233 million in 2010-11, $204 million in 2011-12, and $199 million in 2012-13. That’s a three-year increase of $636 million, or 1.6 percent more than the previous estimate.
Income tax estimates are expected to increase by $910 million over the three-year period, but sales and corporate tax projections are reduced by $240 million and $68 million, respectively, over that time.
See the memo.
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Walker Advocates Choice Expansion in Budget
By John Forester(Don't Use) | May 11, 2011
As you may know, Governor Walker has advocated expanding private school choice to Green Bay, Beloit and Racine through the biennial budget. Here is the link to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the topic. More information to follow.
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Priority Legislative Alert -SB 2 (Open Enrollment)
By John Forester(Don't Use) | May 6, 2011
Please contact your State Assembly Representative as soon as possible. Urge him/her to support Senate Bill 2 as amended by the Assembly Education Committee.
Proponents of unlimited year-round Open Enrollment are working hard to undo a victory the SAA won in the Assembly Education Committee. We need your help to counter the attack. Republicans control the Assembly by a wide margin. The Assembly Republicans will debate this bill in caucus on Tuesday May 10th.
Background Information
Under the bill as passed by the Senate:
- The open enrollment window was expanded from three weeks to three months
- Created an alternate open enrollment process allowing a parent to open enroll their child at any time if the pupil satisfies one of seven special criteria in the bill
- The SAA’s primary opposition to the bill was the last of these seven criteria: “The parent of the pupil and the nonresident school board agree that attending school in the nonresident school district is in the best interests of the pupil.”
As you know, in addition to essentially creating year-round Open Enrollment, this provision would also provide “difficult” students and parents with one more weapon to manipulate school districts into making decisions favorable to the student.
At the suggestion of the SAA, the Assembly Education Committee amended the 7th criterion as follows:
“The parent of the pupil, the resident school board, and the nonresident school board agree that attending school in the … pupil.”
Proponents of the unlimited Open Enrollment want to undo this compromise. They want to allow unlimited Open Enrollment at any time.
If they succeed, they:
- Will deny resident school districts a voice in these Open Enrollment decisions
- Could place the resident district in financial difficulty at the hands of parties with no responsibility for the needs of children who remain in the resident school district
- Will encourage virtual charter schools to promote themselves year-round, essentially making the 3-month Open Enrollment window a sham
Please email or call your State Assembly Representative as soon as possible using the information discussed above. Assembly contact information (Assembly Directory) can be found on the left side of our website in the Elected Officials section. You can identify who your Assembly Representative is by accessing Who Are My Legislators.
I’ve done all I can inside the Capitol on this legislation. I need you to contact your Assembly Representatives, especially those of you with Republican Representatives. I’m not exaggerating when I say, your response will determine the SAA’s success on this bill.
Thanks for listening. And, as always, thank you for all you do on behalf of Wisconsin school children.
Topics: CapitolReports, Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update | No Comments »
SAA Video Update 4-29-11
By John Forester(Don't Use) | April 29, 2011
Dear SAA Members:
Please use the link below to view a video update on important legislative developments on the State Budget, Open Enrollment, Charter Schools, additional school privatization proposals and more. I have also provided links to the SAA State Budget Priorities (memo to the Joint Finance Committee), Senate Bill 69 (private school tuition tax credits) and Assembly Bill 110 (special education vouchers).
Thanks for listening. And, as always, thanks for all you do on behalf of Wisconsin school children.
Topics: CapitolReports, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update, SAA Video Alerts | No Comments »
Priority Legislative Alert — Open Enrollment
By John Forester(Don't Use) | April 21, 2011
Dear SAA Members:
This is a PRIORITY LEGISLATIVE ALERT – YOUR RESPONSE IS NEEDED ASAP!!!
Please use the link below to view a video alert on Senate Bill 2 – Open Enrollment Application Period. I have also provided you with links to the SAA’s testimony on SB 2 and a Legislative Council Memo explaining the bill.
Thanks for listening and responding. And, as always, thanks for all your efforts on behalf of Wisconsin school children.
Topics: Legislative Action, SAA Capitol Reports, SAA Capitol Reports with Email Notifications, SAA Latest Update, SAA Video Alerts | No Comments »