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The Governor traveled the state last week signing dozens of new
laws. Amid all the pomp and circumstance was the creation of new laws that
benefit our communities and counties.
Finding ways to help local government work together is a rewarding part of
my job. Many times people want to work across county lines but find they
need a law change to help. I was fortunate to work with local units of
government to make life better - roads repaired, nursing home patients cared
for and law enforcement optimized through bills recently signed into law.
Several of our counties have taxpayer supported nursing homes. These homes
allow our frail and sick relatives to stay close to home. But the costs are
rising which translates to rising property taxes. Allowing multiple counties
to operate and fund county nursing homes is a way to share the costs across
counties. This keeps our county nursing homes financially healthy and
reduces the burden on local taxpayers
I worked with Representative Schilling to pass legislation ensuring that
counties have the authority to establish multi-county nursing home
collaboration. For example, La Crosse County has collaborated with other
counties, including Monroe, to have their residents placed at Lakeview
Health Center in West Salem. Monroe county residents benefit twice - by
having their loved ones close to home and by avoiding the much higher cost
the county would pay for care at an expensive state facility.
Sometimes collaboration takes the form of actually transferring ownership.
Mission Road in Jackson County is one example. The roadway is in disrepair
and the township is unable to fund improvements. Brockway Township and the
Ho-Chunk Nation were interested in working out an agreement to repair the
road.
Under their agreement, Brockway would voluntarily transfer custody and
jurisdiction of Mission Road to the Ho-Chunk Nation, who would then make the
necessary improvements. The Ho-Chunk Nation would fund this project through
the Federal Indian Reservation Roads Program and funds have been encumbered
for this year.
However, the Bureau of Indian Affairs determined that state law does not
allow such a transfer to take place. Representative Radcliffe and I worked
to create the new law that makes possible the transfer and the road
repaving. The road remains open to the public and much needed repairs will
be made without local tax payers footing the bill.
Cooperation between local government and tribes also extends to police
protection. Sharing law enforcement responsibilities can be confusing when
county and tribal land meet and crime crosses county and tribal borders. A
new law removes any barriers to allowing ‘mutual aid’ agreements between
tribal and local law enforcement agencies.
‘Mutual aid’ refers to an agreement between law enforcement agencies from
different jurisdictions to help each other out. But in 2008, the Attorney
General issued an opinion stating the mutual assistance law did not apply to
tribal law enforcement agencies operated by any of Wisconsin's 11 Native
American tribes and bands.
Since the opinion was released, both tribal leaders and various county and
municipal police officials have been asking for a way to restore the tribes'
mutual aid capabilities.
President Wilfrid Cleveland, of the Ho-Chunk Nation, wrote me asking for
support of Assembly Bill 713 that would restore tribal and county law
enforcement cooperation. His letter captured the importance of allowing
tribal law enforcement to participate in mutual aid agreements.
President Cleveland wrote, “…Providing mutual aid is important to everyone
but is particularly critical in rural areas with limited resources. It
simply makes sense and is a mutually beneficial arrangement to coordinate
law enforcement activities when needed. AB 713 will fix this current state
of affairs and restore effective communication and understanding between
state and tribal law enforcement agencies. More importantly, it will
decrease response times and increase police protection to all the citizens
of Wisconsin.”
Local governments continue to operate under limited budgets and revenue
caps. Any assistance the state can provide to aid cooperation among
government will reap dividends through savings to local taxpayers and better
services for all of us.
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