2011-2012 Legislative Session
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WISCONSIN LEGISLATIVE VOTING RECORD 2011-12 Legislative Session Wisconsin’s Business Voice Since 1911 WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS & C OMMERCE Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce PO Box 352 Madison, WI 53701-0352 Phone: 608-258-3400 Fax: 608-258-3413 www.wmc.org WIsCOnsIn BusIness sees MajOr GaIns In H IstOrIC 2011-12 s essIOn We are pleased to present the 2011-12 Legislative Voting record, WMC’s biennial business issue scorecard for the Wisconsin state Legislature. is report is designed to help the business community see how individual members of the legislature voted on key issues affecting the business climate in Wisconsin. e 2011-12 legislative session was historic in many ways. e upward spiral of spending and taxes was reversed; the state’s long-term structural deMcit was eliminated; a solid foundation for responsible budgeting in the future was established and perhaps, most signiMcantly, efforts to improve the state’s business climate took a quantum leap forward. e legislature adopted sweeping legal reforms, comprehensive regulatory reforms and targeted business tax cuts that will help put Wisconsin on a path to robust economic growth and job creation in the years ahead. e WMC lobbying team worked on 159 separate pieces of legislation during the session. Many of these bills originated as recommendations from WMC members who serve on our various policy committees and were developed by our in-house team of attorneys and policy experts. is report outlines the results of our lobbying effort on the most signiMcant business legislation of the session. For more information on any issues summarized here, contact the WMC Government relations team at 608-258-3400. sincerely, james a. Buchen senior Vice President BILL NAME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU WMC POSITION OUTCOME STATE BUDGET, Wisconsin Act 28 Creation of the e budget bill included a 7.5% tax WMC supported the creation Passed both houses and Manufacturers credit for manufacturing undertaken in of this tax credit to help signed into law. Tax Credit Wisconsin. When fully implemented, encourage manufacturing in the credit will save Wisconsin Wisconsin. businesses $127 million per year. No Tax-Increase e budget bill avoided general fund tax WMC supported the adoption Passed both houses and Budget increases and even resulted in a general of a budget that relies on signed into law. fund tax reduction of $23 million. growth in tax revenues from the expanding economy. Permanent e budget bill included a levy limit for WMC supported the adoption Passed both houses and Property Tax Cap county and municipal governments that of a levy limit to cap property signed into law. only allows increases to be based on the taxes and reduce Wisconsin’s value of new construction. ranking as one of the states with the highest property taxes. Phosphorus is item in the state budget requires WMC supported the requirement Passed both houses and the Dnr to conduct a detailed to study the costs and beneMts of signed into law. Regulation cost/beneMt analysis of its recent rule to stringent phosphorus regulations. regulate phosphorus discharges. Businesses and lawmakers Compliance costs are likely to exceed deserve to know how much Dnr $1 billion. regulations cost and whether the beneMts justify the costs. Repeal Energy e budget bill repealed an energy tax WMC supported eliminating Passed both houses and hike passed in 2010 that would have Tax Hike this tax increase because higher signed into law. nearly tripled the amount collected on energy costs make businesses monthly electricity and natural gas bills. less competitive. When fully implemented, the tax hike would have exceeded $256 million per year. e budget bill included a provision Use of Trapped WMC supported the adoption Passed both houses and allowing combined groups to share net Losses under of this provision because signed into law. Combined business loss carry-forwards incurred businesses with loss carry- Reporting prior to 2009 by group members of forwards should be allowed to multi-state companies that Mle under use them. combined reporting. 1 Page BILL NAME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU WMC POSITION OUTCOME CIVIL JUSTICE Comprehensive Legal is legislation consisted of WMC supported this legislation Passed both houses and Reforms comprehensive product liability reform, because it enhances fairness signed into law. capping punitive damages, establishing and predictability in our legal senate Bill 1 expert standards for witness testimony, system. WI act 2 and re-adopting the frivolous claims January 2011 statute. Special Session Trespasser Liability is legislation speciMes that a WMC supported this bill Passed both houses and property owner does not owe a duty of because case law in other states signed into law. senate Bill 22 care to a trespasser. threatened to create a duty of WI act 93 care to trespassers in Wisconsin. September 2011 Special Session Punitive and is legislation repeals a 2009 law that WMC supported this bill Passed both houses and Compensatory allowed state courts to award punitive because of the increased signed into law. Damages for and compensatory damages under the settlement costs incurred by Discrimination Wisconsin Fair employment act employers under the 2009 Claims under the (WFea). remedies still provided for law, the existing ability to Mle WFEA under state law include reinstatement, federal workplace back pay and legal costs. discrimination claims, and senate Bill 202 the indexing factor included WI act 219 in the 2009 law which allowed for higher claims at the state ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT level. Local Development senate Bill 504 places limitations on the WMC supported this Passed both houses and Moratoriums authority of local governments to enact proposal to clarify local signed into law. moratoriums to block certain regulatory authority and senate Bill 504 development activities, including a provide greater certainty to WI act 144 demonstration of need and a one-year businesses in terms of the time limit. duration of development moratoriums . Right: Rebecca Hogan pictured with Governor Walker and Representative Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) at a bill signing. Le: James Buchen and Jason Culotta discuss budget issues with Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Representative Robin Vos (R-Burlington). 2 Page BILL NAME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU WMC POSITION OUTCOME EDUCATION Authorizing a senate Bill 335 allows school districts to WMC supported this bill Passed both houses and School Board to create a curriculum that will better serve because it will encourage youth signed into law. Grant a Technical students interested in gaining technical to engage in technical learning Diploma skills and preparing for the skilled and in the skilled trades. trades. senate Bill 335 WI act 156 ELECTIONS Recall Reform is legislation would limit recall WMC supported this Passed the assembly; elections to cases when an elected constitutional amendment no action taken in the assembly joint officer was charged with a serious crime because recent recall elections senate. resolution 63 or violated the state ethics code. have been about policy differences instead of malfeasance in office. ENERGY Renewable Energy senate Bill 81 would remove limitations WMC supported passage of this Passed both houses and on utilities’ use of hydroelectric power to bill as a means to provide utilities signed into law. senate Bill 81 satisfy the 10% renewable energy with Nexibility in meeting the WI act 34 mandate. 10% renewable energy mandate, and thereby reduce costs for electric ratepayers. Energy Policy senate Bill 428 makes numerous reforms WMC supported these reforms, Passed both houses and Reforms to state energy policy to modernize including the provision that signed into law. Wisconsin energy regulation. allows utility customers to senate Bill 428 generate renewable energy WI act 155 credits. James Buchen and Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) Rebecca Hogan joins Governor Walker and the leaders at Multi-Products discuss health care reform. in Racine for the Technical Diploma bill signing. 3 Page BILL NAME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU WMC POSITION OUTCOME ENVIRONMENT Iron Mining assembly Bill 426 would streamline the WMC strongly supported Passed the assembly. Reform permitting process for iron mining while passage of these important rejected in the maintaining robust environmental reforms as a means to capture a senate. assembly Bill 426 standards. e bill would have $1.5 billion investment in our established clear permitting timelines economy and create thousands and other measures to enhance of family-supporting jobs for predictability. generations to come. Air Permitting senate Bill 111 repeals Chapter nr 411 WMC supported the repeal of Passed both houses and Reform of the Dnr code, which requires air this outdated regulation that signed into law. permits for construction projects with adds Wisconsin-only cost and senate Bill 111 large parking lots or parking ramps. delay to development projects WI act 121 without a meaningful beneMt to the environment. DNR Permit senate Bill 326 makes numerous reforms WMC supported these Passed both houses and Reform to streamline Dnr permits, including important permit reforms and signed into law. Chapter 30 waterway permits, and believes they will lead to a senate Bill 326 minor source air permits. more timely and less WI act 167 cumbersome environmental review process in our state. Wetland Permit senate Bill 368 streamlines the process WMC supported these wetland Passed both houses and Reform for wetland permits by establishing clear reforms as a means to provide signed into law. timelines and approval standards under regulatory relief while ensuring a senate Bill 368 the bill. Increased mitigation high level of protection for WI act 118 opportunities will lead to the creation of sensitive wetlands. more wetland acreage. Scott Manley testi?es at a hearing on the mining bill Kurt Bauer discusses EPA overreach with Congressman in Hurley, WI. Paul Ryan at the Decision 2012 brie?ng. 4 Page BILL NAME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU WMC POSITION OUTCOME ENVIRONMENT Water Pollution senate Bill 557 requires the Dnr to WMC supported this bill because Passed both houses and Credit Training establish a statewide water pollution of its potential to create signed into law.