Government and Political Roundup: More mining debate today in Madison

• Wisconsin State Capitol

Wisconsin State Capitol

Talk about it

Wisconsin senators could start debating the controversial mining incentive package just before the lunch hour. One of the biggest issues is the way Gogebic Taconite would be taxed on the mining activity it plans to conduct in far northern Wisconsin. Majority Republicans want the firm to pay mining taxes on the profits it generates each year. But Democrats say it could be years, if ever, before the company makes enough to be taxed. And despite denials from Republicans, the bill’s opponents fear that Gogebic could get around paying taxes by manipulating their annual revenues. They’ll try again to pass an alternative “tonnage” tax on what the mine produces – which the Joint Finance Committee rejected on Monday. Democrats Tim Cullen and Bob Jauch say they’ll also propose amendments to increase environmental protections beyond what the bill’s sponsors did a few weeks ago. And the Democrats will be joined by moderate Republican Dale Schultz, who was able to kill the measure last March but is helpless to stop it this time because the G-O-P has increased its majority in the Senate from one vote to three. Jauch, who represents the area where the mine would go, says his constituents are “10-to-1” against it. Republicans say it would create jobs. But Jauch says it might not happen for years, especially if the nearby Bad River Indians file suit over the project.

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Some Wisconsin Assembly Republicans are pushing for a two-day sales tax holiday in August, to help parents buy back-to-school items for their kids. The idea has been brought up in the past, and it never went anywhere. But freshman Republican Chad Weininger of Green Bay tells his hometown WLUK TV that prices keep going up – and a tax holiday would give families some needed relief. The bill also would also drop the sales tax for a weekend in early November, for those who buy Energy Star appliances. But Oshkosh Assembly Democrat Gordon Hintz says he wants to find out how much tax revenue the state would lose – and then he can decide if it’s the best way to help people. The National Retail Federation said families spent an average of 690-dollars on back-to-school items last year – and dropping the five-percent state sales tax would save the typical family 34-and-a-half dollars. The school tax holiday would apply only to purchases of children’s clothing, computers and related supplies, instructional materials, and limited amounts of other school supplies.

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A state senator does not want to wait until this summer to curtail double-dipping by state and local government employees. Green Bay Republican Rob Cowles says he wants the issue addressed now in a separate bill, instead of leaving it in the state budget – in which it probably wouldn’t be approved until July. Right now, public workers who retire can return within 30 days, so their old jobs can be carried out until their replacements are hired. But Cowles says employees are gaming the system by coming back as soon as possible, and then collecting both pensions-and-paychecks. It became an issue after a U-W Green Bay official was reported to make a pre-arranged deal to retire and then return. Cowles tells the Wisconsin Radio Network he wants to eliminate quote, “wink-and-a-nod” arrangements. Governor Scott Walker’s budget would make retirees wait 75 days to return to government service. And if they work more than two-thirds of a full schedule, they’d have to stop taking pension money and pay into the retirement system again. Cowles says he wouldn’t mind seeing the waiting period grow to 100 days. He expects opposition to his idea – but he says it can’t wait.

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If the governor has his way, state workers who smoke would pay an extra 50-dollars a month for their health insurance, as part of an increase in employee wellness programs. Under Republican Scott Walker’s plan, the workers would have to sign affidavits declaring that they don’t smoke, in order to avoid the 600-dollar-a-year surcharge. Wis-Politics-Dot-Com uncovered the proposal, which is hidden in the two-year state budget that Walker gave to legislators a week ago. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the state’s Group Insurance Board would work out the details of the smokers’ surcharge if lawmakers approve it. It’s slated to begin in 2014, as part of a Walker proposal to expand the current wellness program for state employees. Marty Beil, who heads the state government’s largest employee union, tells Wis-Politics that he’s trying to get answers on how the surcharge would be enforced. He wonders if the administration will set up a quote, “smoke police” and fire those who smoke while they’re off the time clock. Beil also wants to know what the penalties would be for not

being truthful in signing the proposed affidavits.

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A Wisconsin Assembly committee is considering a bill that could make it easier for local government clerks to find poll workers – but could also make the voting process more political. A public hearing was held yesterday in Madison on a bill in which communities could bring in poll workers from their home counties, instead of just their municipal limits. Local clerks would keep their ability to assign workers to specific polling places. The parties have been able to nominate poll workers for years, and there have been reports that such nominations have increased as politics have become more partisan. Now, Assembly Republican Don Pridemore of Hartford says he wants to make sure both parties are represented equally at the polls. He says it would help to expand the recruiting territory, and increase the numbers of poll workers available. Democrats and some clerks say it might result in more partisanship at the polls. But State Government Accountability Board director Kevin Kennedy says many of those nominated often don’t want to serve. He says many don’t want to undergo the required training to be poll workers – or they don’t like where they would be assigned.

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A Milwaukee trade group says Congress is so reluctant to raise gas taxes, that the federal government may have no choice but to create more toll roads – and put monitoring devices on all vehicles to determine how much they owe. Dennis Slater of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers floated the idea during a conference call with reporters. The group is looking at several ideas – including toll highways in which fees are charged electronically, similar to Illinois’ “I-Pass” system. Also, Slater mentioned the idea of charging motorists for each mile they drive. He said the technology is available now – but it won’t happen any time soon, because people fear that they’ll lose their privacy once the government starts tracking their movements. Slater said it would take time for motorists to quote, “get comfortable” with being monitored – but officials would have to set limits so the devices would only record what’s needed to charge the tolls. Congress has not raised the federal gas tax in 20 years. Since then, people have been paying less in gas taxes due to the recession and more fuel-efficient vehicles, while the cost of road repairs has gone up. A Wisconsin transportation task force also recommended a monitoring system to charge drivers for each mile they travel – in addition to a host of gas tax and transportation fee increases. But Majority Republicans have objected to all of them, and none are in the proposed new state budget.

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Wisconsin’s U-S senators voted opposite ways, when Chuck Hagel was confirmed yesterday as the nation’s new defense secretary. A seven-week battle over his nomination ended yesterday, when a divided Senate voted 58-to-41 to confirm the president’s appointment. Democrat Tammy Baldwin voted yes. Ron Johnson voted no – and only four of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats in supporting Hagel, who was wounded twice in Vietnam and later served two terms in the Senate. Johnson questioned Hagel’s qualifications, leaving doubts on whether he has enough experience in foreign affairs and fulfilling military missions. Johnson said that when it comes to national defense, the bar must be quote, “necessarily high.” The ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Oklahoma’s Jim Imhofe, said Hagel’s record on Iran, Israel, and defense spending demonstrates a quote, “troubling lack of judgment.” But Imhofe said he would work with Hagel to avoid 46-billion-dollars in automatic, across-the-board defense cuts which are due to take effect on Friday. Yesterday, Fort McCoy near Sparta said it would put 15-hundred civilian employees on furloughs for one day a week if the cuts become a reality. For the workers, it would amount to a 20-percent pay cut.

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