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Monday Morning Review 4.19.10
(A monthly report from Brad Boycks with WBA to update us on what is happening at the Capitol)
Rep. Rhoades not seeking re-election
Recently a
longtime Friend of Housing award winner Representative
Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson) announced first in calls to longtime supporters and then in an e-mail to constituents that
she would not be seeking re-election this fall. Rhoades was first elected to the State Assembly in 1998 after
the retirement of then Representative Shelia Harsdorf.
In her e -mail to constituents
Rhoades highlighted a number of legislative accomplishments during her 12 years in office. “I was the first
Republican Assemblywoman to serve as Co-Chair of the budget writing Joint Finance Committee, and successfully
approved a budget that stopped over $15 billion in tax increases while leaving the state with the lowest deficit in
the past 12 years. We passed legislation to make it harder to manufacture Methamphetamine, and our state law
served as a model for subsequent federal legislation. In addition we created a program giving individuals with
long-term health care needs direct control of their health care dollars and decisions.”
Representative Rhoades will be
missed as a valuable ally for housing and we wish her the best of luck in the future.
GOPers still
lead Barrett in recently released poll
Another poll done the by
Rasmussen Reports show both GOP candidates, Scott Walker and Mark Neumann, ahead of Democrat Tom Barrett in the
open race for Wisconsin governor.
Mark Neumann is currently up on
Tom Barrett by a margin of 46-42 and Scott Walker is up on Barrett 48-42. The margin of error in this recent
survey was 4.5 percent.
It is still obviously very
early in this race but those looking for a GOP governor to be elected this fall have to continue to be happy to see
either Republican candidate on top in just about every poll that has been released on the race in the past few
months.
WBA member running to replace Roth in 56th
A.D.
In March longtime WBA and Winnebago HBA member Michelle Litjens announced her intentions to run as a Republican to
replace WBA and Valley HBA member Roger Roth who is leaving his Assembly seat to run in the 8th Congressional
District Republican primary.
In her
announcement press release Litjens stated “We are at a tipping point. We have to decide whether we want a
government who controls every aspect of our lives, taxes us out of our homes and taxes jobs out of our state or if
we want a Wisconsin where we the people have the ability to make a future for ourselves. A Wisconsin in which we
can afford to live, work, raise our children and comfortably retire.”
The 56th
Assembly District is considered a very safe GOP district, one that has been held by a Republican for as far back as
most can remember.
Best of luck
to Michelle in her run for Assembly!
As always we
encourage members to help members running for office both with their pocketbook and time. Please contact me
if you are interested in making a contribution to Michelle, any other member or candidate seeking state office.
Litjens
joins members Jeremy Cordova (35th Assembly District) and Dan Henke (80th Assembly District) in runs for the state
assembly this fall.
Van
Hollen tries to file suit on Health Care Bill
Wisconsin
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has made a request to Governor Doyle and the leadership of the state Assembly and
Senate to file suit against certain provisions in the recently passed health care bill. Both GOP candidates
for governor in addition to many members of the Wisconsin legislature had made this request after passage of the
health care bill on Sunday.
Attorney
General Van Hollen concluded there exists sufficient legal basis to contest the constitutionality of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act based on its threat to the individual interests of Wisconsin citizens and the
sovereign interests of the state.
Commerce
forfeiture rule released
In his
report to the WBA Executive Committee recently GA Chair Brandon Bartow reported on a Commerce rule that is now
working its way through the rule making process dealing with establishing fines for those contractors not
registered in some way with the Department of Commerce. This forfeiture authority was given to Commerce by a
provision in the state budget that was signed into law last summer, which WBA opposed during the budget
process.
This rule
allows Commerce to issue fines for those not registered starting at $1,000 for the first offence, $1,500 for the
second offence and $2,000 for the third and subsequent offences.
There are
also fines for those that contract with companies not registered with Commerce (a general contractor working with
an unregistered subcontractor). Those fines start at $1,500 for the first offence, $1,750 second offense and
$2,000 for the third and subsequent offences.
WBA General
Counsel Pat Stevens will be reviewing this rule and working with members on a response to use when for the hearing
that will be help on the matter in May. More information on this issue
will be forthcoming before the public hearing on May 5. Public comments can be submitted on this matter until
May 17.
Platting Bill makes
major move in the legislature
In late
April efforts to pass the platting reform bill have made steps to send the bill to the governor before the end of
session. After some
questions at both the Assembly and Senate’s hearings changes were made to slightly narrow the bill. After the
bill was amended it was quickly voted out of both the Assembly and Senate committees on unanimous votes.
Currently
the Assembly and Senate versions of the bill are scheduled to be voted on by both the full State Senate and
Assembly. A special
thanks to John DeWitt and Don Esposito for testifying on these bills and providing valuable input on the wording of
the proposals as well.
For more information
on the above legislative matters please contact WBA Director of Government and Political Affairs Brad Boycks (bboycks@wisbuid.org or 608-242-5155, ext. 16).
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