In the early morning, I take the opportunity to answer letters. People have written about cuts to schools, tourism, agriculture, services for the disabled and hospitals – all within the past Christmas week. I find myself explaining the effects of the recession on state government and resulting budget cuts.

Looking back, the state budget dominated legislative work in 2009. Wisconsin, along with most other states, faced an unprecedented deficit. After the budget was written by the Governor, tax revenues fell more significantly than anyone imagined. In just one month – April of 2009 – income tax revenues were 35% lower than April of 2008.

The Governor did not want to raise overall taxes and rejected most proposals to raise income or sales taxes. He did propose raising income taxes by 1% on those making over $250,000 a year. The Governor and the legislature also worked hard to close tax loop holes used by very large corporations to shelter income from Wisconsin in other states. But, despite the campaign rhetoric you hear to the contrary, deep cuts were made to balance the budget.

Sometimes impossible decisions must now be made and pain is felt by those the state used to fund but can no longer afford.

Partly because of the difficult decisions made in the budget, this year over five thousand, two hundred people from all over our Senate District contacted me. Almost half of all those people had concerns related to the state budget.

For example, nearly five hundred farmers wrote, asking to remove a new slaughter fee that fell disproportionately on the chicken plant in Arcadia. Through the hard work Representative Danou and I, we were able to remove the fee from the budget.

About half of those who contacted us did through email. Over a thousand people phoned for assistance or called to offer an opinion. Over 1,300 people mailed post cards, form letters or sent a hand written or personally typed letter. Almost four hundred people came to the Capitol and sat down to visit.

School funding and resulting problems with property taxes led 50 citizens from Pepin to ride a school bus to Madison. We spent much of the day together at a hearing on school funding reform and in discussions about how to solve this difficult problem. Work continues into 2010 as we grapple with less state money and rising school costs.

Needing help finding affordable health insurance was the most likely reason people called for assistance. The struggles related to health insurance were made worse when people lost their jobs, had hours cut back or saw dairy prices plummet. Many also called for help with unemployment insurance or workers compensation.

We faced the challenging problem of more people needing services at a time when state resources were scarce. Many proposed cuts disproportionately hurt rural areas.

I and a colleague organized a Caucus of rural legislators and made many important changes in a difficult budget including money for rural schools, local government and nursing homes; restoring the Clean Sweep program; eliminating an oil tax that would have hurt farm cooperatives; eliminating proposed changes to liability laws that would have hurt about every business and keeping open the local offices of Natural Resources, Motor Vehicles and the State Patrol.

But playing offense instead of defense was hard in a tight budget year. I did propose and pass needed changes to reform health insurance helping more find affordable coverage.

We also made changes in drunk driving laws and campaign finance reform. New laws makes it easier to recycle oil, computers and other electronic waste and protects our fish and water by restricting the use of mercury. Spring 2010 will see more environmental work as climate change legislation is debated.

My staff and I assisted over fifty communities including townships obtaining help for local projects. Through phone calls, letters of support, information and assistance with grants, we helped local communities apply for over forty eight million dollars of projects and –to date- saw over eleven million funded. Work continues and throughout the coming year residents will see improvements made in communities across our Senate District.

A big thank you goes to our senate staff; Kathie Colbert, Linda Kleinschmidt, Benjamin Larson and Joel Nilsestuen who made sure the phones and emails were answered. And ‘thank you’ to all who contacted us and gave us the opportunity to serve you, the people.

Santa wandered into a yard yelling ‘Have you seen my reindeer?’ But a nine year old girl knew right away it wasn’t really Santa.

“He smelled like alcohol. But I knew it wasn’t the real Santa because the real Santa doesn’t drink alcohol,” said the nine year old told WEAU TV. Her little sister had one word for Santa, “drunk.”

That story captures two issues the Wisconsin State Legislature focused on last week. Lawmakers convened an extraordinary Session and passed the most significant drunk driving legislation since .08 blood alcohol became the legal limit for drinking and driving. 

And the very next day, hundreds of hunters streamed into the Capitol to ask lawmakers “where are my deer?”

The hunters pounded the Department of Natural Resources about deer management practices. Many agreed the state’s rules on “Earn a Buck” should have been overturned long before this year. Others were critical of management practices and hunting goals that should have been changed earlier to reflect several years of a declining deer population.

Wisconsin’s gun hunt was miserable with hunters only slaying about 195,000 deer – 29% less than last year. Minnesota also saw a decline – but only about twelve percent. Hunters attending the hearing complained the DNR did not listen when they reported seeing fewer deer in past years. State DNR officials countered they have many opportunities for input and are constantly reviewing comments received by hunters.

We are learning the deer population is fluctuating across Wisconsin with our part of the state generally seeing a healthier population and northern counties seeing sharp declines.

I spoke with Representative Ann Hraychuck, Chair of the Assembly Fish and Wildlife Committee who said it was a very successful hearing. “The room was packed,” she said. “It’s very good for the DNR and legislators to see the hunters face to face The most important part of the political process is the public hearing because that is where hunters get to voice their opinions.”

“The problem is complicated,” she told me. “One of the big issues is the baseline deer population in the state. There is a lot of controversy in how the DNR comes up with this number. There are many things factored in – deer car kills; sex, age kill; crop damage claims and hunter observation. The DNR has sought public input. They had extra deer management hearings this year, provided comment opportunities on the kill tag and sought information through their website. But hunters don’t think the DNR is listening when hunters don’t see the deer.”

“It is encouraging for me to hear Matt Frank, (the Secretary of DNR) talk about growing the deer population to goals where hunters will see them in the woods. We are all concerned about hunter retention. It’s a billion dollar industry in Wisconsin. One hunter told me his teenage son sold his deer rifle because he didn’t see any deer and wasn’t going to hunt any more. This concerns me. The legislature worked very hard to pass the hunter mentoring bill. But if young hunters don’t see the deer in the woods they are going to go back to their computer games.”

Finding deer and working toward a successful hunting season will be a challenge for the New Year. Finding drunken drivers, looking like Santa or otherwise, and working to keep them off the road is a challenge lawmakers addressed last week.

The Senate and the Assembly reconciled their differences and updated drunk driving laws to focus on preventing individuals from driving while intoxicated, increasing treatment options and increasing penalties for those who choose to drive drunk.

The bill uses “ignition interlocks” (a device the driver must blow in to before the vehicle will start) to prevent a repeat offender or a first time offender with a blood alcohol level of .15 or higher from being able to drive drunk. Treatment options like the successful Winnebago County Safe Streets pilot program, which gives judges options in sentencing those who complete alcohol and drug treatment, will be expanded statewide.

These changes are aimed at preventing the tragedy of drunk driving. Sen. Jim Sullivan, author of the OWI legislation said, “Our history in this state is replete with instances where somebody’s joyous occasion and holidays have been turned into tragedy because of alcohol-related accidents.” 

May we all enjoy a safer holiday season. 

Last week the Governor brought together concerned Legislators to discuss the struggling Milwaukee Public Schools. Invited to the meeting were officials with experience turning around failing school districts in Boston and Chicago. The discussion centered on proposals to significantly overhaul the Milwaukee Public Schools system.

Many of our schools are struggling to provide a quality education, but the problems Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) face make our troubles pale in comparison. Milwaukee’s public schools have failed. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, in the last three years, MPS students have not met Adequate Yearly Progress in math and reading.  And a review of statistics for the last five years clearly demonstrates this is not an uncommon result.

Just last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that more than 6 out of 10 MSP eighth graders scored at or below the most basic level of math proficiency in a national study comparing achievement levels of public school students in the nation’s largest cities.  Only students in Detroit scored worse than Milwaukee students. 

My Milwaukee colleagues tell me when new test scores come out MPS will hit a new low record of failure. And its not just test scores, but on every outcome measure you can imagine.  For example, out of the 8,000 students who start kindergarten, only 1500 graduate from high school.

All over the state, school districts are doing more with less.  Our school boards working closely with school superintendents are providing a quality education to our students in the face of serious financial problems.  Test scores show that eighth graders in the 31st Senate District are proficient not only in mathematics but also reading and science.  Graduation rates for most of our school districts are over 90%.   

So why should we care about the failure of Milwaukee’s Public Schools?  As taxpayers, we invest a significant amount in MPS – nearly $600 million in the last state budget.  

But what are we getting for our dollars?  Eight graders who cannot do basic math and high school drop-outs?

We know an educated workforce is a top priority for economic growth.  Wisconsin’s overall economic success depends heavily on the educational achievement of every school district.

And when kids miss out on a good education, we all pay for failure.  We pay the costs associated with poverty and crime. 

So what is the answer for Milwaukee?  The proposal currently discussed would put control of MPS in the hands of the Mayor.  Twelve large U.S. cities have implemented some variation of mayoral control. 

And in those cities the change in governance – control given to the mayor – has resulted in a positive change in student achievement.

In Chicago and Boston, resources at the command of the Mayor were used for the benefit of the school district. The troubled inner city schools reflected the troubled crime ridden neighborhoods from which the students came. Changing the schools meant working to solve larger problems of crime, housing and unemployment. The resources at the command of a Mayor are much greater than those available to a school board.

Part of the answer is bringing more resources into the school. But there also must be clear expectations, clear accountability and a clear line of authority.

The Mayor is responsible for the superintendent, the superintendent is responsible for the principals and the principals are responsible for what happens in each school.

According to Tom Payzant, Superintendent for Boston, the average superintendent in an urban school lasts three years and in Milwaukee the turnover rate is even higher.

A high turnover rate of urban school superintendents makes it difficult to fully implement plans to increase student achievement.  Teachers and students alike need time to adjust to new standards and curricular changes and consistent leadership helps everyone make a successful transition. 

Mayoral control by itself will not solve problems.  But a temporary transfer of authority to the Mayor’s office may bring about the political will to command community and parental involvement, a coordination of resources and a change to a culture of achievement.

“You are getting things done one step at a time, aren’t you?” the man said to me. He was talking about the new law requiring insurance companies to cover adult children up to age 27 on their parents’ plan.

The law – set to go into effect on New Years Day – was part of a Five Point Plan to Reform Health Insurance I wrote last January.

Reforming health care is no small task. But as Washington grapples with the big picture, the final part of my plan was signed into law this past week.

The five proposals that are now law will allow parents to cover their adult children on their own insurance plan; will limit the time pre-existing conditions can be held against someone to a year; will let consumers who have a quarrel with a health insurance company to have a free independent review if they want to resolve a dispute; will permit people to change plans within the same insurance company without additional underwriting and will make it is easier for people to get into the state’s high risk health insurance plan.

That final piece fell into place last week as the Governor signed two bills I authored allowing ease in accessing what the state calls “Health Insurance Risk Sharing Program” or HIRSP (as everything has to be known by initials!)

The high risk plan is now available to anyone who has been denied coverage by just one health insurance company. The plan has new low cost alternatives and subsidizes premiums for people making up to $33,000 a year. Recently, the HIRSP Board was able to reduce rates, send a rebate to those who paid high rates and expand subsidies to more low-income people because it lowered health care costs by 24% and lowered drug costs by 57%.

In a time when health care costs are rising by double digits every year, HIRSP is a quiet success story. The plan is paid for with absolutely no tax dollars – even though it was set up by the Legislature and has operated since 1981. It is run by an independent board representing health and consumer interests. The money for HIRSP comes from insurance companies who pay about twenty percent of the costs along with people’s premiums and doctors and hospitals that provide care at a reduced rate.

Without HIRSP, another 16,500 people in Wisconsin would be without insurance. Thirty four states have a high risk pool. But most states struggle with high costs.

The Wisconsin high risk plan has been so well managed – administrative costs are a low 4% and costs have come down. I would encourage anyone who might have thought the plan too expensive to look at it again. Feel free to call my office for help accessing more information for yourself or those you know who have serious health problems and have been denied coverage by an insurance company.

Having my Five Point Plan for Health Insurance Reform become law helps people by improving Wisconsin’s health insurance regulations.  In 2008 a Families USA report gave Wisconsin a failing grade for health insurance regulation. 

We think of Wisconsin as progressive but – surprisingly – this was not the case. For example, according to the Kaiser Foundation, thirty other states allow parents to cover their adult children on their health insurance policy but we did not.

Wisconsin will now join Louisiana, Mississippi and twenty five other states who forbid holding a pre-existing condition for more than a year against someone purchasing an individual plan.

Even as we make common sense change in Wisconsin, we look to Washington for the sorely needed comprehensive health care reform. The word on the street is U.S. Senate leader Harry Reid is very serious about passing reform before Christmas. He warned all Senators they will be in session on Christmas Eve or until the job is done.

The work is far from done and is painstakingly slow. But progress has been made and more Wisconsin families will find affordable health insurance as the New Year dawns.

“Are you in session right now?” my friend from Minnesota asked. In Minnesota, the Legislature went home a long time ago. But I am regularly traveling to Madison to conduct state business.

“Our ‘session’ doesn’t actually end until the campaign season officially begins next June,” I told him. The official ‘session’ begins on inauguration day in early January following an election year and ends in May with the beginning of the next election cycle.

The two-year calendar begins with the introduction and debate of the state’s two year budget.  Legislators begin the important work of addressing issues brought forward by the people. 

Many people believe the Legislature conducts its business when Senators and Representatives gather in the Senate and Assembly chambers to vote on bills – or to use Capitol lingo – when the Legislature is ‘on the floor’.

But the hard work of the Legislature is conducted before the full Senate and Assembly convene through the committee process and in offices around the Capitol.  Most of the time when a bill goes ‘to the floor’ the controversies had been resolved in a committee.

As we enter the holiday season, committees are meeting and legislators are drafting bills. Work on pending legislation and issues important to citizens of our state will continue right up to Christmas and begin again immediately after New Year’s Day.

The committee process is a vital part of the overall legislative process.  Committees schedule public hearings which bring people from all over the state to the Capitol to testify on bills.  It is this public input that provides legislators with the information they need to understand the impact of any bill. Committee hearings can happen any time, even during the summer of a campaign year when the full Legislature is not officially ‘in session’.

I serve as the Senate Co-Chair to the Joint Committee on Audit. The work of the audit committee continues all year long as the Legislative Audit Bureau releases program reviews and financial statements of state programs and funds. I travel to Madison to meet with my counterpart in the Assembly, to receive briefings on audits just released and provide direction to the Audit Bureau and the state auditor. Since the activities of the state are on- going, so is the work of the state’s watch-dog – the Audit Bureau.

Even when Legislators go home to campaign, they can be called back by either the Governor in a Special Session or the Legislature itself in an Extraordinary Session. Early in the state’s history, the Governor would use a Special Session to bring Legislators back to address crises such as natural disasters, fiscal or economic emergencies or civil disturbances.  Today, Special and Extraordinary Session provide the Governor and the Legislature a mechanism to convene lawmakers to address important public policy matters. 

Regardless of whether the Legislature is ‘in session’ or not, issues of importance to people or the problems they encounter need to be addressed.  Policy problems crop up and folks try to navigate the maze of state bureaucracy even when the Legislature has ‘gone home’.  We are fortunate to have full-time staff that can help with policy research and help constituents.

Many legislative staff members have been working in the Capitol longer than many Legislators.  They are an important source of historical information and support as we rookie legislators navigate the maze of the bill-making process and of lobbyists and special interests.

When lobbyists out-number Legislators eight to one, it makes a lot of sense for elected officials and their staff to keep the lights on and the pencils sharp in even during the quiet times. Some one needs to keep watch to make sure the people’s interests are put first on the list.

“I love my job,” I told the radio announcer who called to interview me about my job and running for re-election.  I explained that a legislator’s job is really about solving problems. I spend many hours working on legislation to help solve the state’s problems.  But I am thankful for the time I spend working to solve the problems of people who call or write asking for my assistance.

Some are starting a new business, some are retiring. Many are worried about making ends meet and many more are without health insurance.  And lots of people are at wits end trying to navigate the confusing maze of government bureaucracy. 
This is true for folks who are working hard to improve their communities.  From a walkway along the river, to supplying clean water, to building a safe intersection, I am thankful for the opportunity to help people work through the bureaucratic maze necessary to bring federal recovery dollars to their communities.
And I am thankful for all those who work in local government. I recently had the opportunity to spend time on the phone sharing some good news with those who serve our schools, counties, cities and villages.
A recent audit revealed a surplus in a fund used to provide property insurance to local government. With no advertising, low overhead and no profit, this state administered program provides inexpensive property insurance to local government.
As co-chair of the Joint Audit Committee, I saw the audit findings as an opportunity to offer assistance to local governments.  I was able to negotiate a one-time credit that will reduce the insurance bills for our local units of government by about half.
As I shared this information with local officials, I learned more details about the tough decisions they face. One school board president tried to hold her emotions as she explained how the reduced cost for property insurance made money available for the field trips the school had to cancel. Several county boards told me they had or thought they might have to lay off people.

Our local elected officials – those who serve as sheriff or on the county board, city council, school board and town board – give so much of their time and talents to find ways to make really tight budget still meet the needs of local people.  But they don’t work alone.
Our service organizations, veterans groups, domestic violence shelters, food pantries and non profit organizations are all doing more with less. People have less money to give and more people are in need.
Our community volunteers now often wear five or six hats – from the Legion, to Boy Scouts, to the parish council, to firefighter and EMT.  These volunteers make our communities safe and strong.
Keeping our economy strong requires profitable farm families.  Right now many of our farmers are struggling as the price of milk has dropped well below the cost of production. As we gather for Thanksgiving, remember our farmers.  Many have sacrificed their health and their knees so we can afford a Thanksgiving Day feast.
The life of a dairy farmer is rewarding but tough. The long hours, extreme weather, broken equipment, piles of bills take a toll on one’s health.  I recently had a total knee replacement, the result of too much time on my knees – milking cows.
The recuperation process gives me a renewed appreciation for the challenges facing disabled persons.  And for those working in health care – like physical therapists.  I now know “PT” really stands for Physical Torture. But I am thankful for their patience in teaching me to walk again. Thanks to all our dedicated health care workers.
And thank God for our health. I also thank God for bringing us to the point of thoughtful discussions of health care reform.  I pray for the day our work makes health care affordable and accessible to all.
My work can be both frustrating and rewarding. The best part of my job is being able to help solve problems of those who call for help.
And I thank God for the voters who gave me the opportunity to give this part of my life to public service.

As the year winds down to its final days, so does the Legislature’s fall Session.  A flurry of bills were acted on by the Senate and Assembly and sent on to the Governor for the final stop in the legislative process.  Governor Doyle took his ink pen to numerous bills – some that grabbed much attention across the state.
Of particular interest to outdoor groups including many local rod and gun clubs and the Conservation Congress was legislation returning the appointment of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary to the Natural Resources Board.  I heard from several hundred local people who expressed their support for my co-sponsorship of the bill.  I joined the majority of my colleagues in voting in favor of giving the Natural Resources Board authority to appoint the Secretary. 
But late Friday afternoon, Governor Doyle vetoed this legislation arguing a Secretary appointed by the Governor is better able to accomplish more for Wisconsin’s environment.  Those supporting the Governor’s veto say the DNR must be responsive to the people and the best way to do this is to have the Governor, who is elected by the people, appoint the head of the department.
However, many of the local people I spoke with are concerned the DNR, which oversees hunting and fishing and enforces environmental regulations, has become too political. Hunting and environmental groups say rules governing our natural resources should be made based on science, not on what is politically expedient.  And up until 1995, the DNR Secretary was Board appointed.  It was Governor Tommy Thompson who changed the appointment authority to the Governor.
Immediately after Governor Doyle’s veto, the Assembly lead author of the bill, Representative Spencer Black, called for a veto override.  This would require two-thirds of both the Senate and Assembly membership voting for an override and legislative leaders are saying there are not enough votes.
Another bill of interest the Governor will sign into law is the ‘impartial justice’ bill that provides public financing to Supreme Court elections. The bill funds Wisconsin Supreme Court elections with a check-off for taxpayers on their income tax forms.
Many allege the Supreme Court elections are manipulated through money. Interest groups buy television ads supporting the candidate who favors their issues and agenda.  The new law provides money for candidates but does not regulate the ‘issue ads’ run by interest groups that often dominate a campaign.  Voters find it difficult to get unbiased information so they will often stay home instead of exercising their right to decide who sits on our Supreme Court.
Earlier in the year, Senate Democrats did pass a bill to regulate issue ads and subject the outside groups to all the rules candidates must follow.   In Senate debate, Republicans and Democrats alike urged the Senate leaders to bring the issue ad regulation bill to the full Senate for a vote. The Senate Majority Leader agreed and we look forward to acting on this bill in January.
The Governor used his ink pen to sign a bill fixing problems with the troubled Wisconsin Shares child care program. This program helps low-income working families pay for child care. A recent audit, conducted by the Legislative Audit Bureau, found serious problems with the rules and oversight of Wisconsin Shares.  Governor Doyle publically thanked me and three of my legislative colleagues for our efforts to crack down on fraud in the program.
Governor Doyle also thanked me and the co-authors of a bill focused on protecting children in child care settings.  The new law will bar criminals from operating or working in child care centers.  Keeping our children safe when they are away from home is our common goal.
Of the 391 bills introduced in the Senate and 579 in the Assembly, the Governor has signed 79 into law.  As we prepare for the January 2010 Session, legislative committees will continue to engage the public in a discussion of those remaining bills and ideas that have yet to be introduced as legislation.  I appreciate the benefit of your phone calls, letters, email messages, postcards and face to face conversations on all of issues facing our great state.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month fighting on the Western Front ceased.  In 1918, November 11th marked the end of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany.  The armistice signed designating that date and time effectively ended World War 1 – “the war to end all wars”.

The next year, President Wilson officially proclaimed November 11, 1919 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.  President Wilson said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride for the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory…” 

Every year following, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month we pause as a nation to remember with pride and profound gratitude the heroism of those who answered our country’s call to protect our most valued principals:  freedom, liberty, equality and justice for all. 

Since that first Armistice Day, many of our young men and women have answered our nation’s call to fight for freedom in other lands. 

And every veteran reminds us that freedom is not free.  It comes with a price which is paid by all those in uniform who pledge to preserve, protect and defend it. 

Those of us who have not worn the uniform must be more than beneficiaries of their bravery – we must be stewards of their sacrifice.

Being stewards of their sacrifice is pretty much summed up in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt who said, “Anyone good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterward.”

As stewards of their sacrifice we must pledge to leave no veteran behind.  We must commit to providing our veterans and their families with real assistance – material and spiritual.  Once home, our veterans richly deserve access to quality health care, affordable educational opportunities and other services that will help them thrive. 

As stewards of their sacrifice we must also never forget.  Those we lost still live within us and those we welcomed home are the heroes among us.  They have earned our deep respect and solemn recognition of their profound courage and patriotism.  

This year I had the privilege of working on legislation to honor our Korean and Vietnam veterans.  With the efforts of Korean veteran Alan Wright of Sparta, Thuy Smith, daughter of a Vietnam veteran and others wishing to pay tribute to our Korean and Vietnam veterans, new laws were passed designating July 27th as Korean War Armistice Day and March 29th as Vietnam Veterans Day. 

As stewards of their sacrifice we must all take time to pay tribute to those who served in Korea, the forgotten war and those in Vietnam who did not receive the honor and glory they so richly deserved.

Regardless of when and where battles are fought, it is ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage in the face of danger, extraordinary honor in time of turmoil, extraordinary sacrifice in the name of freedom.  On Veterans Day we salute them and say a heartfelt thank you.

Let us also remember those in harms way who are currently serving our country.  They serve today with the same loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage as those who went before them.  We pray for their safe return and look forward to time when we become stewards of their sacrifice.

A worried father called me early one morning. His 22-year-old daughter needed health insurance. He heard about the bill I wrote to allow adult children to be covered on their parents’ health plan until the adult child turned 27.

I explained to the father that my bill was picked up by the Governor and added to the state budget.  The new law takes effect on January 1, 2010 applies to young adults who are not married and have not been offered health insurance through their employer at less cost than their parent’s plan. The father asked a lot of questions. He said he contacted his health insurance company and didn’t receive clear answers.

Unknown to me, the Executive Branch also received many questions about the new law. Most came from health insurance companies. Two days later the Governor signed an Emergency Rule to clarify answers to those questions.

I was grateful for the attention the Governor paid to the new law. But when I read the Emergency Rule, I discovered the intent of the bill I drafted last winter was changed by that Rule.

I drafted a bill to allow parents to cover their adult children at no more cost than paid for their dependents under age 18. I wrote the bill so parents could get affordable coverage for their young adult children who did not have a job offering affordable health care coverage. There was to be no underwriting, no exclusions, no added pre-existing conditions and no new hidden costs.

In the Emergency Rule, which has the force of law, insurance companies who wrote individual insurance plans would be able to limit coverage to young adults who wanted insurance under their parent’s plan.

The Rule allowed health insurance companies to increase rates for dependents over age 18, to allow the exclusion of pre-existing conditions and to place exclusion riders on coverage.  An exclusion rider on a policy means the insurance company would never cover a certain condition.

How could a bill become a law only to be changed by an Emergency Rule? And an Emergency Rule that provided answers to the father’s questions I never intended when I wrote the bill ten months ago.

First one has to understand the rule making process.  When bills become law, there are details related to implementing the new law that are finalized through Administrative Rules.  Usually Administrative Rules are written by an agency in the Executive Branch of government and go through what is called a ‘promulgation’ process.  During the promulgation of an Administrative Rule, public input is gathered through public hearings.  The Legislature also has one more opportunity to help craft the details of the Administrative Rule when it referred to a legislative standing committee for review.

Implementing an Emergency Rule does not require legislative action.  An agency determines an ‘emergency’ exists and writes a rule to address that ‘emergency’.  Once signed by the Governor, the rule is in effect for 150 days.  The Legislature’s only role in this process is approving an extension of the Emergency Rule for another 120 days.

The only ‘emergency’ related to my bill allowing parents to provide insurance coverage for their adult children was created by insurance companies.  And the Emergency Rule ‘clarified’ the law in favor of those health insurance companies and not consumers. 

I called the legislative attorney who drafted my bill and asked her to draft another bill. This time to make it very clear children covered by their parent’s health insurance plan would not have to pay more or be denied coverage.

The real emergency was not with health insurance companies, it is with those who do not have access to affordable health care…like the 22-year-old young adult whose father called me early one morning.

“I remember going to a one room school house,” the Buffalo County man told me. “Judging by those buildings, I’d say the schools were doing mighty fine.”

“Things might look good on the outside, but it’s tough on the inside,” I told him.

It doesn’t matter which school district you visit, once you step inside the building the story is the same.

School administrators and school boards are trying to do more with less. Their state aid drops but costs keep rising. Many dip into reserve or “rainy day” funding but that fund has seen too many rainy days and what used to be a healthy fund balance is now going dry.

They are forced to balance deep cuts in program and staff with how much the school district will levy in property taxes.  Caught in that balancing act are students who strive to achieve and local people who cannot afford to pay higher property taxes.

At the heart of the problem is a system that makes local property tax payers foot more of the bill when school enrollment declines. State general school aid is tied to the pupil: fewer students mean fewer state dollars.

Across the state – especially in rural areas – there are fewer children in school but that doesn’t mean a reduction in the cost to educate those children. It costs almost as much to educate a classroom of 17 as a classroom of 20. But state aid is cut by $27,000 when three students leave the class.

Although not intended, the effect of our current school financing system is that rural property tax owners are picking up more of the tab for rural schools with declining enrollment and wealthy suburban schools with growing enrollment are receiving more state aid.

It seems odd to local property tax payers – they are paying more and more – and the schools are in worse financial shape. To complicate matters, changes in local property values also affect school aid. Some areas – along the Mississippi River for example – have seen as high as a 7% increase in property values. The combination of declining enrollment and rising property values is devastating for schools.

My own school district, Alma, has lost almost $1,000 per pupil this year. Some of the cuts are because of the state’s serious financial condition, but much is do to the combination of declining enrollment and rising property values.

This past week members of our Rural Caucus met to talk about solutions to the problems facing our schools. Long and short term ideas were tossed around. Some pointed to proposals to relieve the revenue caps local schools have in place. These caps – part of state law – limit the amount a local school district can raise property taxes.

However, Rural Caucus members agreed the answer to school funding is not an increase in property taxes. Local property owners are already struggling to pay their property taxes. The money must come from somewhere else and the Rural Caucus invited groups to share their ideas.

Tom Beebe, of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES), came to share an idea. To address the school funding crisis, WAES is calling for a one-cent increase in the state sales tax – which is one of the lowest in the country.  Tom explained their proposal would immediately raise $850 million “to stop cuts in classrooms and give relief to property taxpayers.”

The WAES membership is still focused on comprehensive change in the school funding formula.  But they argue the current school funding crisis must be addressed immediately to protect the education our children receive now while we work together to provide for their future educational needs.

The WAES proposal is just one idea.   My fellow Rural Caucus members and I will continue to meet with others who have ideas about school funding in the near term and long term.  To accomplish our long-term goal, we must reduce our reliance on property taxes; we must recognize that some students cost more to educate than others and school districts face different costs and we must base funding schools on an adequacy study of real costs in specific circumstances.

Achieving our goal is not optional – our children and communities are counting on us.