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Panel approves minimum wage hike

January 30, 2009 By

A proposal to increase Wisconsin's minimum wage has cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The Senate committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs approved the bill Thursday on a 3-2 vote. The measure would increase Wisconsin's minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.60 an hour, and tie future increases to inflation.

The proposal is from Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Schofield), who says the hike is needed to help struggling workers. Decker says he can't see how anyone can get by supporting a family if they're trying to live on the minimum wage.

During a hearing at the Capitol Thursday, State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) questioned whether the measure could actually hurt workers. Grothman says it could force struggling businesses to scale back their workforce, resulting in more lost jobs.

Grothman says many businesses are already hurting, and the Legislature should not be adding to their burden.

Decker says arguments against increasing the minimum wage come up each time as if an increase will cause the "sky to fall," but the economy just moves right along after an increase goes through.

The measure now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 :58)

Filed Under: Labor, Legislature

Trumpeter swan, osprey voted delisted

January 30, 2009 By

The DNR takes the trumpeter swan and osprey off the endangered and threatened species lists in Wisconsin.

The population of these birds has increased over the years, thanks to recovery efforts. Sumner Matteson, avian ecologist with the DNR, recalls going to Alaska back in 1989 to collect several hundred trumpeter swan eggs. Alaska is the largest source of trumpeter eggs in North America. Matteson says the recovery goal was to have 20 breeding and migratory pairs by the year 2000.

"By the year 2000 we had 44 nesting pairs and as of 2008 we had 120 nesting pairs — far exceeding our original recover goal."

A big challenge for the swans had been — and still is — lead poisoning from spent gunshot shells. Also, power lines are the birds' enemy. Matteson says, in addition, the slow, low-flying trumpeter swans had been hunted for its meat and feathers.

Meanwhile, Osprey were listed as endangered in 1972, with fewer than 100 pairs remaining and very poor reproductive success. A major factor in the decline was DDT, and the loss of dead nest trees — or snags. Matteson says the birds adapted to make use of nontraditional homes.

"What we've seen is increasing use of cell phone towers, ball field lights, power poles, so that today we have nearly 500 nesting pairs of osprey in the state of Wisconsin."

The Natural Resources Board voted Wednesday to take the birds off of the state endangered and threatened species list, but they will continue to be protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The measure will be reviewed by the state Legislature.

Matteson says the trumpeter swan recovery and the osprey program would not be successful without funding from a variety of partnerships and hundreds of thousands of private citizens.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:50 MP3)

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation

Fond du Lac's smoking ban draws challenge from county

January 29, 2009 By

litcig.jpg The first legal challenge to the city of Fond du Lac's smoking ban comes not from a bar or restaurant, but Fond du Lac County.

With the city's smoking ban set to begin on Monday, county officials seek an exception for the acute psychiatric unit at the County Health Care Center, a request which was denied by the city council Wednesday night.

County Executive Al Buechel said the County has allowed a smoking room at the psych unit since passing a smoking ban for its buildings in 1993. They'll ask a judge for temporary injunction to stop implementation of the ban at the Health Care Center, and to decide which ban trumps the other. “At least that will give the staff time to make the necessary adjustments to go smoke free, if that's what they have to do,” said Buechel.

Wednesday's debate over the issue pitted county official against county official. County Tobacco Control Coalition Coordinator Sandy Bernier said other mental health facilities have found benefits from curbing the smoking of patients in their facilities. “What they did experience was the patient's ability to focus on getting well, as opposed to getting his or her next cigarette break,” said Benier. But county Corporation Counsel Bill Bendt said a lot of people in the psych unit are there involuntarily, and it's in the interest of the city to make sure those patients are getting the treatment they are there for.

County Board supervisor Jim Kiser noted it's going to cost the County about $50,000 for smoking patches, which he says won't work for the psych patients. “County medical professionals on staff contend that patches are ineffective in the short run,” said Kiser. “The patient is there for treatment for a more serious addiction, and not to quit smoking.” County Board of Health Chairman Dr. Warren Post questioned the accuracy that $50,000 figure, which he called greatly in excess of what other institutions have faced. “There may be some added expenses, not tremendous added expenses,” said Post.   

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:55 MP3)

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Parks group says they didn't lobby Obey

January 29, 2009 By

Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) An organization which supports the national parks says it did not lobby a Wisconsin congressman for a slice of the House stimulus package. 

Tom Martin with the National Parks Conservation Association says they're pleased the House passed an economic stimulus package which includes more than $2 billion for the parks. And Martin says the fact that House Appropriations Committee chair, Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey , is father of the Association's Senior V-P for Government Affairs Craig Obey, had nothing to do with it. A House Republican (Rep. Darrell Issa ) is now demanding an investigation into whether the two billion is proper, given the relationship of the two Obeys.

“We don't lobby congressman Obey's office on appropriations matters. We haven't as long as Craig has worked here, because we want to avoid any appearance of impropriety,” says Martin. “I will say I am sure that congressman Obey and pretty much every other member of the Wisconsin delegation understands the tremendous problems that are faced by the National Parks system and its nine billion dollar backlog for maintenance and construction projects.”

Martin says the two billion would go a long way towards addressing that backlog – if it survives in the Senate version of the stimulus package. “We are talking to both Democrats and Republicans (in the Senate),” Martin says. “We will be working with the U.S. Senators, in the hopes that maybe they'll raise where they're at, and maybe even beyond where the House number is.”

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:65 MP3)

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Politics & Government

Budget deficit grows

January 29, 2009 By

The state's budget deficit continues to grow.

A report from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Thursday says state revenues could fall $593 million short of expenses when the budget period ends on June 30th. That's almost $250 million more than an estimate released just a few weeks ago.

The Fiscal Bureau says corporate tax payments have made the biggest drop, as the recession results in plant closures and massive layoffs.

The projected changes could result in a budget hole of over $5.7 billion for the next biennium.

The news comes just a day after the Governor delivered his State of the State address, in which he warned that spending cuts may be needed across government to help balance the budget. Wisconsin is in line to received over $2 billion as part of a federal stimulus package, but Governor Doyle warns that many state agencies will have to make due with less in the coming year.

The Governor is expected to present his budget package to lawmakers in mid-February.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 :30)

Filed Under: Budget, Legislature, Top Story
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