LARSON Weekly Report - November 3, 2011

WI State Senator Chris Larson - 7th District

Special Session Focus is...Trespassers?
This past Wednesday, the Senate met in Special Session to take up two bills. Unfortunately, neither of these bills were aimed at creating jobs in our state or improving Wisconsin's overall economic prosperity. The first of these two bills, Special Session Senate Bill 14, decreases the incentive for businesses to pay civil judgments awarded to consumers. The second bill taken up, Special Session Senate Bill 22, removes liability from property owners for injuries trespassers receive on the property.

I am concerned that the focus of this Special Session is drifting further away each week from its intended purpose of creating jobs for dislocated workers in our state. Proposals that do not create jobs need to go through the regular legislative session on their merits, instead of being rushed through by Senate Republicans simply to hastily fulfill a special interest wish-list.

To view a copy of Special Session Senate Bill 14, please CLICK HERE.

To view a copy of Special Session Senate Bill 22, please CLICK HERE.
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Milwaukee Parental Choice Tax Levy Increases by 22.6%
The tax levy for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) will increase by 22.6% for the 2011-2012 school year, according to information recently released by the Department of Public Instruction. This drastic increase will fall onto the shoulders of City of Milwaukee property tax payers who will now be responsible for covering the nearly $55.4 million to MPCP.

MPCP enrollment has increased from 20,300 students in the 2010-2011 school year, to 22,400 in the 2011-2012 school year. At 22,400 students, MPCP enrollment trails only that of the Milwaukee, Madison and Kenosha school districts making it the fourth highest student enrollment in the state.

Ensuring Truth on Our Property Tax Bill
These recently announced tax increases illustrate the need for greater transparency on our property tax bills. One month ago, my Milwaukee legislative colleagues and I sent a letter to the Milwaukee Common Council, Mayor Barrett, Treasurer Whittow and Comptroller Morics requesting that they make the annual tax notices more transparent by separating the tax levy associated with MPCP from the tax levy for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). Milwaukee’s taxpayers deserve to know how much of their money is going to fund private and religious schools through the MPCP. Inclusion of this information assumes greater transparency in government.

In 2010, state law compelled MPS to levy over $50 million in taxes to subsidize the private and religious schools that make up the voucher program, over which MPS has no authority or control. This amounts to 17% of the total MPS tax levy going to non-MPS schools. New legislation at the state level has expanded the voucher program in Milwaukee to allow private schools outside Milwaukee to participate, while also removing all enrollment caps on the program and raising the income limits on participants. Due to these policy changes in the state’s 2011-2013 biennial budget, the cost of the MPCP rose significantly exceeding the state’s official 2012 estimate and increasing the financial responsibility of taxpayers by 22.6%.

All of these changes come at a time when our public schools statewide are forced to make do with $1.6 billion less in state aide over the next two years, while spending on programs like the MPCP continues to balloon. In truth, Milwaukee taxpayers are now being billed for both the largest school district in the state, MPS, and the fourth largest, which is what the MPCP has grown to be with 22,400 students. The tax levy for the MPCP already exceeds the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) by nearly $10 million and is expected to exceed that of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in the next few years.

Milwaukee's taxpayers deserve to know which programs are being funded with their hard-earned money. This is matter of public accountability, transparency and good government, which is why I remain committed to the request that local government separately displays the tax levy associated with the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program separately from the tax levy for Milwaukee Public Schools on all annual tax documents sent to taxpayers.

To view a copy of the letter on property tax transparency submitted to the City of Milwaukee, please CLICK HERE.
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Contact
Email: Sen.Larson@legis.wi.gov

Mailing Address:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707

Web Site:
SenatorChrisLarson.com