| Retired Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin |
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Legislative Report January 2010 The Wisconsin Legislature wrapped up its 2009 session in mid-December before taking a winter break. They are expected to return on January 19, 2010 and are scheduled to complete the 2010 session in mid-May. The major accomplishment of the fall session was probably the toughening up of the state’s drunk driving laws. Major change there was to require a jail sentence after 4 DWI’s rather than the 5 DWI’s previously. Governor Doyle has several major initiatives on his agenda that he wants the legislature to adopt before they complete their session in April. Among these is a major overhaul of the Milwaukee Public School System. Major change there is to give the Milwaukee mayor the power to appoint the school superintendent rather than the school board. This has the African American community divided so the outcome of the legislation in certainly not clear. The other major initiative of the Governor is his Clean Energy Jobs Act. This complicated bill is the product of the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force. Major provisions here include a requirement that 25 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity be generated by renewable sources by 2025. Ten percent of those would need to be from sources in Wisconsin. Another major provision would require that automobiles here meet the same tough clean standards that are required in California. The Governor calls his initiative the Clean Energy Jobs Act because he says it will create 15,000 new jobs. Not sure over what time that is. The Governor’s proposal faces big opposition from WMC. It is supported by environmental groups and others interested in clean energy. Labor unions at this time are taking a close look at the bill’s details before weighting in. Obviously the state’s economy could use all the new jobs promised. On the state retirement front there is not much new news from the State Legislature. One issue that they are expected to act on this session is Infectious Disease Presumption Legislation. Just at fire fighters can use a presumption when seeking duty disability benefits under S.40.65 for either cancer or for heart and lung they would be able to now use a presumption if they contacted an infectious disease and become disabled due to it. What is different in this new legislation is that it also applies to law enforcement personally as well as state correctional officers and some county jailers. Under the cancer presumption and the heart and lung presumption only fire fighters are eligible. The feeling is that law enforcement and correctional officers are just as likely to come in contact with infectious diseases as are fire fighters and EMS. The presumption legislation was introduced late in 2009 but it prospects for passage yet this session are pretty good. The other focus of the state legislature during the spring session will be job creation. Much of 2009 was spent on addressing the state’s large deficit. Now legislators want to focus their attention on the economy and what they can do to help create jobs. Obviously the Governor’s Clean Energy Jobs Act is moving in that direction but state legislators want to go way beyond that. The whole spring session will occur with the 2010 elections hanging over them. Democrats control both houses of State Legislature but Republicans are hoping for a good. Democratic margins in both houses are close. The race for Governor seems to be pretty clear. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s entry in the race makes it certain he will be the Democratic candidate. On the GOP side there are the makings for a good race with former 1st District Congressman Mark Neumann running against Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. It looks like Walker has the momentum but the September primary is a long way off. The spring session certainly should be interesting. |
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