JFC action expected June 5

The Joint Committee on Finance is expected to take action on Tuesday, June 5 on several budget issues affecting the UW System, including domestic partner benefits.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has produced a paper on the issue, outlining several options. They include:

  • Approving Governor Jim Doyle’s recommendation to authorize and fund benefits
  • Deleting the governor’s recommendation, but directing the Office of State Employment Relations to explore providing reimbursement to state employees for self-purchase, along the lines of the City of Madison domestic partner benefit program
  • Maintaining current law, which does not allow benefits.

Both UW–Madison and UW System strongly support the first option. Legislators are not limited to these options and could propose a different course. A vote is not required and no action would maintain current law.

The full LFB paper can be viewed on the Wisconsin State Legislature Web site.

UW–Madison State Relations and UW System have both produced position papers on the issue.

JFC is only the first step in a multistep budget process that includes action by the Assembly and Senate separately, before the budget is considered by a conference committee made up of members from the two legislative houses. The domestic partner benefit provision can be included into the budget at either later step in the process if it is not included by the JFC.

Should members of the campus community want to express an opinion on domestic partner benefits issue, individual contact with Joint Finance members or other legislators is encouraged, provided that it takes place on personal time, using non-university resources.

For contact information, see the list of JFC committee members or find your legislators online.

For additional information, contact UW–Madison State Relations at (608) 263-5510 or email DPbenefits@provost.wisc.edu.

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