Legislative Updates: JFC Holding First Budget Votes May 8 

The Joint Finance Committee is set to hold its first votes on Thursday, May 8, but it is not the only legislative body logging hours at the Capitol. The Wisconsin Legislature is in full swing, moving a full docket of bills including many that impact our students and public schools.

WEAC is at the Capitol representing our members in one-on-one visits with lawmakers, registering and testifying on bills and sitting in on committee and floor sessions. A top priority remains demanding a state budget that supports our students, so that’s a prime focus of all our conversations.

Joint Finance Committee to Hold First State Budget Vote Thursday

The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has announced that it will hold its first vote on Governor Tony Evers’ 2025-27 budget this Thursday, May 8. The JFC’s Republican co-chairs have said the first vote will be to remove 612 provisions for Evers’ budget that they deem matters of “policy” rather than budgetary provisions. JFC is also expected to vote on some small budget appropriations from small state agencies on Thursday and is not expected to take on anything K-12 education related.

Bill on Rehiring WRS Annuitants Gets Hearing.

WEAC President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen testified on behalf of our members Tuesday in a Senate hearing to allow retired public service workers, including school staff, to return to work without giving up their pension payments. “WEAC believes retired school staff should be able to choose to work again in schools without giving up our hard-earned WRS benefits,” Wirtz-Olsen said, adding, “Let’s be clear, though-this is no long-term solution for the educator shortage. Fair funding in the state budget, professional pay & educator voice are the keys to the real answer.”

Senate Ed Committee Meets

The Senate Committee on Education held public hearings on five bills Tuesday, May 6. The bills included:

• Military Recruiters (SB-10) Mandates that recruiters have access to common areas in high schools during a school day and to school-sanctioned events.
• Organization Information (SB-011) Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations (like Boy Scouts) to provide information to pupils on public school property.
• Referendum Questions (SB-058) Requires districts to include estimated interest rate and loan payments on the ballot when posing school referendums.
• School Materials Inspection (SB-022) Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.
• School Materials Inspection (AB-005) Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents. This bill has passed the Assembly.
• Referenda (SB-081) Eliminating recurring operating referenda and limiting a nonrecurring operating referendum to no more than four years.

Proposal Would Create School Psychologist Loan Program

A proposal circulating for co-sponsorship would create a school psychologist loan program for students studying in that career path. Eligible graduate students would be eligible for a loan of up to $10,000 annually for up to three years. Twenty-five percent of the loan would be forgiven for each school year that the recipient is employed as a school psychologist in a rural county or urbanized area. Memo

Bill to Require WIAA to Follow Open Records Laws Gets Hearing

What to Know

• AB 51 would force the private, non-profit WIAA to follow open records laws.
• The bill’s author said the change is needed because the WIAA affects many students’ lives and indirectly receives taxpayer funding by operating in schools.
• 16 percent of voucher schools are WIAA members, receiving taxpayer funding and impacting students. Voucher schools are not subject to open records laws.

The Assembly Education Committee held public hearings on a series of bills we’re watching, including a bill to require the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) be subject to open records law (AB 51 / SB 16).

In the bill, author Rep. Cindi Duchow (R-Delafield) carves out the WIAA, a private, non-profit group that takes no tax dollars, to operate under the same requirements as public schools and other government agencies. She argues that since WIAA events are held in taxpayer-funded facilities, and its decisions impact students whose educations are funded by taxpayers, it should be subject to open records.

Assembly Democrats Reps. Francesca Hong, Christian Phelps and teacher/WEAC member Angelina Cruz, questioned why one private group could be forced to follow open records laws while others – including private voucher schools who in some cases are funded up to 100 percent by taxpayers – are not required to do so.

Other questions included whether other groups – like Boy Scouts or Parent-Teacher Associations – could be subject to open records given they use public spaces and affect the lives of students.

WIAA opposed the bill, saying it is transparent, has an elected board and hosts a public annual meeting.

The bill was introduced last session and was reintroduced after a recent athletic conference realignment. WEAC is monitoring the legislation. Groups in favor of the bill include the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and Kettle Moraine School District, whose conference boundaries were recently changed. Former Gov. Scott Walker and current Gov. Tony Evers have vetoed similar bills.

Other Bills We’re Watching

Arming Teachers (SB 167). Allows school employees with concealed carry licenses to possess firearms on school grounds.

Posting Child Abuse, Neglect Reporting Hotline (SB 234). Requires the hotline to be posted in school buidlings.

Healthy Ingredients in School Meals (AB 226). Prohibits schools and independent charter schools from providing certain ingredients in reduced and free meals.

Flags (AB 58). Prohibits any flag other than the U.S. flag and the flag of the state of Wisconsin from being flown, hung, or displayed from a flagpole or the exterior of any state office building or facility, including the state capitol or from any local government building or school building.

Changes to Academic Excellence Higher Ed Scholarships (AB 210 / SB 210). Provides that schools with less than 500 pupils may designate one senior to receive the scholarship with no nomination process. The bill clarifies that a senior eligible to receive the scholarship does not include homeschoolers.

Permanent Positions in Office of School Safety (SB 119 / AB 120). The Office of School Safety has 14.2 project positions that will expire on October 1, 2025. This bill creates the positions as permanent positions and funds them with general purpose revenue.