Lower taxes, a first-rate education for our kids and health care reform are all priorities for me as the 2007-2008 legislative session gets underway. Here is a preview of the important issues the legislature will debate this session and some items on my agenda I hope to accomplish in the next two years.
One of the first big topics the legislature will be tackling is ethics reform. Legislative leaders have come to an agreement on creating a Government Accountability Board, which will have independent authority to enforce campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws. I have consistently supported ethics reforms in the past and I am hopeful that this bipartisan compromise is a sign of things to come.
A recent study by the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance reported that taxes claim 33.4% of the average Wisconsinite’s personal income. That is way too much and I am currently working on a number of proposals to lower your tax burden. Wisconsin needs a real, permanent property tax freeze and no increases in sales or income taxes. I support exempting retirees’ pensions from state income taxes. I will work to create a child care tax credit for families with kids in daycare. I will also be introducing an education tax credit for employers who invest in the continuing education of their employees.
Reining in the cost of health care is another big priority for me. I am working on a variety of consumer-driven reforms to promote competition, increase quality and lower costs. I am also working on Medicaid reforms that emphasize preventative care and fairer reimbursement for health care providers, which will reduce cost-shifting to the privately insured.
K-12 public education is by far the largest item in the state budget. In fact, 40 cents of every taxpayer dollar spent by the state goes directly toward public education. Every year, schools in our area are attacked by interests who suggest the little state money we receive would be better spent elsewhere. The Governor will be introducing his budget in February and the legislature will work on it into the summer.
Lower taxes, education and health care reform are just some of my priorities. What are yours? Feel free to contact me at sen.darling@legis.wisconsin.gov or visit me at one of the listening sessions I will be holding in your area in February.
To provide some feedback on this column, contact me at (800) 863-1113, or sen.darling@legis.wi.gov.
