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Capitol Capsules

October 7, 2003

Colleges and Universities Committee meets
The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee was to meet Tuesday, Oct. 7, (after the Wisconsin Week deadline) to discuss recent UW System Board of Regent action on UW executive salary ranges. Regent Vice President David Walsh was scheduled to testify. The committee also planned to take up the following legislation:

  • Assembly Bill 366, which requires UW System campuses to accept all credits transferred within the System and all credits transferred from technical colleges.
  • Assembly Bill 377, which requires the Board of Regents to pay employees on sabbatical leave using gifts and grants instead of state dollars.
  • Assembly Bill 403 regulating athlete agents.
  • Assembly Bill 532, which requires Joint Finance Committee approval of salary ranges and adjustments for UW System senior executive positions.
  • Assembly Bill 543, which removes the exemption to open-meeting notice requirements for UW departmental and other meetings.

Meningitis bill advances to governor
Assembly Bill 344, related to meningococcal disease and Hepatitis B, passed the full Senate on a voice vote last week. The bill requires Wisconsin colleges and universities to provide all students with information about these diseases, and to ensure that students living in on-campus housing affirm that they have received the information and, if they were vaccinated against either disease, provide the date. The bill now goes to the governor.

Legislation introduced
Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield, and Rep. Ann Nischke, R-Waukesha, introduced companion bills (SB 260 and AB 537) that create a venture capital investment trust in the Wisconsin Retirement System. The bills create a voluntary option for state employees and other members of the WRS to invest up to 10 percent of their retirement portfolios in Wisconsin venture capital startups managed by the state of Wisconsin Investment Board. SB 260 was referred to the Joint Committee on Retirement Systems, AB 537 to the Assembly Committee on Economic Development.

Kanavas and Nischke also introduced legislation (SB 261 and AB 538) that creates a qualified new business venture tax credit and a capital gains tax exemption regarding investments in certified venture capital funds. The legislation requires a study of new Wisconsin businesses and facilitates the development of certain investment networks. SB 261 was referred to the Joint Committee on Finance, AB 538 to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions.

Sen. Tom Reynolds, R-West Allis, introduced SB 266, the companion bill to AB 543 introduced by Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford. Both would expand the open-meetings law to include all university departmental committees, subcommittees and similar bodies that are now exempt. SB 266 was referred to the Senate Committee on Higher Education and Tourism, AB 543 to the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities (see above).

Rep. Sheryl Albers, R-Reedsburg, introduced legislation (AB 540) that requires a UW Employee Code of Ethics that would require all unclassified personnel to annually disclose income received from any source other than direct pay by the UW System. The bill was referred to the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee.

For the text and history of all legislation: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/billtext.html.

For information on state-related issues: http://www.staterelations.wisc.edu; or contact Kristi Thorson, 263-5510, staterelations@bascom.wisc.edu.