Doyle to try repealing QEO again
One week into his second term and Gov. Jim Doyle is once again going after Wisconsin’s controversial QEO law. Under the Qualified Economic Offer – voted into law in 1993 – neither a teachers union nor school board, when found at an impasse in contract negotiations, may seek binding arbitration if the teachers have been offered at least a 3.8 percent increase between pay and benefits. By the same token, if the benefits alone total 3.8 percent the law states that no pay increase must be offered.
On Doyle’s side is the Wisconsin Education Association Council – better known as WEAC, the state’s largest teachers union – which says the entire school-aid formula is so broken that it must be reinvented this year. As part of that re-invention, WEAC says the QEO law should be done away with, something Doyle tried with each of his two budgets during his first term. But his efforts were met with a Republican-controlled legislature, and subsequently failed. Democrats are now in control and Doyle plans to make another attempt at repealing the law, which coincidentally was put in place for the same reason Doyle instituted a property levy freeze – to control property taxes. But he feels the QEO puts teachers at an unfair disadvantage when compared with other public sector employees.
Business lobbyists and most Republicans believe the QEO is a necessary law and should remain in place. Republican Rep. Kitty Rhoades of Hudson, co-chairman of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, claims it’s a critical part of the entire school-aid formula. In fact, she says if the QEO would be removed the entire education funding system would collapse. She also feels abolishing the 14-year-old law would cause property taxes to increase.
The Joint Finance Committee – consisting of eight Democrats and eight Republicans – will consider Doyle’s budget this spring. In the meantime, you can read more about the debate in this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
For a limited time only, you can also vote on this issue in our online poll.
On Doyle’s side is the Wisconsin Education Association Council – better known as WEAC, the state’s largest teachers union – which says the entire school-aid formula is so broken that it must be reinvented this year. As part of that re-invention, WEAC says the QEO law should be done away with, something Doyle tried with each of his two budgets during his first term. But his efforts were met with a Republican-controlled legislature, and subsequently failed. Democrats are now in control and Doyle plans to make another attempt at repealing the law, which coincidentally was put in place for the same reason Doyle instituted a property levy freeze – to control property taxes. But he feels the QEO puts teachers at an unfair disadvantage when compared with other public sector employees.
Business lobbyists and most Republicans believe the QEO is a necessary law and should remain in place. Republican Rep. Kitty Rhoades of Hudson, co-chairman of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, claims it’s a critical part of the entire school-aid formula. In fact, she says if the QEO would be removed the entire education funding system would collapse. She also feels abolishing the 14-year-old law would cause property taxes to increase.
The Joint Finance Committee – consisting of eight Democrats and eight Republicans – will consider Doyle’s budget this spring. In the meantime, you can read more about the debate in this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
For a limited time only, you can also vote on this issue in our online poll.
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 1:21 AM
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