⋅ New school improvement teams.
⋅ Restructuring under-performing schools.
⋅ An independent Board of Educational Accountability to manage assessment programs and provide information to parents and taxpayers on how schools are performing.
⋅ A pay-for-performance initiative for teachers who excel.
⋅ More charter schools.
⋅ Smaller class sizes in the elementary grades.
⋅ Alternative certification options for qualified teachers.
In building academic programs around the needs of students . . giving parents and policy makers better information . . improving subject area knowledge and student outcomes . . our schools will be better able to focus on performance rather than on compliance.
The author George Eliot wrote . . . "What do we live for . . . if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?"
The budget I present to you today makes life less difficult for the neediest in Wisconsin in these ways.
⋅ New funding to maintain Early Childhood Excellence Centers . . . which will provide high quality childcare to low-income families.
⋅ An additional $84 million for direct child care . . . to significantly improve access for families who need this help.
⋅ Creation of a "Kids Cabinet" to ensure better coordination of programs for children.
⋅ Maintenance of funding for the Community Options Program.
⋅ Additional funds to address caseload needs in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
⋅ Funds to expand the Women's Health Program . . . and for treatment of breast and cervical cancer.
⋅ More money for BadgerCare . . . which will help add approximately 20,000 families to the program.
⋅ A Prescription Drug Assistance Program which could cover over 80,000 of Wisconsin's senior citizens who currently do not have any prescription drug benefits.
It's my hope . . . as we come to some agreement on what the state can afford to do in extending prescription drug benefits . . . that we don't lose sight of the fact we all want more of our senior citizens covered. On that point . . . there is no disagreement.
We must also reaffirm our commitment to environmental protection and wise use of our natural resources.
Commenting on the prediction that the world's population could double in the next 30 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury recently said . . . "We will have to learn to live more simply so that others may simply live."
We must not take more from this world than we need and we must make sure we preserve as much of God's beauty for those who will follow us.
We are all custodians of the land . . . the water . . . our state and national forests . . . our beautiful state parks . . . the shorelines . . . the natural habitat . . . the wildlife . . . and . . . the wetlands.
This is a part of Wisconsin's heritage I will not allow to be un-made.
In my proposed budget, you will find:
⋅ A Green Tier Initiative which will strengthen the partnerships between businesses and the Department of Natural Resources . . . and provide for a more effective level of environmental management.
⋅ An additional $130 million in bonding authority to invest in water quality improvement.
⋅ Three million dollars for ethanol production to help the environment and to help Wisconsin farmers.
⋅ Two million dollars for "brownfield" clean-up in the Menomonee Valley.
S89
⋅ Nearly two million dollars will be directed towards the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative to fund research which will help reduce agricultural pollution.
⋅ Creation of the Fox River Navigational System Authority to rehabilitate, repair, operate and maintain the lock system on the Fox River.
⋅ A $300,000 program to better control invasive aquatic plants which threaten Wisconsin's aquatic habitat and water-based recreation.
In closing . . . there can be no doubt this will be a difficult budget process and I am sure the debates will sometimes be fierce . . . but there is no need for our political differences to spill over into our personal relationships.
There's an old French proverb that says . . . "To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue."
Let's fight as hard as we can for what we believe . . . but let's also treat each other with respect and kindness and courtesy.
As I said in my inaugural address . . .
Let's be proud of what we do and say here.
Let's leave a legacy our children can look back on with pride when we are gone.
Shakespeare wrote . . . "If I lose my honor . . . I lose myself."
Let's be sure we hold both honor and self securely in our hands as this important budget debate unfolds.
Thank you.
The Joint Convention arose at 2:36 P.M.
4:16 P.M.
The Senate reconvened.
Senator George in the chair.
The Chair, with unanimous consent, asked that the proper entries be made in the journal.
__________________
Read and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 22
Relating to: the life and public service of Daniel T. "Tom" Kelley.
By
Senator
Robson
; cosponsored by Representative Schooff
.
To committee on Senate Organization.
Senate Joint Resolution 23
Relating to: the life and public service of Helmar A. Lewis.
By
Senators
Schultz, Cowles, Farrow, Baumgart and Darling; cosponsored by Representatives Loeffelholz, Freese, Johnsrud, Albers, Gunderson, Ladwig, Turner, Vrakas, Wade, Gronemus, Owens, Krawczyk and Petrowski.
To committee on Senate Organization.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 53
Relating to: proceeds from the sale of forest products at Badger Army Ammunition Plant and making an appropriation.
By
Senators
Welch and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Wade, Freese, Albers, Gunderson, Townsend and Musser.
To committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs.
Senate Bill 54
Relating to: discharges of dredged or fill material into nonfederal wetlands.
By
Senator
Shibilski
.
To committee on Environmental Resources.
Senate Bill 56
Relating to: following snowplows and providing a penalty.
By
Senators
Plache, Breske, Burke, Darling, Moen and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Ainsworth, Boyle, Freese, Huber, Krawczyk, Ladwig, Lassa, M. Lehman, J. Lehman, Lippert, Musser, Olsen, Owens, Plouff, Powers, Ryba, Starzyk, Stone, Townsend, Turner, Vrakas and Wade.
To committee on Insurance, Tourism, and Transportation.
Senate Bill 57
Relating to: creating a permit authorizing the operation upon a highway of a specialized hauling rig that exceeds statutory size and weight limits.
By
Senators
Breske and M. Meyer; cosponsored by Representatives Stone, Grothman, Montgomery, Townsend, Albers, Lassa, Sykora, Petrowski, Pettis, Wade, Gronemus and Ryba.
To committee on Insurance, Tourism, and Transportation.
Senate Bill 58
Relating to: the regulation of snowmobile rail crossings.
By
Senators
Breske, Cowles, Decker, Baumgart and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Wade, Ryba, Kestell, Gunderson, Johnsrud, Gronemus, Townsend, Kreuser, Albers, Olsen, Pettis, Nass, Lippert, Kreibich, Kaufert, Petrowski, Sykora and Vrakas.
To committee on Insurance, Tourism, and Transportation.
Senate Bill 59
Relating to: authority of a court to suspend a person's operating privilege for violations of ordinances unrelated to the operation of a motor vehicle or for failing to pay a penalty for such a violation.
By
Senators
Harsdorf, Darling, Huelsman and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Ladwig, M. Lehman, Townsend, Olsen, Starzyk, Pettis, Albers, Stone, Leibham, Sykora and Jeskewitz.
To committee on Judiciary, Consumer Affairs, and Campaign Finance Reform.
Relating to: authority of a court to suspend a juvenile's operating privilege for violations of ordinances unrelated to the operation of a motor vehicle or for failing to pay a penalty for such a violation.
By
Senators
Plache and Huelsman; cosponsored by Representatives Ladwig, Stone, Olsen, Lippert, Starzyk, Vrakas, Kreuser, Miller, J. Lehman and Pettis.
To committee on Judiciary, Consumer Affairs, and Campaign Finance Reform.
__________________
