Capitol Report: By State Representative Mark Pocan:
April 7, 2000
The final week of March marked the conclusion of the legislature's regular floor session, and there was a last-minute rush to get as much of the people's business completed as possible. Action on some of the major unresolved issues is likely to be completed in April or May.
Some of the proposals I supported that received final Assembly approval last week are listed below.
Elections
If you were disappointed that Wisconsin voters didn't have a real voice in this year's presidential primary, you're not alone. That's why the Assembly easily passed a measure that would move our presidential primary date forward from the first Tuesday in April to the third Tuesday in February. The Assembly has already passed a resolution calling for Congress to set up a regional primary system so that all states have an opportunity to have a voice in the presidential primary process.
Privacy
The Assembly approved two measures that will help protect personal privacy in the Information Age. The first measure requires that a "privacy impact statement" be prepared for each new piece of legislation introduced by the legislature. These statements, similar to the fiscal estimates prepared to indicate the financial impact of a proposal, will help legislators make intelligent decisions about proposals that will impact our personal privacy.
The second measure prevents private colleges and universities from using Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. Social Security numbers are the "keys" to many types of fraud and identity theft, and should not be used for identification purposes which might put them at risk.
Health care
Personal care services would get a funding increase under a measure that won Assembly approval. The measure would provide a $1 an hour pay increase for badly-underpaid personal care workers. These workers help disabled individuals perform basic daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning. The Assembly-passed measure must now be reconciled with a different proposal passed by the senate. More money should be added to the program and I am hopeful that a more reasonable living wage will come out of the negotiations between the houses.
A measure to provide leaves of absence for state workers to donate organs or bone marrow passed both houses and now awaits the Governor's signature. Under the proposal, a state employee could receive a 5-day leave to donate bone marrow and a 30-day leave to donate an organ. Although this measure only applies to state employees, hopefully private sector organizations will follow the state's lead on this initiative.
As my first legislative session wraps up I want to thank you once again for the honor and opportunity to serve you as your State Legislator. It has been a fun and exciting experience.
As always, you can reach me at (phone) 266-8570, (e-mail) mark.pocan@legis.state.wi.us <mailto:mark.pocan@legis.state.wi.us> or you may write to P.O. Box 8953 Madison, WI 53708.
- Mark Pocan