Bills Not Passed – Bills that WCCF took a position on that were introduced, but did not become law:

Equalizing Physical Placement of a Child (AB 54) – WCCF opposed AB54 and supports the current law of determining custody based on the child’s best interest. AB54 presumed a 50-50 placement for all kids in all situations is in their best interest. WCCF believes that the current law appropriately balances parent’s and children’s best interests by presuming that joint custody is in the child’s best interest.

Restore Treatment of the Exclusion of Capital Gains for Individuals (AB 85) – WCCF opposed this legislation that would have reduced revenues by $118 million in 2012, $113 million in 2013, and $127 million annually beginning in 2014.

School Voucher Program for Children with Disabilities (AB 110, SB 486) – WCCF opposed this legislation because it provides no accountability or requirement that should a private school be chosen by the family, that school actually provide special education services to meet the special needs of the student as identified in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Regulation of Payday Lenders (AB 150) – WCCF continues to support legislation that would have capped interest rates on payday loans and prevent borrowers from getting hit with interest rates as steep as 500 percent or more.  AB 150 would have limited interest rates on payday loans to 36 percent. New regulations for the industry kicked in last December 2010, but they did not include a ceiling on interest rates.  The legislation also would have banned auto title loans and limit the size of payday loans.

Implementation of Federal Health Care Reform (AB 210) – WCCF monitored legislation that would have removed inconsistencies between state and federal law.  We preferred legislation that doesn’t make the consumer protections depend upon the fate of the federal law.

Requiring a Private School to be Licensed that Provides Child Care (AB 215, SB 179) – WCCF supported legislation that closed the loophole that allowed an Appleton private school in 2010 to care for up to 37 infants and preschool children in unsafe conditions without the protection of licensing.

Requiring Documentary Evidence for Public  Assistance Programs (AB 222) – WCCF opposed this legislation that would have denied benefits to people that are legally eligible to receive benefits.

Foodshare Benefits for Legal Immigrants (AB 255) – WCCF supported legislation that repealed the budget provision that omits illegal immigrants from receiving Foodshare benefits.

Allowed Employers to Refuse to Hire Convicted Felons for Any Reason (AB 286) – WCCF opposed legislation that would have made it legal for employers to refuse to hire convicted felons for any reason or to fire people with felony records.  Currently state law allows employers to refuse employment to a person with a felony record if that person’s job is substantially related to the person’s crime.   WCCF believes the current law is more than sufficient to protect employers from any perceived or actual harm to them by employing or refusing to employ a convicted felon.

Repeal Ability of DHS to Make Changes to Medicaid (AB 339, SB 232) – WCCF supported this legislation that repeals the authority of the Department of Health Services Secretary to make eligibility and other changes to the Medical Assistance program without approval from the full legislature.

Restores Family Planning Services (AB 348, AB 349, SB 279, SB 282) – WCCF supported this legislation that maintains the current state family planning programs.  The state budget gave authority to the Department of Health Services Secretary to make cuts in state family planning programs.  The DHS Secretary has not used his new authority to make any changes to these programs, but still could under the state budget.  

Indexing of Homestead Tax Credit (AB 368, SB 272) – WCCF supported legislation that restored the indexing of the Homestead Tax Credit.  Working families and the elderly will be hit with a $14 million property tax increase over the next two years, and see their taxes continue to rise in later years, thanks to the Legislature’s decision to effectively freeze the Homestead Credit for modest income homeowners and renters. The credit will no longer keep pace with the cost of living, reducing its value and driving up property tax bills for thousands of Wisconsinites.

Allow Corporations to Transfer Tax Credits (AB 376, SB 291) – WCCF had concerns with legislation that would have allowed businesses that did not have enough tax liability to claim a tax credit to transfer that tax credit to another business in Wisconsin.  This legislation would have given the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. the option of letting companies transfer up to 85% of their potential income tax credits to another taxpayer.

Closing loophole in Conceal Carry Law (AB 500) – WCCF supported legislation that would have closed a loophole in the conceal carry law that was approved this session.  This bill added buildings that only contain programs that serve 4 and 5 year olds to the gun-free school zone law.

Adding Offenses to Serious Juvenile Offender Program (AB 514) – WCCF supported adding these reasonable additions to the SJO category and arguably “fill in” some gaps in what could constitute a serious offense.  The SJO classification for many serious offenses can offer an alternative to waiver to adult court in some circumstances as well as provide a longer term of supervision in the juvenile system – which is better than the adult system for some of these youthful.

Reports on Implementation of Federal Health Reform (AB 530) – WCCF monitored this legislation because it has the potential to provide information that will be useful to successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), however, it is narrowly written to only require reporting about the, “costs to taxpayers of implementing ObamaCare in the state.”  WCCF could support a bill that encouraged transparent reporting on implementation of the ACA in Wisconsin.

Additional Agency Legislation to Implement Federal Health Care Reform (AB 531) – WCCF opposed legislation that would have mandated that all implementation normally allowed through administrative rule go through the full legislative process.  This bill would have complicated implementation of a federal law in WI, for example, the process by which a federal exchange would be implemented (if necessary).

Require DNA Samples at Arrest (AB 584, SB 214) – WCCF opposed this legislation that would have required DNA samples be taken at the time of arrest for adults arrested for felonies and some misdemeanors and for juveniles arrested for some sex offenses.  That DNA sample is then included in the CODIS data base.  DNA samples should not be taken on youth who have not yet been adjudicated for an offense.  The bill provides that the sample can be expunged upon the request of the juvenile after one year if the charge is not filed, the case is dismissed or the youth is adjudicated for a lesser offense – we would argue that the sample should be expunged after one year automatically if any of those conditions are met – it is unrealistic to expect that the youth will make the request – thus leaving a DNA sample in the data base – so, even if never charged or adjudicated they end up with a DNA sample in the system.

Change in Child Care License and Certification and Expansion of Shares (AB 598, SB 515) – WCCF had concerns with the section of this legislation that made changes to license and certification to child care providers.  WCCF supports a compromise approach that would allow licensing regulators to grant exceptions to the 12-hour rule if reasonable standards are met for the health and safety of children: number of children, number extra hours of care by the provider, etc.  This would allow licensed family child care providers in good standing to meet the irregular hour needs to some extent while ensuring the safety of children and would reduce duplication by having just one regulatory authority instead of two.

Readability of Insurance Policies (AB 640, SB 469) – WCCF supported legislation that clarified consumer insurance policies include both health care plans and disability income insurance policies; and that the insurance policies are in a format that is readable and understandable to the consumer.

Right to Jury Trial for Youth In SJO (AB 657) – WCCF supported legislation that would have provided youth, who may have been subject to being incarcerated past their 18th birthday under the Serious Juvenile Offender program, with the right to a jury trial – a right that is not otherwise provided under juvenile court statutes under the assumption that the purpose of the juvenile system is rehabilitative rather than punishment.  WCCF believes that if a young person is going to be subject to confinement as an adult (at the point they turn 18) they should have the right to the same constitutional protections afforded adults, in this case a jury trial.

Restore BadgerCare (AB 697, SB 538) – WCCF supported legislation that would stop the state health department from implementing changes to BadgerCare that will result in tens of thousands of Wisconsinites losing state health care coverage.  A new corporate tax loophole would be closed to fund the measure.

Raise the Age (AB 703) – WCCF supported legislation that would raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds who have not previously been adjudicated delinquent.  Although our goal continues to raise the age to 18 for all youth, this proposal provides that thousands of 17-year-olds who have not been found delinquent in the juvenile system are not automatically considered adults, subject to adult criminal or municipal court jurisdiction.

Supermajority for Tax Increase (AJR 9, SJR 8) – WCCF opposed a constitutional amendment that would have required a supermajority vote to increase the rate of the state sales tax or to increase any of the rates of income tax or franchise tax (but not for increases in the gas tax or fees).  Similar language was approved in a Special Session bill last year and is now part of the state statutes.  In that sense, AJR 9 and SJR 8 are somewhat redundant, but by putting the two-thirds requirement into the state constitution, it would preclude future legislators from reconsidering that decision during a fiscal emergency.

Creating a Rainy Day Fund (AJR 21) – WCCF opposed this constitutional amendment that created a rainy day fund because the criteria for using money from the rainy day fund were so strict that we wouldn’t actually have been able to use it under conditions like those we faced (unless two-thirds of the Legislature agreed to waive the rules governing access to the fund). In fact, if the amendment was already in place, we would have been required to make a contribution to the fund of $61 million in 2011, and would likely have been required to budget another $124 million in contributions to the fund for the upcoming biennium.

Deficit Reduction Amendment (AJR 100) – WCCF monitored a constitutional amendment that would prohibit future legislatures from passing any bill that would cause or increase a GAAP deficit in any budget fund, regardless of the state’s economic circumstances.  Wisconsin would have become the first state in the nation to put such a restriction into the state constitution.

Family Medical Leave (SB 8) – WCCF opposed legislation that would have weakened the state family medical leave law by adopting the federal medical leave law.  State medical leave law has more benefits to employees than the federal medical leave law.

Penalties for Companies that Hire Illegal Immigrants (SB 137) – WCCF opposed legislation that would have made companies that hire persons who are not legally in the U. S. ineligible for certain tax exemptions, governmental contracts, grants and loans.  WCCF supports illegal immigration reform at the national level.  Passing bills that address a small portion of the problem is not illegal immigration reform.
Federal Health Care Implementation (SB 206) – WCCF supported legislation that would have begun implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Wisconsin.

Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act (SB 304) – WCCF supported legislation that would have created two primary processes that youthful offenders would need if WI really intends to fulfill the purposes of the juvenile code to get youth “back on track” to becoming contributing members of our community.

Restore changes to W2 Program (SB 336) – WCCF supported legislation that repealed the changes to the W2 Program in the state budget.  The state budget shortened the participation time for families, reduced weeks for caretakers of newborn infants, and reduced child care provider rates among other changes.

Inspections of Unlicensed Child Care Centers (SB 372) – WCCF supported legislation that would have made it easier to inspect and report issues at unlicensed child care centers.

Changes to Liability of Products (SB 373) – WCCF opposed legislation that would further reduced consumer protections of product liability.

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (SB 507) – WCCF opposed legislation that would make the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board emphasize nonmarital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.  WCCF believes there should be a broader approach of issues when addressing child abuse and neglect.

Prohibit Requiring a Person to Purchase Health Care (SJR 21) – WCCF opposed this constitutional amendment that would have prohibited the requirement of a person to purchase health insurance.

Restraints on Government Spending (SJR 48) – WCCF opposed this constitutional amendment that would have put many restraints on state and local government spending.