Number
101379
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
Sponsor
ALDS. HAMILTON, COGGS, AND BAUMAN
Title
Substitute resolution directing the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to seek to defeat the entirety of Special Session Senate Bill 11.
Analysis
This resolution expresses Common Council opposition to the entirety of the Fiscal Repair Bill currently being considered under Special Session SB11, and directs the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division to lobby members of the Wisconsin State Senate to defeat the bill in its entirety.
Body
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation proposed by Governor Walker, 2011 Special Session AB11 and SB 11, would remove the ability of public employee unions, except for police and fire unions, to bargain over pensions and health insurance and would limit those unions to negotiate only on base wages; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation comes at a time when Milwaukee public employees are already experiencing hardships due to unpaid furloughs and wage freezes as a result of Milwaukee’s own budget crisis; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation would amend provisions of current law regarding collection of union dues and certification of unions; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation provisions relating to amending current law regarding collection of union dues and certification of unions would not assist Milwaukee in addressing current or future budget challenges; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation would forever alter the relationship between management and workers to the detriment of Milwaukee residents by eliminating all checks on unfettered corporate power; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation is an ill-conceived and dangerous assault on workers’ rights that threatens to severely undermine Milwaukee’s quality of life; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation would require that the City change its Employee Retirement System in a manner that the City Attorney has found in violation of Constitutional Home Rule and Due Process, and to constitute an impairment of vested contract rights; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation provides authority to revise Wisconsin medical assistance programs including the Medicaid program, BadgerCare and SeniorCare as an emergency rule without declaration of an emergency and with short public notice and potentially no opportunity for public hearing, including rules that override express legislative enactments; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation not only exempts the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) from normal rule-making procedures, but also authorizes DHS to seek waivers exempting medical assistance programs from federal requirements relating to eligibility, scope of services and procedures for determining eligibility; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation, in the absence of federal waivers, directs DHS to reduce income eligibility limits to 133% of poverty which, according to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, will likely result in removing approximately 70,000 parents and other adults from state health care coverage, including approximately 20,000 Milwaukee residents; and
Whereas, The budget adjustment legislation authorizes the sale of any state-owned heating, cooling or power plant without solicitation of bids; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the City of Milwaukee expresses its opposition to the entirety of the Fiscal Repair Bill currently being considered under Special Session SB11; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Department of Administration - Intergovernmental Relations Division is directed to lobby members of the Wisconsin State Senate to defeat Special Session SB11 in its entirety.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB125924-2
Richard Pfaff
2/28/2011
Richard L. Withers
3/1/2011