Wisconsin's Legislature is meeting, but it's not passing many bills

Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - With Wisconsin's government divided, the state Legislature isn't doing much.

That was underscored Tuesday when lawmakers began their sole session for the month. The day's plans for lawmaking are not robust.

The most substantive legislation they approved was Senate Bill 19, which would replace the phrase "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" in state rules.

But last month Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order to do just that — minimizing the effect of the legislation, which is meant to make Wisconsin a more welcoming state by taking an offensive term out of state rules.

Also Tuesday, lawmakers heard from Tehassi Hill, chairman of the Oneida Nation, for the annual State of the Tribes address.

Beyond that, they did little. Lawmakers approved resolutions to honor the Milwaukee Brewers; proclaim April as Donate Life Month, Kidney Month and Women's History Month; and recognize the service of Mike Leckrone, the retiring longtime director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band.

The light agenda came as the Democratic governor and Republicans who control the Legislature continued to spar and complain the other side was responsible for sour relations.

For now, both sides are eyeing the budget. Republican lawmakers have said they will reject much of the spending plan Evers submitted in February. They will spend the spring and summer rewriting his budget, but Evers can tweak whatever they do using his veto powers.

Until Tuesday, lawmakers had sent Evers just one bill — a measure that would cut income taxes by 10% for middle-class families. Evers vetoed it because it was funded entirely using a one-time surplus instead of relying in part on limiting a tax break for manufacturers, as Evers wanted.

Evers included his own plan for cutting middle-class taxes by 10% in his budget. GOP lawmakers are expected to modify it to a version more like what Evers vetoed.

While there was little legislative activity Tuesday, Republicans noted they were working on issues that may bear fruit later. The Assembly has convened task forces to consider ways to prevent suicide and improve water quality.

The Senate and Assembly rocketed through Tuesday's round of lawmaking.

Among the bills they sent to Evers were ones to name an I-41 interchange in the Fox Valley after late state Sen. Mike Ellis; modify how the state licenses car dealers; and expand the types of "boots" and other devices local governments can put on illegally parked cars to immobilize them.

“Is this the new normal? I hope it’s not because it feels like we’re a do-nothing Legislature with the majority leader putting together a pretty tepid floor calendar," Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling of La Crosse said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau.

But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester has signaled the public should expect lawmakers to do less when Democrats and Republicans share power.

In an interview last week, he said Republican lawmakers would include little policy in the state budget to guard against vetoes by Evers.

Evers can veto individual words in budgets. That gives him the power to carve up legislative language written by Republicans to enact policies that run counter to what Republicans want.

By keeping certain issues out of the budget, Republicans will prevent Evers from doing that, Vos said.

"The status quo is my friend," he said.

Senators on Tuesday put off a vote on Senate Bill 27, which would permanently end a state rule intended to help control chronic wasting disease.

The rule would prohibit transporting deer carcasses — and in turn the disease-causing prions in infected animals — out of CWD-affected counties.

In October, the day after the rule was to take effect, the Legislature's Joint Committee on Review of Administrative Rules voted it down along party lines. The committee's co-chairman, Republican Sen. Steve Nass of Whitewater, said the rule imposed a "significant burden" on hunters.

The legislation they are now considering would permanently block the rule, which was recommended last year by then-Gov. Scott Walker and approved unanimously by the Natural Resources Board.

The bill had to be scheduled on the floor Tuesday for procedural reasons, but Fitzgerald removed it before a vote was held. He said afterward Republicans have not decided yet whether to pass the measure.

Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.