Smoking ban, hospital tax will be among Dems' top state priorities

Steven Elbow  —  11/12/2008 5:40 am

Last week's elections put Democrats in the driver's seat of state government.

So what happens now?

Democratic Assembly leaders, now in control for the first time in 14 years, say their first order of business will be to address the dismal economic outlook that plagues the state by pushing through aid for work training, fostering new energy technologies and punishing businesses that send jobs overseas.

But Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker said there's only so much a state can do, and every state is facing the same bleak economy. Now that a Democrat has been elected to the White House, he said, the federal government will likely play a major role in Wisconsin's economic recovery.

Decker has been speaking with U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, about how the feds can help.

"Mainly what we're looking at is that they come up with something to give us some cash relief so we can get our budgets balanced out," Decker said. "Some of the failed policies of the Bush administration and the federal government put the screws to all of us, not only in government, but for the private sector and job growth. So I think there's some responsibility on the federal government to correct those policies and get our house in order."

Whatever the solution, fixing the economy will take time.

But you can still expect action on several initiatives Democrats have had to put on the back burner while Republicans ruled the Assembly.

"We have a long list," said state Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, one of two candidates vying for Assembly speaker in the new Democratic majority. "We're going to come out of the gate strong and aggressive in passing common-sense legislation that helps people."

Democrats, who continue their hold on the state Senate with a 18-15 margin, now have a 52-46 advantage in the Assembly, with one independent. Some recounts are possible, but not enough to change the balance of power.

Democrats will inherit a budget shortfall pegged at $3 billion earlier this year, and possibly more as a deepening recession eats further into the state's revenues. As a result, party leaders say they are going to be mindful of what initiatives they can pay for.

"There are a number of things we're able to do that were blocked that won't cost a dime that we'll be passing," Richards said.

Several Republican leaders didn't return phone calls seeking comment on their plans for the upcoming session. But some have said they hope the Democrats' narrow majorities will allow Republicans to block the majority party's plans; failing that, they feel like they'll be well-positioned to run on Democratic failures in future elections.

While several Democratic leaders are keeping their cards close to their vests until they get closer to the coming legislative session, Democratic leaders in the Assembly and the Senate, and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, have identified some key measures they want to address.

These include a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars, which nearly passed in the last session, and securing domestic partner health care benefits for UW employees. University officials say the absence of such benefits impedes their ability to attract top talent to the school, but Assembly Republicans -- led by UW critic Rep. Steve Nass, who chaired the Higher Education Committee -- have stood in the way.

Democrats also have signaled their intent to pass a tax on hospital services. The measure, first proposed by Gov. Jim Doyle in his 2007-09 state budget, would have drawn more than $418 million in federal matching funds to the state, including $125 million to help the state balance its budget. Republicans opposed the plan, dubbing it a "sick tax," but the state's hospital association and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business lobby, eventually dropped their opposition and now back it.

"That money's just sitting on the table," Doyle said last week.

One of the first orders of business, Democratic leaders agree, will be to mandate health insurance coverage for children with autism. A bill that would make Wisconsin the 13th state to do that passed the Senate last session and was backed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. But it died in the Republican-controlled Assembly.

"I'm sure that's going to be one of the first things out of the gate," Decker said.

Decker also wants to push through a minimum wage increase -- opposed by Republicans and business lobbies -- that would be indexed for inflation "so it doesn't sit there and be stagnant for six or seven years and decline in its purchasing value."

And Decker said corporations, which saw two tax loopholes close in a compromise budget repair bill last spring, can expect more of the same.

"We think it's just a fairness issue that some of these people that have been avoiding paying their fair share actually put some more in the kitty to help balance things out," Decker said.

Some of what the Democrats push will depend on who is elected Assembly speaker this week. Rep. Mark Pocan, who headed up the Democrats' successful takeover of the Assembly, has said he will not seek the post, wanting instead to be appointed as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, the Legislature's powerful budget writing panel.

Those in the running for speaker are Mike Sheridan of Janesville and Richards, all of Milwaukee.

Sheridan did not return a message seeking comment.

Richards said he would put campaign finance reform on the table.

"In this election we've seen yet again the pressing need we have for campaign finance reform," Richards said. "And it's in the interest of our healthy democracy that we look at that."

Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee, who in 2005 pushed for a constitutional amendment to ensure fair redistricting, said he plans to do so again. Redistricting will be a major issue after the 2010 census because it has a direct affect on which parties win individual district seats, which by extension has an effect on which party controls the government.

Education promises to be an area where Democrats will try to make their mark, although budget problems will likely put some reforms on hold.

Many Democrats have long sought to place limits on school choice, which could affect tens of thousands of students using vouchers in the state, including 20,000 in Milwaukee alone.

The issue was not a hot campaign topic leading up to last week's elections, but the Michigan-based pro-school choice group All Children Matter spent tens of thousands of dollars attacking Democratic Assembly candidates, portraying them as tax-and-spend liberals who favor free health care for illegal immigrants.

"Even though they never talked about school choice as the issue, a lot of our people are aware they were the major force funding a lot of the Republican efforts," Kessler said.

But the more profound debate will likely be how the state will overhaul its K-12 school aid formula. Many Democrats during their campaigns pledged to work for reform of a system they say no longer works. And interest groups across the state are gearing up to weigh in.

Although budget constraints will make it difficult to enact changes, the debate should begin in earnest in coming months.

But for the near future the dismal economic picture clouds all other considerations.

"I think the first thing we have to focus on is the economy and jobs," Richards said.

Steven Elbow  —  11/12/2008 5:40 am