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1999-2000 WEAC Legislative Agenda Progress Report

This is a progress report on proposals contained in the 1999-2000 WEAC legislative agenda. This agenda was approved by the WEAC Board of Directors in the spring of 1998. These proposals were then used to "prescreen" candidates for the 1998 elections. In January 1999, when the new legislative session began, the WEAC Government Relations Division began the process of securing the introduction and passage of these proposals on behalf of WEAC.

Alternative Education Opportunities

  • (Signed Into Law-WI Act 9) The 1999-2001 state budget provides $5 million in a new annual categorical aid appropriation for grants to school districts and consortia of school districts for alternative education programs. The new grants will be distributed outside of the revenue caps.
  • (Signed Into Law-WI Act 123) 1999 SB 241: This bill strengthens accountability measures in the at-risk youth program and establishes new criteria for at-risk eligibility.
  • 1999 SB 242: This bill creates a new planning grant program for students held back in the 4th grade. The bill did not pass by the end of the regular session.

Child Health and Safety:

Prevention of Lead Poisoning:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 113) 1999 AB 806: This bill strengthens lead hazard control and reduction in dwellings.

Prevention of Smoking by Minors:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) The 1999-2001 budget contains funding for prevention of smoking by minors. The budget will create a 20-member Tobacco Control Board and provide $2.4 million in 1999 and $23.5 million in 2000-01 and each year thereafter. The funds will be used for education prevention programs, a smokeless tobacco campaign, grants to the UW and Medical College of WI and for administration costs. $20,600,000 will be available in future years for the Board to award as grants to public and private organizations for tobacco prevention/cessation purposes.
  • WEAC is a partner in one of the largest coalitions formed on a legislative issue this session. Over 100 groups are joined to form the TRUST effort. TRUST stands for Tobacco Reduction Using the Settlement. The TRUST effort is responsible for the funding levels achieved in the budget.

Immunization of Children:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 115) 1999 SB 136: Requires all birth-6 year olds to be properly immunized and that the immunizations be covered by insurance companies.

Pesticide Use on School Grounds:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) Pesticide sales and use reporting: The 1999-2001 budget places $400,000 into a fund for the development of a new pesticide sales and use database reporting system. This will help track the use of pesticides on school grounds.
  • 1999 SB 479: Governor Thompson partially vetoed budget provisions that require parent notification and additional training for school personnel who apply pesticides on school grounds. WEAC is part of a "Healthy Schools" coalition that has reintroduced these provisions in a separate bill. 1999 SB 479 passed the Senate on a voice vote but was not taken up in the Assembly.

Collective Bargaining Rights:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) The 1999-2001 budget contains modifications to the QEO that do the following: no longer count the cost of education attainment (lane movements) in a QEO; and revise the definition of "economic issues" under a QEO by deleting the current broad-based language. The law will now narrowly define economic issues considered under a QEO. These changes will be first effective for contracts that cover periods after June 30, 2001
  • 1999 SB 166: This bill fully repeals the QEO law. It received 33 cosponsors this session.

K-3 Class Size Reduction:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) The 1999-2001 budget expands the SAGE class size reduction program by $47 million to bring more than 400 new schools into the program. In addition, it provides $3 million in a new annual appropriation for a categorical aid to reimburse school districts, except MPS, for 20% of debt service costs associated with SAGE building projects. The SAGE funding is a categorical aid distributed outside of the revenue caps

Parent and Family Involvement In Schools:

  • 1999 SB 61: Senator Grobschmidt (D-Milwaukee) has reintroduced the WEAC supported parent involvement proposal from last session. This bill establishes a new grant program for parent involvement programs in schools. The bill was recommended for passage by the Senate Education Committee but was not acted upon by the Joint Finance Committee prior to the end of the legislative session.

Relief From Revenue Caps:

Revenue Cap Relief Efforts in 1999-2001 Budget (WI Act 9):

  • (Signed Into Law) Summer school pupil counts: $2.6 million - Beginning in 2000-01, the pupil enrollment used for the calculation of revenue caps will increase from the current 20% to 40% of summer school enrollment. This funding item will grow substantially in coming years as districts double the number of summer school students they can count under revenue caps.
  • (Signed Into Law) Inflationary adjustments: $6.5 million - Provide an inflationary index to revenue caps to raise the allowable per-pupil expenditure from $208.88 to $212.43 in 1999 and $216.68 in 2000. This provides districts with some flexibility to fund education programs in schools.
  • (Signed Into Law) Revenue cap relief for declining enrollment districts: $23.9 million - provide a 75% hold harmless relief under revenue caps for declining enrollment districts. This relief is extremely important for more than 150 school districts with declines in student enrollment.
  • (Signed Into Law) Revenue cap low revenue adjustments: Provide $1.5 million to increase the low revenue adjustment to $6,300 in 1999-00 and to $6,500 in 2000-01 to aid low spending poorer school districts under the caps.

Revenue Cap Relief in 1999-2001 Budget (WI Act 9). Categorical Aids Outside the Caps:

  • (Signed Into Law) SAGE funding ($47M): Expansion of the SAGE program to 400 new schools.
  • (Signed Into Law) Alternative Education Grants ($5M/yr): Alternative education grants.
  • Signed Into Law) Special Education Funding ($47M): Special education categorical aid increase bringing state reimbursement rates up to approximately 34% in the 2000-2001 school year.
  • (Signed Into Law) MA Reimbursement for School Services: All federal dollars received through enhanced reimbursement for school based medical services will be distributed to local school districts outside of the revenue caps.

Revenue Cap Relief Bills Introduced that did not Pass:

  • SB 118: Revenue Cap relief for special education costs: This bill would provide school districts with an exemption to make up for special education costs not reimbursed from the state.
  • AB 36 & SB 2: Revenue Cap relief for school security Measures: This bill provides exemptions for school security measures.
  • AB 228 Revenue Cap relief for Y2K computer problems/Costs: Many school districts incurred costs related to preparing school computers and networks for Y2K. This bill would exempt those costs from revenue caps.
  • AB 20: Revenue Cap relief for costs of certain general obligation debt service: Schools that bond for construction or other capital improvements must pay debt services on such loans. This bill would exempt those costs from revenue caps.
  • AB 80: Revenue Cap relief for special assessments : School districts are charged with special assessments for things such as sewer and utility maintenance or construction costs. This bill exempts those costs from revenue caps.
  • AB 281: School revenue limits - unanticipated expenditures: Similar to the bill on special assessments, this bill exempts other costs relating to everything from natural disasters to mentoring programs from revenue caps.
  • AB 285: School revenue limits - spending related to participation of pupils in statewide tournaments and competitions: This bill resulted from school districts not being able to send their sports teams to state tournaments because of a lack of funds caused by revenue caps.

Retirement Improvements for Educational Support Personnel:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 181) 1999 SB 97 : This bill adds one educational support person to the DETF Board of Directors.

Retirement Improvement for Education Employees:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 11) 1999 AB 495 : The public employee retirement package provides a 10% increase in initial pension calculations and makes various other improvements in the Wisconsin Retirement System. The bill passed the Assembly by a vote of 79-20 and the Senate by a vote of 23-10. It was signed into law as 1999 WI Act 11. The bill, however, is currently the subject of a court challenge. Justices on May 25 agreed to take original jurisdiction in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. That means the lawsuit will go directly to the Supreme Court and not through lower courts first. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case in October, and a decision could be issued by the end of the year.
  • Key components of the pension bill include:

    • Increases the formula factor for services through December 31, 1999, from 1.6% to 1.765%. For educators, that is an increase of more than 10% in initial pension calculations;

    • Lifts the 5% earnings cap for money purchase calculations that have penalized all participants hired since January 1, 1982. This will allow current participants to earn more in their retirement accounts based on market performance;

    • Amends the death benefit so as to treat all participants and their chosen beneficiaries equally; and

    • Reopens the variable annuity option, which has been closed to new hires since April 30, 1980. This is a pension option that is almost fully invested in the stock market.

School Safety and Discipline:

  • As part of the 1997-98 WEAC legislative agenda we passed WI Act 335. This law gives teachers the authority to remove dangerous and disruptive pupils from their classroom if they violate a locally established classroom code of conduct. Another component of that law required the creation of a Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on School Safety and Discipline. The study committee was formed in 1998 and concluded its work in 1999.
  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) The Legislative Council Study Committee on School Safety and Discipline establishes new guidelines for school safety plans and collection of new information on pupil suspensions and expulsions. Remove provisions relating to creating a new felony and toll-free hotlines. Recommendations from that committee were also included in the 1999-2001 budget.
  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 127) 1999 AB 100: This bill protects teachers from being charged criminally when they act reasonably in dealing with disruptive students. The bill acknowledges a common law defense that teachers may use reasonable force in dealing with disruptive students. AB 100 passed the Assembly 99-0 and received a voice vote in the Senate.

Wisconsin Works (W2) - and the WTCS System:

  • (Signed Into Law - WI Act 9) The 1999-2001 budget allows W-2 clients to complete technical college education programs under certain provisions with work hours required. It also provides transitional child care services to those who are working to complete a technical college degree under W-2. The governor, however, used his veto authority to limit the ability of W-2 clients to initiate participation in WTCS education programs. WEAC will support legislation next session to restore this provision in law.

For more information contact Bob Burke, WEAC Legislative Program Coordinator.

Posted October 22, 1999; Updated June 5, 2000