Dan Meyer Legislative Update - Oct 9, 2009

34th Assembly District - October 9, 2009

New Fee on Electric Utility Bills

Many Wisconsin residents may have recently been alerted to a fee that will be added to their electric utility bills beginning in October. The new fee may appear as a separate line item or may be embedded with other fees.

The new "Public Benefits Fee" to be paid by customers will replace $18.3 million in state funding for district attorneys over the course of the two-year state budget. Instead of the state paying for district attorneys through General Purpose Revenue (income, sales, corporate & excise taxes), customers will pay through new segregated fees on electric utility bills.

It is important to note, this fee will not result in increased funding or positions for District Attorneys. The state just switched funding from one source (your taxes) to another (your fees).

How long will this fee last? The fee will be collected at least until June 2011. While the state budget contained language to sunset the fee in the next budget cycle, until that time comes, it is impossible to predict whether those directions will be followed. In the 2009-11 budget, sunset dates were repealed for Vital Records and Birth Certificate increases, as well as the newly instituted Police & Fire Protection Fee (75 cents monthly per phone & cell line beginning September 1^st).

The Public Benefits Fee for District Attorneys is likely to have many people asking: What does my electric utility bill has to do with district attorneys? Not only is the connection between an electric utility bill and district attorneys salaries and benefits questionable, but it also has allowed policymakers to shift the cost of an essential government service from being paid for by general taxes to this new fee.

It has also enabled the declaration that the state budget did not raise taxes. But in fact, this basic government function that used to be paid for with your taxes, will now be paid for with a new fee. The line distinguishing taxes and fees is becoming more blurred every day.

Regulation of Dog Breeders

Legislation to license dog breeders in Wisconsin received a public hearing recently in the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection. Under Assembly Bill (AB) 250, dog breeders and dog breeding facilities that sell more than three litters in one year, would be required to submit for a license through the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP).

Additionally, licensed dog breeders would be required to provide a certificate at the time of sale from a veterinarian attesting that the dog has been examined and there were no signs of infectious or contagious diseases as of the date of the examination.

The bill would organize an advisory committee consisting of dog breeders, sporting associations, humane societies, veterinarians, animal control groups, and breed rescue group to work with DATCP in writing rules to implement the new licensing program.

Wisconsin Fact

The official state dog of Wisconsin is the American Water Spaniel, ranging in size from 25 to 45 pounds. It is believed that the American Water Spaniel originated in the middle 1800's and was developed in the Fox and Wolf River Valleys for market hunters. The American Water Spaniel was named Wisconsin's official state dog on 1985 and is thought to be only one of five dog breeds native to the United States and the only one originating in Wisconsin.

State Representative Dan Meyer
State Capitol - Room 308 North - Post Office Box 8953 - Madison, Wisconsin 53708
(608) 266-7141 - Fax (608) 282-3634 - Toll Free: (888) 534-0034
Email: Rep.Meyer@legis.wi.gov