STATE OF WISCONSIN JIM DOYLE GOVERNOR State Capitol Room 115 East, Madison, Wisconsin 53702 • (608) 266-1212 • FAX (608) 267-8983 • [email protected] Contact: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162 MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today signed into law 14 bills at the State Capitol in Madison. The Governor signed Senate Bills 38, 132, 157, 158, 251, 252 and 361, and Assembly Bills 8, 136, 153, 174, 209, 211 and 281. Senate Bill 361 clarifies foster care rates and licensing requirements to allow kinship care providers to participate in the graduated foster care licensing system. “In many cases, relatives can provide safe, stable care for foster children and I am proud we are moving forward to ease the administrative hurdles to kinship care,” Governor Doyle said. Governor Doyle thanked Senators Jauch and Lehman, and Representatives Pasch and Turner for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 252 called “Fran’s Law” closes a loophole to ensure that vehicles that collide on private properties after leaving highways are subject to hit-and-run laws. In 2005, Frances Suitor was killed in her sleep in Oregon, Wisconsin by a drunk driver who crashed through her house. Previous state law did not extend hit-and-run laws to private parking areas, so the charges against the driver were dismissed.“I am proud the state is acting to ensure the tragic story of Frances Suitor is never repeated,” Governor Doyle said.Governor Doyle thanked Senators Erpenbach and Carpenter, and Representatives Davis and Staskunas for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 281 restricts the amount of phosphorous that can be used in certain cleaning agents to reduce pollution of lakes and streams. Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Black and Bies, and Senators Miller and Taylor for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 38 promotes tourism at state parks by creating a uniform permit fee for tour buses visiting state parks. Governor Doyle thanked Senators Lasee and Grothman, and Representatives Bies and Kaufert for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 132 supports economic growth in the City of Racine by extending the Tax Incremental District (TID) Number 2 in Racine for an additional 10 years, until 2020. Governor Doyle thanked Senators Lehman and Plale, and Representatives Mason and Turner for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 157 will improve driver safety training and railroad crossing safety by requiring 30 minutes of driver education instruction on the dangers of rail crossings. Governor Doyle thanked Senators Plale and Lassa, and Representatives Van Roy and Mursau for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 158 clarifies laws related to stopping for railroad crossings. Governor Doyle thanked Senators Plale and Holperin, and Representatives Van Roy and Mursau for their work on the bill. Senate Bill 251 allows law enforcement officers to recover costs incurred when transporting an arrested person by ferry after its usual operating hours. Governor Doyle thanked Senator Jauch and Representative Sherman for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 8 supports Iron River’s tourism industry by slightly amending Bayfield County’s liquor license requirements. Governor Doyle thanked Representative Sherman and Senator Jauch for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 136 allows assessors more flexibility so they may complete assessments more efficiently, while protecting property owners. Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Hubler and Ott, and Senators Holperin and Lehman for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 153 allows the Department of Tourism and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to appoint an agency employee to represent the agency if the Secretary cannot attend a State Fair Park Board meeting. Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Staskunas and Gunderson, and Senators Sullivan and Kanavas for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 174 authorizes sharing of tax increments by certain environmental remediation tax incremental districts (ERTID). Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Mason and Turner, and Senator Plale for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 209 allows a county to provide funding assistance to nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to low-income persons and victims of domestic abuse and related crimes. Governor Doyle thanked Representatives Seidel and Bies, and Senators Holperin and Decker for their work on the bill. Assembly Bill 211 clarifies procedures for distributing grant funds to county-tribal law enforcement program participants. Governor Doyle thanked the Joint Legislative Council’s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations for their work on the bill.
