To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 261 in its entirety. This bill allows any student in the state to attend a charter school created under section 118.40 (2)(r), Wisconsin Statutes (the Milwaukee charter school program). The bill also includes language providing the board of school directors for Milwaukee public schools the same authority as other school boards to transport kids to non-public schools and expands that authority for all school districts to include charter schools.
I am vetoing this bill because I object to the expansion of enrollment in the Milwaukee charter school program to include pupils residing outside of the Milwaukee Public Schools District. The original and still valid intent of this program was to allow the City of Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College to create charter schools in order to provide educational options for students residing in the Milwaukee Public Schools attendance area. Expanding this program to include students who do not reside in the City of Milwaukee does not serve the interests of Milwaukee students and may, in fact, create incentives for these charter schools to focus their efforts on attracting non-Milwaukee residents, rather than improving educational programs for Milwaukee children.
Furthermore, since the Milwaukee charter school program is funded by reallocating general school aids from the state's 426 school districts, a greatly expanded charter school program will reduce state resources available to all public school districts at the expense of increased property taxes.
Finally, modifications to charter school law should not be considered in isolation, but as a part of a comprehensive reform effort that benefits all of Milwaukee's school children.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Doyle
Governor
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November 26, 2003
To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 472 in its entirety. This bill allows a student to continue in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program so long as the family income of the student is below 220 percent of the federal poverty level. Under current law, the family's income must be under 175 percent of the federal poverty level for the pupil to remain in the program.
Providing reasonable flexibility to families with children already in the Choice program has merit. However, I am vetoing this legislation because I object to increasing state expenditures for the Choice program in isolation. Flexibility for the Choice program must be considered as a part of a larger educational reform initiative that addresses the educational needs of all of the children in the City of Milwaukee, including the vast majority of children who will remain in the public school system.
In addition, before any increases in funding for the Choice program are considered, Wisconsin taxpayers must be assured that Choice schools accepting public dollars meet reasonable accountability standards. It is not satisfactory that most schools in the Choice program are providing a high quality education. All must.
I applaud the genuine efforts of the legislators who developed this bill. However, I cannot sign this legislation into law until there is agreement on comprehensive reform that benefits all of Milwaukee's school children.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Doyle
Governor
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November 26, 2003
To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:
I am vetoing Assembly Bill 503 in its entirety. This bill increases the enrollment limit for the charter school established by the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside from 400 to 480 students beginning in the 2004-05 school year.
I am vetoing this bill because the current limit of 400 students provides adequate room for the school to grow this biennium. Current enrollment estimates indicate that 300 to 310 students will be attending the charter school in 2003-04.
Further, I am vetoing this bill because modifications to charter school law should be considered as part of a larger reform effort that benefits public school children.
Increasing the enrollment limit at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside charter school may have merit. However, at a time when the cap is not interfering with enrollment, and there is no agreement on comprehensive reform that addresses the needs of public school children, I cannot sign this bill into law.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Doyle
Governor
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A560
Reference Bureau Corrections
Assembly Bill 514
1. Page 64, line 21: delete "medication" and substitute "mediation".
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Assembly Bill 655
1. Page 21, line 18: delete "a such" and substitute "such a".
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Speaker's Communications
December 1, 2003
Representative Michael Powers
310 North, State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, Wisconsin 53707
Senator Michael Ellis
118 South, State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7882
Dear Representative Powers and Senator Ellis:
Pursuant to Assembly Rule
42 (1)(am) I am directing that the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions prepare a report on
Assembly Bill 684, so that the legislature may proceed with further consideration of the bill.
Sincerely,
John G. Gard
Speaker
Wisconsin Assembly
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Communications
November 20, 2003
Patrick Fuller, Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street
Room 208
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Patrick:
I am writing to request the removal of my name as a co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 470, relating to requiring the Department of Health and Family Services to maintain a voluntary registry of persons who provide care and supervision for children, but who are not licensed to provide that care and supervision or employed or contracted with by a person who is licensed to provide that care and supervision.
I appreciate your assistance in this matter and would appreciate a follow up response from you indicating that my name has been removed.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Carol Roessler
State Senator
18th Senate District
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November 25, 2003
Speaker John Gard
State Capitol, 211 West
Madison, WI
Dear Speaker Gard:
It has been my distinct honor to serve in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the last 21 years. Over that time I have had the pleasure of working with many exceptional legislators.
I do look forward to serving an even greater portion of the City of Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Senate and will continue to serve my constituents with the same level of dedication that I have always provided in the Assembly. I am sure that my move to the South Wing will not prevent me from maintaining the many great personal relationships that I have formed with so many of my colleagues here.
Effective November 25, 2003, I have resigned my seat as Representative for the 17th Assembly District. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Senator Spencer Coggs
6th Senate District
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State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
Madison
DATE: December 1, 2003
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
Donna J. Doyle
Assistant Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Gary L. Poulson
Deputy Revisor of Statutes
SUBJECT: Rules published in the November 30, 2003,
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 575.
The following rules have been published:
