Madison update:
Senate, Assembly continue
to talk budget ‘repair’;
emergency rules impact
child-care providers
(4/16/08)

    State Assembly and Senate leadership continue to hold informal talks regarding the state budget repair bill.

    As of late last week, the two houses were taking very different paths to resolve the $400 million plus shortfall, with the Assembly making $250 million in unspecified cuts and the Senate finding new sources of revenue, including the hospital assessment and the closing of corporate loopholes, to fill the deficit.

    These days, negotiations are taking place primarily behind closed doors, with only a few select legislators involved in talks. But AFSCME is there: We continue to lobby legislative leaders to protect services and find new revenue sources.

    In other state news: Two weeks ago, the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) issued emergency rule changes that balanced the $18.6 million shortfall in the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program on the backs of child care providers.

    Implemented March 30, the changes were identical to changes DWD implemented to deal with the shortfall during last summer’s state budget talks. At that time, the Legislature chose to fund the shortfall rather than impose these harmful rules on providers.

    All administrative rule changes are subject to review by the Legislature's Joint Committee on Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR). At a meeting prior to implementation of the DWD rules, the co-chairs of the committee publicly discussed their concerns with DWD reintroducing these changes, and stated they intended to hold a public hearing on the rule in the near future. But as of last week, JCRAR Co-Chair Representative Dan LeMahieu (R-Cascade) had refused to hold a public hearing on the emergency rule, despite repeated attempts by Co-Chair Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) to get a meeting scheduled.

    AFSCME child care providers have been contacting Rep. LeMahieu's office urging him to hold a hearing so the Legislature can gain a full understanding of the punitive nature of these rule changes on the people providing care for some of Wisconsin's more vulnerable children.

    Meanwhile, the Democratic-controlled Senate included an additional $18.6 million in the budget to cover the Wisconsin Shares shortfall. AFSCME is lobbying the legislature to preserve this funding in the final budget.

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Need to express your opinion? Our contact lists can help.

Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors

Milwaukee-area state legislators

Wisconsin members of US Congress

City of Milwaukee Common Council


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Lee Holloway re-elected chairman
of the Milwaukee County Board
(4/23/08)

    It took 45 ballots, but it’s official: Milwaukee County Supervisor Lee Holloway will serve another four-year term as chairman of the County Board.

    On April 21, the county’s 19 supervisors re-elected Holloway, supervisor for the county’s 5th district, over challenger James “Luigi” Schmitt (19th district), in a 12-7 vote.

    Four other supervisors who’d sought the post -- Gerry Broderick (3rd district), Elizabeth Coggs-Jones (10th), Marina Dimitrijevic (4th) and John Weishan Jr. (16th) -- either dropped out or were voted out during the seven-hour session.

    The board also selected Michael Mayo Sr. (7th district) to serve as first vice chairman and Peggy West (12th) to serve as second vice chair.

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Recent News & Notes

    Read (and participate in) The Greenline, AFSCME International's Weblog (i.e., "blog")

    Why We Support Lena Taylor for Milwaukee County Executive (3/12/08)

    Direct Talk from District Council 48 Executive Director Rich Abelson: Lena Taylor: A proven leader who’ll get us back on track (3/08)

    Read remarks delivered Jan. 17 by AFSCME International President Gerald McEntee at the AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday press conference in Memphis, Tenn.

    By affiliating with AFSCME, U.S. Bank employees aim to fight the good fight even more effectively (12/07)

    AFSCME International Endorses Hillary Clinton for President (11/07)


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Want to make a difference in your community?
    Consider becoming a volunteer with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. You can learn specific tasks critical to the completion of a Habitat for Humanity home. Earn construction experience, even develop a little expertise with the help of friendly leaders/trainers. Even if you have no construction/carpentry experience, you can make a difference (and have fun doing it).
    Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity currently is looking for volunteers to help out on "build" days -- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator Carrie Feehan at 414-562-6100 x14; or via email at cfeehan@milwaukeehabitat.org.


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3427 W. St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
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