To committee on Rules.
Senate Bill 533
Relating to: an integrated crime alert network and making an appropriation.
By
Senators
Plale, Taylor, Lassa, Carpenter, Lehman, Lazich, Cowles, Hansen, Sullivan and Olsen; cosponsored by Representatives Hraychuck, Bies, Jorgensen, Turner, Staskunas, Petrowski, Townsend and Honadel.
To committee on Rules.
Senate Bill 557
Relating to: notices concerning construction near or on lakes, streams, or wetlands that are given to applicants for building permits and other construction approvals, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to furnish informational brochures about wetlands laws, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to provide evaluations and statements about whether certain land contains wetlands, and making an appropriation.
By
Senators
Kreitlow, A. Lasee, Miller, Hansen, Cowles, Taylor, Robson, Lehman, Holperin and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Bies, Zigmunt, Zepnick, Petrowski, Townsend, Mursau and Berceau.
To committee on Rules.
Senate Bill 572
Relating to: suitability of annuity contracts and granting rule-making authority.
By
Senator
Wirch
; cosponsored by Representatives Cullen, Molepske Jr., Turner and A. Williams.
To committee on Rules.
Senate Bill 617
Relating to: creating a privilege for communications to veteran mentors.
By
Senators
Taylor and Kreitlow; cosponsored by Representatives Shilling, Turner, Hilgenberg, Molepske Jr., Sinicki and Suder.
To committee on Rules.
Senate Bill 631
Relating to: submission of biological specimens for deoxyribonucleic acid analysis.
By
Senators
Taylor and Cowles; cosponsored by Representatives Staskunas and Bies, by request of Attorney General JB Van Hollen.
To committee on Rules.
__________________
Reference Bureau Corrections
Assembly Bill 659
__________________
1. Page 40, line 5: delete "(a) 3." and substitute "(a) 2.".
Communications
Statement of Representative Mary Hubler
on 2009 Assembly Resolution 14
April 5, 2010
2009 Assembly Resolution 14, relating to the expulsion of Representative Jeffrey Wood, from the 67th Assembly District, from membership in the Wisconsin State Assembly, was introduced by Representative Nass on October 27, 2009. Pursuant to Assembly Rules
21 and
43 (3), the Assembly Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct was convened to consider Assembly Resolution 14.
A833
Article IV, Section 8, of the Wisconsin Constitution provides that "[e]ach house may determine the rules of its own proceedings, punish for contempt and disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected, expel a member; but no member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause." Further, Assembly Rule
21 provides the procedure under which the Special Committee considers a resolution to expel, censure, or reprimand a member of the Assembly.
The Special Committee held organizational meetings on November 4, 2009, and December 15, 2009, and held public hearings on Assembly Resolution 14 on March 3, 2010, and March 16, 2010. On March 23, 2010, the Special Committee took executive action and reported Assembly Resolution 14 without recommendation.
As chair of the Special Committee, I wish to submit, for the record, my perspective on classes of conduct that should not be considered by the Assembly to expel, censure, or reprimand one of its members.
Pursuant to Assembly Rule
21 (2), the Special Committee ascertained the facts of the controversy and recited them in three substitute amendments to Assembly Resolution 14: LRBs0215, relating to expulsion; LRBs0216, relating to censure; and LRBs0217, relating to reprimand.
In its ascertainment of the facts, the Special Committee excluded the following conduct of Representative Wood: (1) conduct that occurred prior to Representative Wood's November 2008 re-election to the Assembly; and (2) record of Representative Wood's vote on legislation. Assembly Resolution 14, as introduced by Representative Nass, included Representative Wood's 1990 and 1991 convictions for drunk driving and a 1989 accusation of having sex with an underage minor and included Representative Wood's "aye" vote on passage of 2009 Assembly Bill 283, relating to operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Conduct that occurred prior to the election of a member of the Assembly should not be considered in the expulsion, censure, or reprimand of a member. The voters who elect a member are aware of past conduct of a member and, despite that conduct, choose to elect the member. In addition, the vote of a member of the Assembly on any legislation should not be considered in the expulsion, censure, or reprimand of a member. A member should not be subject to discipline for casting a vote.
__________________
April 14, 2010
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 401
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Chief Clerk Fuller:
Please remove my name as a co-author of Assembly Bill 524, relating to the jurisdictional amount and court fees in certain small claims actions.
Sincerely,
Joan Ballweg
State Representative
41st Assembly District
