Here & Now

WPR's Shawn Johnson Breaks Down Latest State Capitol Bills

IT’S BEEN A BUSY WEEK AT THE CAPITOL. THIS IS VIDEO OF A RALLY THURSDAY CALLED “A DAY WITHOUT LATINOS.” LATINOS AND IMMIGRANTS AROUND THE STATE WERE ENCOURAGED TO STAY HOME FROM WORK TO SHOW THEIR IMPACT ON THE WISCONSIN ECONOMY. AN ESTIMATED 14,000 PEOPLE MARCHED ON THE CAPITOL TO PROTEST REPUBLICAN BILLS THEY CALLED ANTI-IMMIGRANT. ONE BILL HAS ALREADY PASSED BOTH HOUSES. IT WOULD RESTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ISSUE PHOTO I.D. TO PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. A SECOND BILL CREATES FINES FOR SO-CALLED SANCTUARY CITIES, WHERE POLICE ARE PREVENTED FROM ASKING SUSPECTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS. THAT BILL PASSED THE ASSEMBLY, BUT NOT THE SENATE. THOSE WEREN’T THE ONLY BILLS BEING PASSED AT THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK. JOINING US NOW FOR SOME CAPITOL INSIGHT IS WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO’S SHAWN JOHNSON. SHAWN, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

HEY, ZAC.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SO VERY, VERY BUSY, BUSY SCHEDULE TUESDAY AND THURSDAY AT THE CAPITOL. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT’S THE LEAD BILL OUT OF ALL OF THIS. IT’S KIND OF HARD BECAUSE DESPITE THE VOLUME OF BILLS IT’S HARD TO PINPOINT JUST ONE THAT KIND OF OVERWHELMED EVERYTHING ELSE. I THINK YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT SANCTUARY CITIES BILL WAS PRETTY HUGE. WE HAVEN’T SEEN 20,000 PEOPLE AT THE CAPITOL SINCE THE ACT 10 PROTESTS. THAT OBVIOUSLY GOT PEOPLE’S ATTENTION. BEYOND THAT, KIND OF TAKE YOUR PICK. ONE THAT GOT LAWMAKERS’ ATTENTION DEFINITELY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENATE, WAS THIS BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT COUNTY EXECUTIVES FROM SERVING CONCURRENTLY AS A STATE LEGISLATOR. THAT WAS AIMED I THINK PRETTY CLEARLY AT ONE PARTICULAR COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHO WANTS TO DO THAT, WINNEBAGO COUNTY EXECUTIVE MARK HARRIS.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND HE’S RUNNING AS A DEMOCRAT IN THE 18TH SENATE THIS FALL. REPUBLICANS WOULD LOVE TO GIVE HIM A DISINCENTIVE. HE SAID IT WON’T KEEP HIM OUT OF THE RACE IN THIS CASE.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

THAT’S WIDELY VIEWED AS PROBABLY THE MOST COMPETITIVE SENATE RACE THIS FALL, PROBABLY THE BEST CHANCE FOR DEMOCRATS TO HAVE A PICKUP IN STATE SENATE. AND SO IT WOULD AFFECT ANYBODY IN THIS SITUATION. SO ANYBODY ELSE WHO’S A COUNTY EXECUTIVE, WANTS TO BE A LEGISLATOR, THEY’D BE UNDER THESE SAME GUIDELINES. BUT THIS YEAR THERE ARE POLITICS INVOLVED WITH THAT PARTICULAR SENATE RACE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND NOW ANOTHER BIG THING IS THE ONLINE REGISTRATION BILL THAT PASSED BOTH HOUSES ON ITS WAY TO GOVERNOR WALKER. WE COVERED IT HERE LAST WEEK. ELIMINATING THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION DEPUTIES IS A BIG CONCERN FOR DEMOCRATS.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. THAT’S WHY YOU’VE HEARD GROUPS LIKE THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SAYING PLEASE DON’T PASS THIS. THIS IS A TOOL WE USE TO GO OUT AND REGISTER PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. THEY WOULD NO LONGER HAVE THAT ABILITY TO CONDUCT THAT TYPE OF VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE. SET THAT ASIDE, THOUGH, AND IT’S A PRETTY BIG CHANGE THAT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE IN WISCONSIN. PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE THE WAY THEY DO A LOT OF OTHER STUFF ONLINE RIGHT NOW. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, DIDN’T SEEM LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COME ANYTIME SOON. AND NOW HERE IT IS UPON US. THAT’S HEADED TO THE GOVERNOR.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SOME THINGS DIDN’T PASS THAT ACTUALLY MADE IT TO THE CALENDAR. IT’S PRETTY RARE FOR SOMETHING TO BE SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE AND NOT RECEIVE THAT VOTE.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S ONE OF THE BIG BILLS THAT EVERYBODY IS WATCHING AT THE END OF SESSION, LIKE THIS BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR THE SALE OF PUBLIC WATER UTILITIES TO PRIVATE COMPANIES, PRIVATE OUT-OF-STATE COMPANIES. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WENT THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY PRETTY MUCH UNNOTICED EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT THEN WITH ALL THE TROUBLES IN FLINT, MICHIGAN AND RENEWED FOCUS ON PUBLIC WATER, PEOPLE STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS BILL AND WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO IT IN THE SENATE. IT APPEARED ON THE CALENDAR. USUALLY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO PASS IT. THAT IS THE RULE 99.9% OF THE TIME. IT WAS PRETTY UNUSUAL TO SEE SENATOR MAJORITY LEADER SCOTT FITZGERALD PULL THAT ONE BACK AND SAY, NO, NOT THIS YEAR. THAT ONE’S DEAD.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO CHAMBERS AMONG REPUBLICANS WHICH IS RARE AT THE CAPITOL. THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY MUCH IN LOCKSTEP SINCE 2011, WHEN THEY TOOK OVER. A LOT QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT VERSION OF BILL, HOW MANY CHANGES WILL GO THROUGH AND CHANGES ON THE FLY.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

KIND OF OLD-FASHIONED LEGISLATING IN SOME CASES. I DON’T WANT TO OVERSTATE THE SENSE OF DISARRAY BECAUSE MOST OF WHAT WAS ON THE CALENDAR PASSED. IN MOST CASES THEY WERE ABLE TO AGREE UPON SOMETHING. BUT IT’S UNUSUAL TO SEE A BILL, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE BILL. IN THE ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY NIGHT, SEVEN REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST THAT. THEY HAVE A BIG MAJORITY THERE. THEY CAN AFFORD TO LOSE SEVEN VOTES. BUT THAT IS UNUSUAL. ON OTHER BILLS, THIS BILL THAT WOULD HAVE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE RULES FOR LAKES AND WETLANDS IN WISCONSIN, ALLOWING LANDOWNERS MORE OF A CHANCE TO DREDGE AN ADJACENT LAKE. THAT PASSED THE ASSEMBLY. IT WAS LISTED AS ONE OF THEIR TOP PRIORITIES, A PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS PACKAGE. SCALED WAY BACK IN THE SENATE. SO JUST A FEW EXAMPLES THAT BOTH HOUSES ARE KIND OF DOING THEIR OWN THING AND WITHOUT TOO MUCH OVERSIGHT FROM THE GOVERNOR, IT SEEMS LIKE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND WHAT ABOUT THE GOVERNOR? HIS BIG PUSH WAS THE COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY PACKAGE? WHERE DOES THAT STAND?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

IT’S AMAZING WE HAVEN’T HEARD MORE ABOUT THAT REALLY BECAUSE THAT WAS BASICALLY THE ONLY THING THAT THE GOVERNOR HIGHLIGHTED IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE SPEECH THIS YEAR. USUALLY WHEN A GOVERNOR SAYS I WANT THIS. THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF MY STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS THIS YEAR. YOU WOULD HEAR MORE DISCUSSION OF IT. THAT PASSED THE ASSEMBLY. THE SENATE HAS SAID THEY WANT TO TAKE IT UP, BUT THEY WANT TO MAKE CHANGES. IF THEY DID THAT, IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND APPROVE THOSE. THE ASSEMBLY SAID THEY’RE DONE FOR THE YEAR, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THERE WERE A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT PASSED RECENTLY, BUT LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SESSION, ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN VOS SAYS HE’S VERY PROUD OF A LOT OF THE BIG THINGS THAT HAPPENED. ANY OTHER YEAR OR ANY OTHER SESSION OUTSIDE OF MAYBE ACT 10, THIS WOULD BE A LOT OF CHANGES TO STATE LAW WITH PREVAILING WAGE AND RIGHT TO WORK. HOW DO REPUBLICANS CLASSIFY WHAT THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE LAST TWO YEARS?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

I THINK THEY LOOK AT IT REALLY AS A FRONT-LOADED SESSION. IT’S BEEN A YEAR SINCE THEY PASSED THE RIGHT TO WORK BILL. THAT WAS THIS SAME LEGISLATURE. THAT’S A PRETTY BIG CHANGE IN A STATE WITH SUCH STRONG UNION ROOTS LIKE WISCONSIN. THE BUDGET MADE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES ALL OVER STATE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND AGAIN MORE UNION CHANGES WITH PREVAILING WAGE. IT’S A CASE WHERE YOU HAD A HUGE FLURRY OF ACTIVITY AT THE END WITH A LOT OF THESE BILLS THAT PEOPLE HAD BEEN WORKING ON, OFF AND ON THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. A LOT OF THE BIG STUFF HAPPENED A YEAR AGO.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SHAWN JOHNSON, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

THANKS ZAC.