Notes from the West Wing: Legislation in the Works
Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by Garey Bies in News
Good day to everyone out there in the First Assembly District! For today’s edition of Notes from the West Wing, I’d like to provide an update on legislation that I have authored here in the State Legislature.
First off, I want to mention my bill, Assembly Bill 154 (AB 154), which prohibits a person from purchasing tobacco products and providing them to a minor. It is currently against the law to buy cigarettes and provide them to a minor, but not illegal for an individual to buy other tobacco products, like chewing tobacco, and provide it to a minor. This bill, AB 154, would extend the prohibition on purchasing cigarettes and providing them to a minor to other tobacco products. AB 154 has a long list of bi-partisan co-sponsors here in the legislature and was unanimously approved in Committee. Unfortunately it has not yet been scheduled for floor action. I am not sure why as there is no opposition to the bill, even the tobacco companies are in support, but it languishes anyway. Hopefully we can get it scheduled soon.
This week saw the introduction of two more of my proposals. The first allows full-time members of the military stationed in Wisconsin to receive residents’ rate for entry into Wisconsin’s state parks. A simple bill that deserves consideration. Also introduced this week is my legislation to update Wisconsin’s Inattentive Driving Law. Many changes in technology have occurred since this law was written, like cell phones, DVD players, GPS devices, etc. My legislation will provide a comprehensive update to the law to reflect the advent of these types of devices.
Lastly, I would like to mention a new proposal that I have authored that I am currently circulating amongst my colleagues for co-sponsorship. The legislation concerns how state funds are distributed to our public schools. I think everyone agrees that the current school aid system is flawed as the distribution of state aid is dependent on the market value of property within a school district rather than on the residents’ ability to pay. In districts where land values are inflated due to wealthy out-of-towners bidding up prices, school districts are left footing the entire bill for educating the children as the state sends no assistance. This is unfair. My legislation does not change how much aid is distributed, but how that aid is distributed. First, my legislation will establish a floor payment to every school district of $1,000 per student. Then, the balance of the money is distributed per the current school aid formula. Even this token amount of school aid will be of great benefit to districts that currently receive no state aid. For those districts that currently receive state aid, the impact on their aid will be minimal, typically a reduction in aid of around one-half of one percent or less. If Wisconsin is going to claim that it provides monetary aid in the education of our children, then I think it is only appropriate that every school district receive at least some state aid, no matter the amount.
Well, that is all for this update. As always, I can be reached by e-mail at Rep.Bies@legis.wisconsin.gov or by telephone, toll-free at 1-888-482-0001. You can also visit my website at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm01/news/.
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