jONline

An electronic newsletter from Senator Jon Erpenbach 3-28-08

Senate Passes Budget Repair Bill- The fact is that we are at a time of economic slow down as a nation and Wisconsin has been hit less than other states but we are not immune. This slow down has caused a gap in the state budget because of slowed collections of sales tax and other planned state revenues. The Governor’s budget, the Assembly budget, and the Senate budget all have areas of similarities. Here is the Legislative Fiscal Bureau Comparative Summary link. The Senate Budget plan does also contain some elements not included in neither the Governor’s nor the Assembly’s budget. Read an Erpenbach column here. While there are differences that we will have to work on as a Legislature, with all three versions of the repair, there are many similarities we can build on as well; it is my hope we will find resolution very soon.

Pharmacists License Restrictions Upheld – License restrictions and reprimand of a pharmacist refusing to dispense legal birth control prescriptions was upheld in Appeals Court. Senate Bill 232, which failed to pass the Assembly this session, would have prohibited actions by pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions. The bill was developed in response to the alarming trend of pharmacists refusing to fill dozens of women’s birth control prescriptions on ideological – not medical – grounds. For rural women, this refusal has disastrous consequences. The District III Court of Appeals has affirmed a Barron County circuit court order upholding the Pharmacy Examining Board’s reprimand of a pharmacist for refusing to dispense oral contraceptives or to transfer the order to another pharmacist. The Appeals Court decision also affirms the board’s placing of restrictions on the pharmacist’s license. Decision link.

Statewide Smoking Ban – Unfortunately, despite people pushing behind the scenes and a very public lobbying effort, a statewide smoking ban never made it before the full Senate or full Assembly for a vote this session. Wisconsin has been trying to pass legislation on this issue for a few years. In the time since we’ve begun working on a law that is good for our state, others around us (Illinois and Minnesota) have passed smoking bans. It is my hope that an agreement can soon be reached between both sides of this issue and that we can pass a smoking ban here in Wisconsin. Many Wisconsin communities have passed resolutions banning smoking in their community including Madison and Appleton. Here are the links to the Madison and Appleton ordinances if you would like to ask your local community leaders to take similar action.

CWD Zone Hunting Rules Reworked – The Department of Natural Resources has held public hearings on changes to NR 10, 12 and 19 of the Wis. Admin. Code, related to the control of Chronic Wasting Disease in white-tailed deer and other wildlife and proposed hunting seasons rules for the CWD management zones. The complete text of the draft rule presented to the Natural Resources Board is available on the Chronic Wasting Disease Stakeholder Advisory Group. The Natural Resources Board will review a summary of citizen comments prior to taking final action on the rule proposal at its April 23 meeting in Baraboo. For information contact Alan Crossley at (608) 266-5463 or Scott Loomans at (608) 267-2452.