This week Governor Walker of Wisconsin signed January 2014 Special Session Senate Bill 1, returning a majority of the state’s billion dollar surplus to hard working people of Wisconsin. Over $800 million dollars of the surplus will be returned to taxpayers through property and income tax relief, and adjustments to withholding for state income tax. January 2014 Special Session Senate Bill 1, now known as 2013 Wisconsin Act 145, provides homeowners $406 million in property tax relief, provides tax payers $98.6 million income tax reductions, and $322.6 million adjustments to state income tax withholding. Starting April 1, 2014, the income tax withholding adjustments allow a family of four making $40,000 per year to take home an additional $58 dollars per paycheck, immediately lessening the financial burden on Wisconsinites. This is the third round of tax cuts during this session of the legislature, following the $100 million in property tax relief approved late last fall, and $650 million income tax relief approved within the budget. Governor Walker Signs Election Reforms Into Law This week Governor Walker signed multiple election reform measures I authored into law. I appreciate the support of colleagues to accomplish approval of legislation improving the fairness and transparency of Wisconsin elections. The bills involved extensive interaction and consultation with a variety of stakeholders including the Government Accountability Board (GAB), municipal and county clerks, and concerned citizens. The input yielded bills that greatly improve the integrity of Wisconsin elections. I applaud Governor Walker’s signature on bills providing significant improvement to election administration and transparency. Senate Bill 20 (SB 20) permits poll workers to be selected from throughout the county, helping municipal clerks recruit an adequate number of poll workers and creating more equal party representation at the polls to assure elections are administered with a fair and transparent method. The bill retains local control by requiring the chief election inspector be a resident of the municipality. Elections throughout Wisconsin are statutorily designed to be staffed by members of the two major parties. Strong party representation promotes balance during elections and ensures elections are administered fairly and neutrally. Senate Bill 377 (SB 377) provides the public with information and statistics about Wisconsin’s Election Day registration process. Current law requires an audit of Election Day voter registrations. Clerks mail postcards to electors to verify addresses provided during Election Day registration are correct. If a postcard is returned to the clerk as undeliverable, or the clerk is informed of a different address for the elector, the clerk must change the elector’s status from eligible to ineligible on the registration list and provide the elector’s name to the district attorney. SB 377 strengthens the reporting requirement ensuring the audit is conducted. SB 377 shines a light on election day registrations and guarantees that the Election Day registration audit, already required by state law, is performed by clerks and appropriate follow-up is conducted. I worked closely with GAB to improve this process and ensure this important election integrity measure is performed Senate Bill 548 (SB 548) grants GAB the authority and responsibility to initiate the state’s Voter Registration List four-year maintenance, and requires GAB to publish results of the four-year maintenance on the GAB website. SB 548 gives GAB the explicit authority to inactivate electors not voting during the last four years because they may have relocated or are deceased. Ensuring the state voter registration list is up-to-date prevents voter impersonation and eases election day administration. I consulted extensively with GAB to ensure they have the tools they need to update the voter registration list. Senate Bill 655 (SB 655) makes a variety of changes to campaign finance law. The bill increases registration thresholds beyond their 1973 levels and to reflect court challenges. The bill permits electronic filing of finance reports and clarifies that volunteer internet activity and news stories are not regulated as contributions or disbursements. SB 655 modernizes Wisconsin campaign finance law to reflect advancements in technology and update outdated statutory provisions. Most importantly SB 655 respects First Amendment free speech rights about voluntary internet activity such as blogging, Facebook, and email. SB 655 guarantees government will not regulate individuals acting on their own behalf or volunteering for candidates or causes
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:09:26 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015