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Capitol Update

January 16, 2018Like us on Facebook
Contents Include:
1.  Heal Without Harm Coalition Issues Press Release and Action Alert
2.  WCC Supports Criminal Justice Bills
3.  WCC Testifies on Proposed Palliative Care Council
4 .  Upcoming Hearings of Interest
5.  New Bills of Interest
6.  Websites of Interest
 
Heal Without Harm Coalition Issues Press Release and Action Alert
Today, the Heal Without Harm Coalition issued a press release describing how Senate leaders have thwarted the advancement of Senate Bill 423 and Senate Bill 424,both authored by Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls).  Readers are urged to contact Senate leaders and insist that the democratic process be respected and both bills be voted on in committee.
 
WCC Supports Criminal Justice Bills
On January 11, the WCC testified in support of Assembly Bill 660 (Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam), which returns first-time, nonviolent 17-year-old offenders to the juvenile justice system.  The Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety took no further action on the bill, which is not expected to advance this session.
 
The WCC also submitted testimony in support of Senate Bill 456 (Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine), which increases state compensation for people who have been wrongly imprisoned.  The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety voted in favor of the amended bill, which now is available for a floor vote.
 
WCC Testifies on Proposed Palliative Care Council
On January 10, the WCC testified for information on Senate Bill 548 (Sen. Terry Moulton, R-Chippewa Falls), which creates a palliative care council.  The WCC testified on the value of palliative care, but requested that the definition of palliative care exclude any language that would include attempts to assist in or intentionally hasten death.  The WCC also requested that the Committee alter the council's design to include greater representation from among those who have personally experienced serious illness, or their caregivers and advocates.  The Senate Committee on Workforce Development, Military Affairs and Senior Issues took no further action on the bill.
 
Upcoming Hearings of Interest
(N.B. Only bills of interest are flagged.  In most cases, committees will be considering other bills as well.)
 
Assembly Children And Families, 10 am, Wed, Jan. 17, 415 NW
 AB-785  Child Abuse Grants (Snyder, Patrick) Funding for child abuse and neglect prevention grants.
AB-787  Foster Child Grants (Subeck, Lisa) Funding for grants to support foster parents and foster children and making an appropriation.
 
Assembly Public Benefit Reform,  10 am ,  Tue, Jan. 30 , 225 NW
AB-702  FoodShare ID Cards (Kremer, Jesse) Photo identification cards for FoodShare recipients.
 
New Bills of Interest
SB-606  Medicaid Expansion (Erpenbach, Jon) Medicaid expansion and eligibility for BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core. Referred to Senate Health & Human Services
 
SB-615  Council on Offender Employment (Darling, Alberta) Creating a procedure for granting certificates of qualification for employment for persons convicted of a crime and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-624  FoodShare ID Cards (Nass, Stephen) Photo identification cards for FoodShare recipients. Referred to Senate Public Benefits, Licensing & State-Federal Relations
 
SB-637  Rental Purchase Agreements (Moulton, Terry) Regulation of rental-purchase agreements and granting rule-making authority. Referred to Senate Agriculture, Small Business and Tourism
 
SB-658  Child Abuse Grants (Petrowski, Jerry) Funding for child abuse and neglect prevention grants. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-662  Earned Early Release (Johnson, La Tonya) Allowing certain prisoners to earn time toward early release from confinement in prison. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-663  4K Pilot Program (Wanggaard, Van) A Department of Children and Families pilot project to expand four-year-old kindergarten programs and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Education
 
SB-670  Direct Primary Care Program (Kapenga, Chris) Direct primary care program for Medical Assistance recipients and direct primary care agreements. Referred to Senate Public Benefits, Licensing & State-Federal Relations
 
SB-675  Special Advocates Grants (Olsen, Luther) The Court Appointed Special Advocates grant program and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
 
SB-676  Foster Child Grants (Olsen, Luther) Funding for grants to support foster parents and foster children and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
 
SB-689  Individuals with Disabilities Employment (Feyen, Daniel) Employment of individuals with disabilities enrolled in long-term care programs and making an appropriation. Referred to Senate Workforce Development, Military Affairs and Senior Issues
 
AB-625  Integrated Employment (Edming, James) Competitive integrated employment of persons with a disability and granting rule-making authority. Referred to Assembly Workforce Development
 
AB-693  Teacher Protections (Thiesfeldt, Jeremy) Rights of and protections for teachers. Referred to Assembly Judiciary
 
AB-700  Student Absence Evaluation (Mason, Cory) Requiring an evaluation to determine whether a pupil with an extended absence from school is a child with a disability. Referred to Assembly Education
 
AB-702  FoodShare ID Cards (Kremer, Jesse) Photo identification cards for FoodShare recipients. Referred to Assembly Public Benefit Reform
 
AB-755  Personal Care Reimbursement (Subeck, Lisa) Increasing reimbursement for personal care services under the Medical Assistance program, Medicaid expansion and eligibility for BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core, and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Health 
 
AB-759  Rental Purchase Agreements (Petryk, Warren) Regulation of rental-purchase agreements and granting rule-making authority. Referred to Assembly Jobs and the Economy
 
AB-772  Family and Medical Leave (Ballweg, Joan) Exempting from the state family and medical leave law an employer that is covered under the federal law and medical leave law. Referred to Assembly Labor
 
AB-785  Child Abuse Grants (Snyder, Patrick) Funding for child abuse and neglect prevention grants. Referred to Assembly Children and Families
 
AB-786  Special Advocates Grants (Katsma, Terry) The Court Appointed Special Advocates grant program and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Family Law
 
AB-787  Foster Child Grants (Subeck, Lisa) Funding for grants to support foster parents and foster children and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Children and Families
 
AB-790  Spiritual Treatment of Child (Berceau, Terese) Elimination of a provision that excepts spiritual treatment of a child in the law criminalizing physical abuse of a child and in the laws governing the practice of medicine or surgery, the investigation of child abuse of neglect, the administration of psychotropic medication to juveniles in correctional custody, and the election of Christian Science treatment in lieu of medical or surgical treatment. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety
 
AB-792  Earned Early Release (Goyke, Evan) Allowing certain prisoners to earn time toward early release from confinement in prison. Referred to Assembly Corrections
 
AB-797  4K Pilot Program (Rodriguez, Jessie) A Department of Children and Families pilot project to expand four-year-old kindergarten programs and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Children and Families
 
AB-798  Direct Primary Care Program (Sanfelippo, Joe) Direct primary care program for Medical Assistance recipients and direct primary care agreements. Referred to Assembly Small Business Development
 
AB-801  Pregnant Treatment in Jail (Subeck, Lisa) The treatment of a pregnant or postpartum person in prison and county jail. Referred to Assembly Corrections
 
AB-814  State Minimum Wage (Sargent, Melissa) A state minimum wage, permitting the enactment of local minimum wage ordinances, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency procedures, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. Referred to Assembly Labor
 
AB-817  Death Certificates (August, Tyler) Omission of cause and manner of death on copies of death certificates. Referred to Assembly Health
 
AB-819  Individuals with Disabilities Employment (Macco, John) Employment of individuals with disabilities enrolled in long-term care programs and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Workforce Development
 
AB-830  Education Savings Program (Felzkowoski, Mary) An education savings account program for gifted and talented pupils, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Education
 
AB-831  Teen Dating Violence Prevention (Sargent, Melissa) Teen dating violence prevention education. Referred to Assembly Education

Websites of Interest
WisconsinEye - Independent, nonpartisan news service that provides uncut video coverage of state government proceedings, as well as interviews with lawmakers and policy experts.
 
To find out who your legislators are, go to the Wisconsin State Legislature's home page  and type your address in the top right hand corner under "Find My Legislators."

Capitol Update is a periodic e-mail on legislative issues from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.
 
Wisconsin Catholic Conference
131 W. Wilson St., Suite 1105
Madison, WI 53703
608/257-0004