Notes from the West Wing

By State Representative Garey Bies

Fall Floor Period

             The last few weeks have been very quiet around the Capitol.  There just wasn’t a whole lot going on.  The peace and quiet will come to an end this week however, with the commencement of the fall floor period.  So I’d thought I’d briefly discuss what is likely to be the major issue before the legislature this fall: economic development. 

We are all well aware of the sluggish economy that has faced our state and our nation over the past couple of years.  In economic downtimes, Wisconsin often fares worse than the rest of our nation due to the reliance of our state economy on manufacturing.  In economic downturns, Wisconsin tends to suffer a bit more and recover a little more slowly.  

The good news is that the economy is starting show signs of life.  To encourage this positive trend, the Legislature has made economic development a priority for the fall floor period.  To work to improve the state’s economy, we must not focus our efforts solely on the Wisconsin worker, but on both our state’s workers and our state’s businesses.  Improving the business climate in Wisconsin will create jobs and increase the standard of living for Wisconsin’s workers.  To accomplish the legislature’s goals, we will focus on both encouraging expansion by businesses already located in Wisconsin and to entice new businesses to move to Wisconsin. 

To accomplish these goals, the legislature will consider several initiatives.  One initiative to attract out-of-state businesses is the Single Sales Factor proposal.  This proposal would limit corporate taxes on multi-state businesses to sales only, thereby encouraging development in Wisconsin by multi-state corporations.  Also this fall, the legislature will address regulatory reform in an effort to help Wisconsin businesses by eliminating barriers to expansion, efficiency and profitability.  Along a similar vein, the legislature will attempt to streamline the permit process to eliminate potential roadblocks a business may encounter once the decision has been made to invest in Wisconsin.  

The ultimate goal for our efforts to boost Wisconsin’s economy will be to build a beneficial business climate.  We want to minimize any hindrances to expansion a company may experience.  As Wisconsin businesses grow, so does Wisconsin’s workforce. 

Lastly, I just want to touch up a story that has been very prominent in the news recently.  I am referring to the Steve Avery case from Manitowoc County.  Charged and convicted of sexual assault 18 years ago, Mr. Avery was recently released from prison after his innocence was proven through DNA evidence.  This is understandably a very hot topic, especially for northeastern Wisconsin.  As Chairman of the Assembly Corrections Committee, it is an issue that I am quite interested in.  Last week, I met with several other State Representatives, including Mark Gundrum, Chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, about what can be done regarding Mr. Avery’s situation as well as any future occurrences of unjust imprisonment.  

Following our discussions, it was decided that at least initially, the Avery situation should fall under the purview of the Judiciary Committee.  Though not finalized at this time, it does appear that the Judiciary Committee will likely convene hearings in Manitowoc County on the situation.  The ultimate purpose of the process will be three-fold: To investigate what happened in Manitowoc County; To review the claim process for unjust imprisonment; and, to discern what can be done for Mr. Avery.  I will be working with Chairman Gundrum and others in whatever efforts the Assembly undertakes. 

As always, if you have questions or comments on this column or any other topic you might see or read in the news, I can be reached by e-mail at Rep.Bies@legis.state.wi.us or by telephone, toll-free at 1-888-482-0001.