To view the full bill text and history of SB236 please click here

This bill directs the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board to award grants to technical college districts for programs that assist in reducing unemployment. To be eligible for a grant, a technical college district must meet certain eligibility criteria relating to the unemployment rate of areas within the district or recent increases in the unemployment rate of areas within the district. Grants are available for three specified purposes:
1. To recruit, enroll, instruct, provide support services to, and pay the tuition and fees of dislocated workers who enroll in the district. A dislocated worker is a person who has been laid off or terminated from employment and meets certain additional criteria; a person who was self-employed but is currently unemployed as a result of economic conditions or natural disasters; or a displaced homemaker.
2. To recruit, enroll, instruct, and provide support services to adults who enroll in the district in a program leading to a certificate of general educational development (commonly referred to as a GED) or a high school equivalency diploma.
3. To expand existing capacity or create capacity in district programs for which there are student waiting lists or that address projected workforce needs in the district.
The bill authorizes the WTCS Board to modify the grant eligibility criteria and the purposes for which grants may be awarded in order to ensure the eligibility of district boards for grants awarded by the federal government for programs that improve completion rates and train workers for skilled occupations.

The bill directs the WTCS Board to give preference in awarding grants to programs that serve persons who reside in areas with the highest unemployment rates. The board must also submit annual reports to the governor and to the legislature regarding the programs that have been awarded grants.

Under current law, there are five income tax brackets for single individuals, certain fiduciaries, heads of households, and married persons. The brackets are indexed for inflation. The rate of taxation under current law for the lowest bracket for single individuals, certain fiduciaries, heads of households, and married persons is 4.6 percent of taxable income; the rate for the second bracket is 6.15 percent; the rate for the third bracket is 6.5 percent; the rate for the fourth bracket is 6.75 percent; and the rate for the highest bracket, which was created in the 2009-11 biennial budget act, 2009 Wisconsin Act 28, is 7.75 percent.

For taxable year 2011, the highest bracket applies to taxable income exceeding $224,210 for single individuals, certain fiduciaries, and heads of households. For married persons, the highest current bracket applies to taxable income exceeding $298,940 for joint filers and $149,470 for separate filers.

For taxable year 2012 and thereafter, this bill creates a sixth bracket with a taxation rate of 8.75 percent. For single individuals, certain fiduciaries, and heads of households, this bracket applies to taxable income exceeding $1,000,000. For married persons, this bracket applies to taxable income exceeding $1,000,000 for joint filers and $500,000 for separate filers. This bracket is indexed for inflation. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

To view the full bill text and history of Assembly Joint Resolution 46 please click here 

This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2011 legislature on first consideration, prohibits the legislature from passing any bill that places a requirement on a local governmental unit unless the bill contains an appropriation that reimburses the local governmental unit for the full cost of complying with the requirement. The amendment does not prohibit the governor from vetoing an appropriation contained in a bill that creates such a requirement. A proposed constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.

To see the full bill text and history of SB132 please click here

Under current law, if a technical college district board intends to make a capital expenditure in excess of $1,500,000 for the purchase or construction of buildings or for the lease/purchase of buildings (if costs exceed $1,500,000 for the lifetime of the lease), it must adopt a resolution stating its intention and submit the resolution to the electors of the district for approval.

This bill provides that in determining whether this referendum requirement applies to a capital expenditure partially funded with student housing payments for the purchase or construction, or the lease/purchase, of a student residence facility, that portion of the capital expenditure consisting of student housing payments is subtracted. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

To view the full bill text and history of AB575 please click here

This bill directs the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to develop and implement a program to identify businesses that require workforce training in order to begin or expand operations in this state. WEDC must also determine whether the district board of the technical college district in which an identified business is or will be located is able to provide the needed workforce training at no cost to the business for a specified period. The bill authorizes a technical college district board to obtain a state trust fund loan for the purpose of providing the workforce training described above and authorizes WEDC to repay the loan on behalf of the technical college district. The training may occur at a district facility or at the business. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.