WEEK OF MAY 15, 2017
JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE BUDGET DELIBERATIONS THIS WEEK

Last week, the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) took action on several items impacting county government. Highlights include:
  • Creation of a Director of Emergency Communications in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA); transferring the state's Interoperability Council and its functions from the Department of Justice to the Department of Military Affairs.
  • Creation of a 911 subcommittee.
  • Creation of a new SEG annual appropriation in DMA to implement Next Generation 911 and for the 911 Council to administer its duties. Appropriate $6,700,000 in FY19 in the appropriation.
  • Increased funding for broadband.
  • Maintained current law funding for Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) as ongoing and repealed the POWTS loan program on the effective date of the budget; repealed the POWTS grant program on June 30, 2021.
  • Eliminated the Governor's proposal to create a CVSO liaison position.
  • Repealed the reimbursement requirement for the receipt of CVSO grants; eliminated the  restrictions on the specific use of grant funds.
  • Maintained contract funding for income maintenance consortia at CY17 levels for CY18 and CY19.
  • Increased funding for the Fraud Prevention and Investigation Program (FPIP) by $500,000 annually.
This week the JCF will be taking up the following items impacting county government: children and family aids increase, foster care and kinship care rate increases, services for victims of child sex trafficking, funding for the state mental health institutes, youth crisis stabilization facility, child support funding.

See the Legislative Fiscal Bureau papers on these issues here,

For a more detailed account of the items acted on by the JCF, click here to view a webinar conducted by the WCA Government Affairs Staff for the week of May 15, 2017. 
TUNE IN ON MONDAYS FOR WEEKLY BUDGET WEBINARS

You can stay up-to-date on the JCF's budget actions affecting county government by participating in WCA's weekly budget webinars. Budget webinars will be held each Monday at 9:00 a.m.

This week's budget webinar was prerecorded and sent to your inbox on Monday morning.

View the May 15, 2017 webinar here.

Budget webinars will return live next Monday at 9:00 a.m.
 
How to Sign Up
To join this FREE webinar, visit https://wicounties.adobeconnect.com/budget/ each Monday morning. This link will remain active throughout the budget process.  
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL BUREAU RELEASES UPDATED FISCAL ESTIMATES

On May 10, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released its latest fiscal projections for the state. "Based on the recent collections data and the new economic forecast, we believe that the current estimates are still reasonable and should not be adjusted."

Therefore, the January estimates used to configure the 2017-19 state biennial budget will not be modified, allowing the JCF to work with the same budget projections as the Governor.

See the letter from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau here.
COMMITTEE HEARINGS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 15, 2017

Note: The Committee hearings and bills listed below reflect action on legislation impacting county government.  For a complete listing of weekly hearings, please visit here .

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Assembly Committee on Environment and Forestry, 1:00 p.m.
Assembly Bill 226 - local assistance for remediating contaminated wells and failing wastewater treatment systems and award limits for contaminated well grants. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Assembly Bill 179 - remediation of contaminated land; air pollution control requirements for certain manufacturing facilities constructed on formerly contaminated land; reassigning tax deeds on tax delinquent brownfield properties; creating a new method for the creation of environmental remediation tax incremental financing districts; loans and repayment assistance by a political subdivision for certain brownfield revitalization projects and collection of the debt by special charge; state trust fund loans for brownfield projects; conversion of business improvement districts; and annexations to business improvement districts and neighborhood improvement districts. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Joint Committee on Finance, 11:00 a.m.
The Joint Committee on Finance will meet in Executive Session on the 2017-19 state biennial budget on the budgets of the following agencies:
  • Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board
  • Kickapoo Reserve Management Board 
  • State Fair Park
  • Elections Commission
  • Ethics Commission
  • Administration -- General Agency Provisions
  • Health Services -- Care and Treatment Services 
  • Children and Families -- Departmentwide 
  • Children and Families -- Child Support 
  • Children and Families -- Children and Families
Assembly Committee on Corrections, 10:00 a.m.
Assembly Bill 112 - grants for treatment and diversion programs. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Assembly Bill 87 - time limit on a restrictive custody sanction under the Serious Juvenile Offender Program. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Assembly Bill 90 - acts for which a juvenile may be placed in correctional placement or the Serious Juvenile Offender Program. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Assembly Bill 94 - recommendation to revoke parole, probation, and extended supervision if a person is charged with a crime. WCA is monitoring this bill.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Assembly Committee on Health, 10:00 a.m.
Assembly Bill 293 - communicable disease control and prevention funding. WCA supports this bill.

Assembly Committee on State Affairs, 1:00 p.m.
Assembly Bill 275 - the prohibition against adults knowingly permitting or failing to take action to prevent the illegal consumption of alcohol beverages by underage persons. WCA supports this bill.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Joint Committee on Finance, 11:00 a.m.
The Joint Committee on Finance will meet in Executive Session on the 2017-19 state biennial budget on the budgets of the following agencies:
  • Labor and Industry Review Commission
  • Wisconsin Technical College System 
  • Historical Society
  • Shared Revenue -- Direct Aids Payments
  • Shared Revenue -- Property Tax Credits 
  • Shared Revenue -- Property Taxation 
  • Shared Revenue -- Local Revenue Options
  For a listing of all bills impacting county government and WCA's positions on those bills, please visit the WCA website. 
UPCOMING WCA MEETINGS/EVENTS
  • July 13 - County Organization and Personnel Steering Committee
  • July 14 - Judicial and Public Safety Steering Committee
  • July 14 - Health and Human Services Steering Committee
  • July 14 - Taxation and Finance Steering Committee
  • July 17 - Agriculture, Environment, and Land Use Steering Committee
  • July 17 - Transportation and Public Works Steering Committee
  See a complete listing of upcoming WCA meetings here.
HOW CAN YOU FOLLOW THE SESSION WITH US?

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As a member-benefit, the Wisconsin Counties Association offers access to The Wheeler Report, WisPolitics, and WisconsinEye.

If you would like to subscribe to any one of these news services, please contact Amy Dias, Office Manager at dias@wicounties.org or at 866.404.2700.
QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about anything happening at the state level, please feel free to contact any member of the WCA Government Affairs Team:

Kyle Christianson, Director of Government Affairs
608.663.7188
christianson@wicounties.org

Sarah Diedrick-Kasdorf, Deputy Director of Government Affairs
608.663.7188
diedrick@wicounties.org

Dan Bahr, Government Affairs Associate
608.663.7188
bahr@wicounties.org

Marcie Rainbolt, Government Affairs Associate
608.663.7188
rainbolt@wicounties.org

Chelsea Fibert, Government Affairs Assistant
608.663.7188