Here are the 2009-10 Legislative Leaders

Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:34 AM CST

Joan Sanstadt, News Editor

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature are now controlled by Democrats. During the past session, Republicans had the majority in the Assembly and Democrats were the majority party in the State Senate.

Last week each party in each house met in their caucus groups and elected their leaders.

The majority party has the key leadership positions and will be able to name chairs of all committees. They may also change the names of committees and, in addition, will have more members serving on each committee.

Assembly

Elected Assembly Speaker was Rep. Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville). Speaker Pro Tem will be Rep. Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis) and Rep. Tom Nelson (D-Kaukauna) will be Majority Leader.

Rep. Donna Seidel (D-Wausau) will be Assistant Majority Leader.

Caucus Chair will be Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) and Rep. Barbara Toles (D-Milwaukee) will be Caucus Vice Chair.

Assembly Republicans chose Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) as Minority Leader. Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington) will be Assistant Minority Leader.

Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) will be Caucus Chair and Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) will be Caucus Vice Chair.

State Senate

Senator Russ Decker (D-Schofield) was again chosen as Senate Majority Leader. Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) will be Assistant Majority Leader and Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) was again chosen as Senate President.

Senator Risser has presided over the Wisconsin Senate for all or part of 11 legislative sessions since 1979, when the state constitution was changed to permit the body to choose its own presiding officer.

President Pro Temp will be Senator Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls). Senator John Lehman (D-Racine) was chosen as Caucus Chair and Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) will be Caucus Vice Chair.

Joint Finance Committee

Few would argue that the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) is the most important legislative committee n and the most powerful.

Its power comes from its responsibilities to examine all legislation that deals with state income and spending. Any bill introduced in the legislature that appropriates money, provides for revenue or relates to taxation must be referred to this committee.

It is also the committee that introduces the biennial budget as recommended by the governor. After holding a series of public hearings and executive sessions, it submits its own version of the budget as a substitute amendment to the governor’s budget bill for consideration by the legislature.

It is also empowered, as an emergency measure, to reduce certain state agency appropriations when there is a decrease in state revenues.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) was named as co-chair by Assembly Democrats. Other Representatives serving on the committee are Representatives Pedro Colon (D-Milwaukee), Vice Chair; Cory Mason (D-Racine); Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse), Gary Sherman (D-Port Wing) and Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee). Only Pocan and Colon have served on this committee in the past.

Senate Republicans have named Senators Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) as members.

Assembly Republicans and Senate Democrats have not yet named their appointees to the Joint Committee on Finance.

Reaction to PSC Decision

Last week’s Agri-View had only a short story about the Nov. 11 decision by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to deny Alliant Energy’s proposal to build a new generating plant at its Cassville site that would be able to use both coal and biomass. (Alliant is the parent company of Wisconsin Power & Light Co.)

Here’s some of the reaction to the PSC decision:

The Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives (WFC) said it believes the PSC’s decision “is a setback for developing biomass markets in the state. Wisconsin Power and Light’s proposed Nelson Dewey 3 power plant would have used up to 400,000 tons of biomass per year, or 20 percent of its total needs.

“Despite the PSC decision, our cooperatives are still committed to becoming the leading suppliers of biomass for electric generation,” said Bill Oemichen, WFC president and CEO. “There is a demonstrated need for new generation in Wisconsin and our state’s farmers and cooperative businesses stand ready to meet those generation needs with fuels grown right here in our communities.

“The investments made by cooperatives are investments made in local communities,” Oemichen continued. “The benefits of these projects not only help meet our need for more energy security and renewable fuels, they provide a direct economic stimulus to our state’s agricultural sector and help our rural communities stay strong. Fuels grown in Wisconsin can be a sustainable source of energy and should be a part of future electric generation plans. Despite the PSC’s decision, we continue to encourage utilities to include biomass in their current and future generation portfolios.”

Bill Bruins, president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF), called the PSC decision “short-sighted and economically-destructive” because it denied the construction of a state-of-the-art flexible fuel plant that would have been a benefit to the state’s environment, energy supply and overall economy.”

Using biomass for 20 percent of the plant’s energy needs would have meant switchgrass, waste wood and leftover cornstalks could have been harvest locally in southwestern Wisconsin.

“The Cassville plant would have jumpstarted a biomass industry in Wisconsin and provided a template for other companies to follow,” Bruins said, adding, “it would have helped create an economic stimulus at a time when our state needs it.”

Bruins believes the “PSC Commissioners have foolishly wasted an opportunity to site a power plant along the state's western border, where it could have strategically drawn power from the West on the nation's electrical grid system.”

He further noted that “Gov, Doyle has been extremely supportive of renewable energy initiatives, including the 25x25 proposal, creation of the state Office of Energy Independence, and leading the effort to receive $125 million bioenergy grant for the UW-Madison.

“The PSC's decision comes at a time when our state says it is for reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by producing power with the resources found within our borders. Therefore, I find it astounding that three state regulators would now undercut that mission by denying a business from taking a bold step in that direction,” Bruins said.

“Unfortunately this project was a target for environmentalist groups who misleadingly suggested the key to our state's energy problems is to expand the use of natural gas. In a year when record natural gas prices have sent the prices of commercial fertilizers soaring, their approach could not be more misguided. Simply put, a greater reliance on natural gas will result in a hidden tax on all Wisconsinites via higher food prices,” the WFBF leader concluded.

Maybe it’s time for the state of Wisconsin to reconsider its moratorium on building new nuclear plants.

State Budget

Last week Gov. Jim Coyle said it is likely the state budget deficit could exceed $5 billion. The governor said he would favor new taxes on hospital and oil companies (both were suggested in the last budget, but then removed), and hoped to avoid increases in either the state income tax or state sales tax.

In the meantime Michael Morgan, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, has called for agencies to submit plans to further reduce their budgets by 10 percent.

The governor and others have blamed the falling economy as the reason for the projected $5 billion deficit.

Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) agreed the deficit had mostly been caused by matters outside of the control of lawmakers.

For this observer, I see this as a hopeful sign. One that’s far better than for party leaders to waste time and energy blaming each other for the problem. This would be a good time for lawmakers from both parties and the governor to all work together to solve the deficit and to move forward.

Quite a number of people have told me how glad they are the election is over and that it is time to work together and help our president-elect move forward and be able to work on the challenges the current economy means for everyone. I don’t think many Wisconsinites would favor bitter battles over a deficit that both Democrats and Republicans have had a hand in accumulating.

Capitol Notes:

- On Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle said his recent conversation with the transition team of President-Elect Barack Obama was not about a job offer. The governor again said that he wants to stay in Wisconsin “because the best job is to be governor of Wisconsin.”

- Senators Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma), Alan Lasee (R-De Pere) and Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) and Representatives Brett Davis (R-Oregon), Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) and Amy Sue Vruwink (D-Milladore) were recently honored by the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives with the Friend of Cooperatives award for this year.

- Two recounts are underway in Wisconsin. One is for the 47th Assembly District seat, which Republican Keith Ripp won by 28 votes. Democrat Trish O’Neill has requested the recount for the open seat that had been held by Gene Hahn who retired. The other recount is in the 18th State Senate District where Democrat Jessica King lost to Republican Hopper by 182 votes. The outcome of those recounts should be known later this week.

- Please read a story about Rosendale Dairy and the DNR’s requirement for an Environmental Impact Statement that is in the dairy section.

- Live Christmas trees will be allowed in public places in the state, despite new federal fire codes adopted last March. Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel told fire chiefs across the state it will be up to them to decide if they want to enforce the federal rule.

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