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3/11/2008
Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
What is NOT in the news can be as interesting as what is in the news.
This legislative session is winding down. So far, about 900 Assembly Bills and 570 Senate bills have been introduced. That makes a total of 1,500 ideas that have made it into the system as bills. Only a small percentage make it into law—historically anywhere from 109 in 2001 to 500 in 2005. I predict that we will end up solidly in the middle of those two numbers.
The choice to provide media coverage for a bill is an editorial decision. Positive media often helps a bill. Negative media often hurts a bill. Our media generally leans (sometimes heavily) to the bigger, more government side of the equation. Most of what passes and becomes law is non-partisan and is often non-controversial.
Thursday, March 13th is the last day of the legislative session. At adjournment, all bills that have not made it through both houses die. Most of the 1,500 bills will die. Many have been sitting in an Assembly or Senate committee without ever having had a public hearing.
Thank goodness some will die. Too bad others won’t. Like so many things, this is a matter of perspective.
Take the so-called “Healthy Wisconsin.” After the socialized medicine scheme (run by a committee appointed by politicians) was finally removed from the budget, no separate bill was introduced until last week. It is back again with little media fanfare. Senator Erpenbach, the only author, introduced Senate Bill 562 on March 5th. The bill was sent to Erpenbach’s committee in the Senate where it received a hearing yesterday.
The mainstream press didn’t pick up the story to let you know that this is coming back. Will this zip through the Senate this week? Are the votes there in the Senate? Why this final push at the end of the session? Could it be that there is no intention of creating law? That it is just a talking point?
After only four months, the state’s budget is over $650 million short. I have extensively shared my concerns about this and other flawed budgets.
The Governor is singing the same old tired tune that has helped to dig this hole. His fixes are:
- Raid the transportation fund, because it can be back-filled with borrowing.
- Tax the hospitals because we can get some of the money back from the federal government while we siphon $125 million off the top for other government spending.
And, no mention in the mainstream media, of the fact that the budget we just passed depended on the $200 million raid on the Injured Patient’s Compensation Fund. That raid is held up, waiting action in court, complicated by the fact that there isn’t extra money there to take right now.
Then, there has been very little media coverage of the litigation between Wisconsin and Ho-Chunk Nation. In 2003, the Ho-Chunk promised to pay $60 million for gaming rights. They have refused to pay because the courts said Governor Doyle couldn't make a forever contract with the tribes. The other tribes have paid up (they got a good deal). The Ho-Chuck have not. The payments are endlessly in litigation. The Governor has already paid the attorneys hired by the state a couple of million bucks trying to collect. It is fully possible that the state will be short this money, too.
[Ed. note: Add to the $200M and $60M, as much as $293M (per WISTAX calculations) that the state could owe to Wisconsin companies filing for refunds if Menasha Corp. wins its tax case, now in the Supreme Court. Now we’re talking a revenue shortage of $1.2B! This is some BIG bucks. JE]
Raise a tax here, borrow more there, create a program or two, and hope there are some more places to get some cash.
The dance of the left continues, with some just a little off beat.
And, the beat goes on…
Frank Lasee is a Republican and represents the 2nd Assembly District.
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| 2009 |
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• The Lawton-Bader files
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• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
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• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
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• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
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• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
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• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
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• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
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• Lots of ideas. No money.
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• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
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