A proposed bill is under development that would require the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, to conduct a study on the effects of resuming income tax reciprocity between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The study would determine the number of residents in each state who earn income in the other state, the total income earned in each state by those taxpayers, and the amount of revenue that would be foregone by each state if reciprocity were to be reinstated. The study would use tax information data for the 2010 tax year and would be completed by the end of 2011. The results would be submitted to the two state legislatures and governors at that time.

This appears to be something taxpayers in the two states will have to live with for the next few years. The last study took place in 1995 with discepancies in some of the currently issued data. While some information from Wisconsin sources show that 80,000 Wisconsin Taxpayers would be affected the Minnesota Department of Revenue states that 33,500 Wisconsin residents meet the filling requirements while working in Minnesota. These differences may in part be caused by students working part time but falling under the minimum filing threshold and other part time workers.

Besides having to file tax returns in both states some Wisconsin taxpayers may end up paying more in state income taxes due to Minnesotas higher personal income tax rates. For example a Wisconsin single taxpayer with only W2 income of 32,000 would pay $1,212 in Minnesota income tax while if they worked in Wisconsin they would pay $1,115 in Wisconsin income taxes. With the ending of reciprocity they would get a creit of $1,212 for the Minnesota income taxes and would not have any tax liability to the State of Wisconsin. This is a very simplified example for a taxpayer without any interest, dividend or capital gains income all of those incomes would be taxable only in the taxpayers home state.

CREWE: Time to Modify Clean Energy Jobs Act

(MADISON, Wis.)—Following is a statement from Thad Nation, executive director of the coalition Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE), on the completion of the legislative hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs Act at the State Capitol.

“Legislators have been presented with a lot of good testimony, and now is the time to focus on getting the Clean Energy Jobs Act passed. With just a handful of floor days left in this legislative session, it’s time for lawmakers to focus on crafting a bill that can pass the full legislature.

“Our state’s economy, jobs and our environment are at stake, and it is essential that legislators not waste this opportunity to pass meaningful clean energy legislation that will create jobs.  CREWE continues to support a bill that is capable of passing, and we urge legislators to quickly come up with a compromise on this critical bill.”

CREWE is a coalition that formed to advocate meaningful change in energy policy consistent with the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force final report, which will have a positive impact on Wisconsin’s economic development and security while fostering significant job creation.

CREWE’s membership consists of CleanPower, Alliant Energy, EcoEnergy, Johnson Controls, Xcel Energy, C5•6 Technologies, Axley Brynelson, Madison Gas and Electric, Orion Energy Systems, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin Energy Corp., Poblocki Sign Company, Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, MillerCoors, American Transmission Co., WPPI Energy, DTE Energy Services and Kranz, Inc. and Greenwood Fuels.

The coalition is dedicated to joining forces with other supporters to promote responsible policies that address climate change; create jobs; promote energy efficiency, reliability and independence; and mitigate the economic impacts of rising energy costs.

For more information on joining this campaign, please visit www.WICREWE.com and follow CREWE on Twitter (@WI_CREWE).

Broadband Internet Access Growing in Wisconsin

Governor Doyle announces $29 million in funding to provide broadband access to schools and libraries in all 72 counties

MILWAUKEE— Wired Wisconsin on Thursday lauded the announcement that the Wisconsin Department of Administration would receive nearly $23 million in federal funding to match $5.7 million from the state to help provide broadband internet access to hundreds of sites in all 72 counties.

Governor Doyle announced the funding – received as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – today at the Brown County Central Library, one of 467 sites in over 380 communities across the state to receive a portion of the funding.

“Expanding internet access – and particularly broadband access – is one of the best ways to foster economic development, support additional educational opportunities, and increase connections between citizens across the state,” said Thad Nation, Executive Director of Wired Wisconsin.  “Today’s announcement is a big step towards ensuring every Wisconsin resident has access to broadband internet, and we applaud Governor Doyle, Rep. Obey and Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, and the US Department of Commerce for securing this crucial funding for the state.”

Among the locations receiving funding are 74 schools, 8 post-secondary schools – including two tribal colleges – and 385 libraries statewide.

In addition to the sites gaining access to broadband, the project also opens the door for additional broadband expansion.  The vast majority of the recipients are within a few miles of police stations, fire stations, and hospitals, and over 125,000 households are within the market area of the sites receiving funding.

“The fact that this project is targeted to all 72 counties is great news for areas of the state that currently lack broadband access,” Nation said.  “By putting broadband infrastructure in place in every corner of the state, it will be significantly easier to expand access to rural and less wired parts of Wisconsin.”

Thursday’s announcement follows data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Wednesday that shows Wisconsin is among the top ranked states in the nation in terms of internet usage by individuals.

The state is 9th in the country for individuals that access the internet from some location at 74.9%, and 10th in terms of individuals living in households with internet access at 78.8%.  Those figures put Wisconsin well above the national average for the two categories, which are 68.4% and 73.5%, respectively.

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Wired Wisconsin is the Wisconsin-based project of Midwest Consumers for Choice and Competition (MCCC), a non-profit organization of individual consumers interested in technology, broadband, and telecommunication issues with state projects throughout the Midwest region. The project will work to support an environment for innovative technology, high-tech job creation, and economic growth. Wired Wisconsin will seek to educate consumers, policy makers, and businesses about technology- related legislative and regulatory issues that impact our lives and advocate for common-sense approaches to spur innovation and grow the economy. For more information, visit www.wiredwisconsin.org.

Office of the State Treasurer

February 2010 Unclaimed Property Auction

The next eBay auction of unclaimed property from the State of Wisconsin will start Monday February 1, 2010 at 12:00 PM (CST) and end Monday February 8, 2010 at 12:00PM (CST).

There are 21 items including coins and jewelry. We also have one Lot of vintage photographs and another Lot of Sterling Silver Casting Grain that can be used to make jewelry. There are several diamond rings and wedding sets as well as coins enclosed in Littleton Coin Company packages - uncirculated.

The bidding will begin at Noon Monday Feb.1st and each lot will go up every minute to two minutes after that.

You can view the items before hand by clicking or pasting this address in your internet browser address bar.
http://www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov/docview.asp?docid=18940&locid=155

On February 1st after 12:00pm (CST), if you click and click on the eBay logo at the middle of the page, you will be taken directly to our eBay page and be able to immediately bid on items.
http://www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov/category.asp?linkcatid=2618&linkid=1381&locid=155

Also, become a Fan on Facebook of the Office of the State Treasurer to get frequent updates on unclaimed property and the "goings on" at the state agency. Click to become a fan!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Madison-WI/Wisconsin-Unclaimed-Property/186440738400?ref=nf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2010

Flambeau River Biofuels signs letter of intent for $250 million green diesel plant

Neenah, Wis. – Flambeau River Biofuels (FRB) has executed a letter of intent to engineer, procure, and construct (EPC) the largest second generation “green diesel” plant in the United States at an existing pulp and paper mill in Park Falls, Wisconsin. The $250 million project, funded in part with a grant from the U.S. Dept of Energy, is expected to be fully operational by 2013.

Flambeau selected the team of AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, and Miron Construction Co., Inc., a premier Wisconsin-based construction firm as its EPC contractor.

“The Flambeau River bio-refinery will create permanent, high-skilled operating jobs in the region, long-term logging jobs, and short-term engineering and construction jobs, contributing to the economic stimulus of Park Falls, Wisconsin,” said Butch Johnson, majority owner of Flambeau River Papers and Flambeau River Biofuels.

“The AMEC-Miron team was selected for its experience and innovation in developing green energy and biofuel facilities,” said Johnson. “When completed, Flambeau will have the first integrated pulp and paper mill in North America to run on fossil-free energy.”

Tim Gelbar, President, AMEC’s Power and Process Americas business said: “The Flambeau program has been a long-term strategic focus of AMEC’s and it will play a key role in our continued development of new bioprocesses and the expansion of clean renewable energy.”

“We have been working with Flambeau for two years developing this project” said David G. Voss, Jr., President, Miron Construction. “The Flambeau BioFuels project is key to developing “green fuel” renewable energy alternatives and will have a significant positive economic impact in Wisconsin”.

The plant will use patented process technology from ThermoChem Recovery International (TRI) to convert 1,000 dry tons per day of woody biomass from bark, sawdust, wood, and forest residue into green electrical power, steam and heat to the adjacent Flambeau River Papers operation, and green diesel fuel and wax to the domestic market.

Flambeau River Biorefinery, LLC

Flambeau River Biofuels, LLC is a Park Falls, Wisconsin based company trailblazing sustainability in the pulp and paper industry. The Flambeau River Biofuels biorefinery will employ two commercially proven technologies to produce clean renewable energy and biofuels. It will gasify biomass resources, such as forest residuals and agricultural wastes, into a high-quality synthesis gas, which will then be catalyzed by the well-established Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process to generate renewable transportation fuels (sulfur-free biodiesel).

Green diesel is renewable sulfur-free diesel produced from by-products or resideuals from forest and agricultural sources. Green diesel can be used as a blending agent for trucking and aviation fuel.

Green wax is wax manufactured without using fossil fuels. It can be used to waterproof cardboard or manufacture candles, replacing waxes that are now imported or manufactured from fossil fuel sources.

AMEC (LSE: AMEC) is a focused supplier of high-value consultancy, engineering and project management services to the world’s natural resources, nuclear, clean energy, water and environmental sectors. With annual revenues of over £2.6 billion, AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets for its customers. AMEC's Natural Resources, Power & Process and Earth & Environmental businesses employ almost 22,000 people in around 40 countries worldwide. www.amec.com

Miron Construction Co., Inc., headquartered in Neenah, Wis., with regional offices in Madison, Wausau and Milwaukee, Wis., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been providing professional construction services to clients throughout the Midwest (with an expanded geographical reach across the U.S.) for the past ninety-one years. Miron posted 2009 sales of $558 million and was listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s "5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America" for 2009. For more information, please visit: www.miron-construction.com

Superior native Dan Kanninen has been appointed White House Liaison to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Kanninen who currently serves as Governor Jim Doyle’s legislative director will be leaving for Washington, D.C. to begin work with President Obama’s administration on February 1.

According to an email distributed by Governor Doyle’s Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Boyce last week, Kanninen will be working directly with the White House, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other senior officials at the EPA “to help advance the President’s agenda of creating clean energy jobs and scientific based environmental policy.”

Prior to joining Governor Doyle’s administration, Kanninen served as Chief of Staff to Senator Bob Jauch.

“Dan Kanninen is an excellent choice for the position of White House Liaison to the EPA,” stated Andy Lisak, Executive Director of the Development Association of Superior and Douglas County, WI. “I had the opportunity to interact with Dan while he served as Senator Jauch’s Chief of Staff. I was very impressed by Dan’s ability to comprehend all sides of very complex environmental issues such as the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact and ballast water regulation,” stated Lisak.

“President Obama is lucky to have such a talented person on his staff and Superior is honored to have a native son serve in such an important position,” Lisak said.

Last week, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle introduced his 174 page global warming legislation, which includes policy recommendations from the Global Warming Task Force he convened in 2008. The legislation was introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly as Assembly Bill 649 and in the Wisconsin Senate as Senate Bill 450.

Key provisions of the legislation include:

Renewable Energy Mandates. The legislation increases Wisconsin’s renewable energy mandate from 10 percent by 2015 to 10 percent by 2013. The renewable energy mandate then jumps to 20 percent by 2020, and to 25 percent by 2025.

Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The legislation calls for a “low carbon fuel standard,” which seeks to limit “carbon intensive” fuels such as oil from Canada’s oil sands and corn ethanol. Both fuels are more carbon intensive than conventional gasoline. Wisconsin receives roughly 50 percent of its oil from Canada.

California Car Low Emission Vehicle Standards. The legislation will require Wisconsin to adopt California’s low emission vehicle standards which are much stricter than limitations under the Federal Clean Air Act.

Engine Idling. The legislation will limit the amount of time an operator of a motor truck, truck, or road tractor (truck) is allowed to let his/her vehicle idle to no more than 5 minutes per 60 minute period with limited exceptions. The idling prohibition applies to on or off highway vehicles. The legislation assesses fines for operators who violate the prohibition.

Consumer Electronics Efficiency Requirements. The legislation prohibits the sale of certain consumer electronic devices that use more than a specified amount of electricity in “standby mode”. Violators will be subject to fines of up to $100 for each device sold or offered for sale.

Stricter Building Codes. The legislation will require new homes and commercial buildings to follow the stringent International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The legislation also allows the Department of Commerce to require builders to adopt even stricter energy codes

New Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Requirements. The legislation grants DNR rule making authority to require businesses emitting a certain amount of CO2 to report its emissions to the DNR. After collecting the data, the DNR is required to assess whether the state is meeting its goals, and if not, determine what further regulations should be implemented to reduce CO2.

Levy Limit Exception. Current law limits the amount by which any city, village, town or county (political subdivision) can increase its property tax levy. Under the legislation, the levy limit does not apply to any amount levied by a political subdivision to pay for energy efficiency measures and renewable energy products that reduce or avoid energy costs.

“We are trying to determine what impact this all-encompassing legislation will have on the businesses, residents and property tax payers of Superior and Douglas County,” stated Andy Lisak, Executive Director of the Development Association. “We encourage our members to read the legislation and to contact us with any questions or concerns they might have,” Lisak continued.

Lisak can be reached at 715.392.4749 or lisaka@developmentassociation.com.

On January 8th 2010 Wisconsin Carry, Inc. filed a lawsuit in Federal Court to challenge the constitutionality of Wisconsin's onerous Gun Free School Zone Act.

Wisconsin's Gun Free School Zone Act (GFSZA), which was modeled on the federal Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1990, prohibits the possession or shooting of a firearm within a school zone. It defines a school zone as in the school building, the school grounds, and the area within 1000 feet of the school grounds.  The Federal GFSZA was struck down as unconstitutional in 1995.  Wisconsin's GFSZA remains.

In 1998 79% of the voters in the great state of Wisconsin voted Article 1 Section 25 into our state constitution.  "The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose".  The Constitutions of the United States and Wisconsin guarantee the right of individuals to keep and bear arms; and as the United States Supreme Court held in the DC gun ban case, DC v. Heller, "bear" means "carry."
Wisconsin’s Gun Free School Zone Act covers such a broad area that it practically forecloses a meaningful right to keep and bear arms in large parts of the state.  It is an onerous restriction that has the potential to ensnare thousands of law-abiding citizens exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights and expose them to felony charges. Wisconsin's GFSZ Act places someone who was innocently walking their dog around their subdivision at night while armed in danger of felony charges if they should happen to cross these invisible school zones which extend nearly a quarter mile out from the edge of school property and many properties that are not identified as schools!

More than 2000 people have signed our online petition calling on the Governor and Legislature to repeal this law.

petitiononline

Wisconsin Carry is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the basic rights critical to a free society.  Our membership believes in the founding principles of our country and our constitution:  That all are created equal, that governments exist to protect the rights of individuals, and that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed. Our mission is to preserve, advance and expand these basic rights which law-abiding citizens are entitled to have a practical ability to exercise.

A copy of the Federal Lawsuit can be viewed at:

wisconsincarry.org/pdf/GFSZ_Complaint.pdf

Wisconsin Carry, Inc.'s Website is

http://www.wisconsincarry.org

Nik Clark
Chairman - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
nik@wisconsincarry.org

Key Invasive Species Legislation Passes
Madison—Important invasive species legislation authored by Senate Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Representative Nick Milroy (D-Superior) passed the legislature yesterday evening. The comprehensive legislation strengthens enforcement of restrictions on the transportation of aquatic invasive species.
“Unchecked spread of aquatic invasive species poses economical and ecological peril to Wisconsin waters and increased enforcement authority is one of the keys to preventing that damage” said Jauch. “This legislation has been long sought by the Wisconsin Association of Lakes who worries that current Wisconsin law inadequately prevents the movement of invasive species from one lake to another. The lack of a statewide law has resulted in a patchwork of regulation. This bill significantly increases our statewide efforts to control the spread of these damaging invasive and exotic species that choke our lakes and waterways.”
While it is currently illegal to transport invasive species from lake to lake, the law is ineffective as only conservation wardens can enforce it. Hundreds of citizens volunteer as lake monitors to prevent the spread of invasive species, but many have been frustrated that despite their hard work there is inadequate law enforcement once a boat leaves a landing.
The legislation which establishes a statewide enforcement on transportation of invasive species is patterned after a similar law that has had success in Minnesota. The law would give any law enforcement official the authority to remove aquatic animals and plants and issue a forfeiture if there is non compliance with a removal order. A similar provision in Burnett County resulted in 6 citations in the first year of the ordinance.
“We need to crack down on the spread of exotic species.” added Milroy. “This legislation will quickly send a message that not cleaning your boats and trailers is no longer acceptable”
“This legislation is designed to give the State some additional tools to stem the harmful spread of invasive species that threaten our most precious resources. The development of this legislation was driven by the strongest stewards of our waters, the citizens who are sustained by them. It is the result of thoughtful deliberation and careful consideration of the positive outcome in protecting our state water. It is one more important and necessary tool that can enhance existing state efforts to protect our resources,” Jauch concluded.