Quiet After the Storm

This has been a real quiet week following the flurry of State activity last week.

Over 150 bills were “debated” between both houses of the legislature last week, as the rumored final real week of session passed on March 9. Most of them were junk bills, so Rep. X or Sen. Y could claim they did something for their $45,000 a year salary, plus per diems.

So what does the rest of the year bring us?

TABOR II, or the TP Amendment ("Taxpayer Protection Amendment"): This is sure to rear its ugly face before June. The high profile issue for the GOP must be acted on this session or it will take years more to get the matter to the voters. If the GOP can’t get their act together on this, there is little hope for getting their act together this fall.

Ethics/Campaign Finance/Electoral Reform: If the trial of last week didn’t send one more message to legislators to act on reform, I don’t know what else will. Public opinion polls show six percent of the public think their representative represents them. Yikes. If we don’t act on some form of meaningful reform - and not just “reform” with poison pills attached to snag a Governor’s veto - many people in the legislature will be finding new jobs come January.

Capital Gains/Inheritance Taxes: The Republican’s “death tax” was on their agenda for 2006, but not a peep has been spoken of it since it was unveiled. Has the GOP lost their stomachs to help the richest five percent in the state? Or is it just another broken promise?

Health care: Right, like this legislature is going to deal with a real issue.

So, what did I miss? If your main issues are hidden guns in public places, making civil unions and same sex marriages even more illegal and blocking pharmacists from providing your prescription, you’ve got some friends in the legislature. But if you are a real family caring about real issues, my guess is you’re under whelmed with the Wisconsin legislature. I hope you’ll remember that later this year.