WALA News for Nov 8, 2006
- Doyle Wins Re-Election; Promises to Move Forward With Family Care Expansion
- Democrats Take State Senate, Gain in Assembly
- Marriage Amendment Passes, May Affect Seniors
1. Doyle Wins Re-Election; Promises to Move Forward With Family Care Expansion
Governor Jim Doyle has become the first Democratic governor in 32 years to win re-election, defeating his Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Mark Green by a margin of 52 percent to 46 percent in the most expensive statewide contest in Wisconsin history. Voter turnout was above 50 percent and a number of wards in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire and other cities reported ballot shortages and long lines. The Capital Times in Madison reported Doyle as saying that the expansion of Family Care is one of the top priorities for his second term. Current DHFS leadership and programming is not expected to change significantly.
2. Democrats Take State Senate, Gain in Assembly
Election day brought a power shift in the Wisconsin Legislature as Democrats won a majority in the State Senate and gained in the Assembly. Republican Sens. Dave Zien and Ron Brown, both of Eau Claire, and Tom Reynolds of West Allis were unseated, while the Democratic candidate won the open Senate seat in Racine County. Democrats now hold an 18-15 majority in the upper chamber.
In the Assembly, Republicans maintained control but apparently lost at least seven seats. An eighth remains in play, the 43rd district in northern and western Rock County, where Republican incumbent Rep. Debi Towns currently leads by six votes out of 20,000 according to the unofficial tally. Should Towns hold her seat the GOP majority will be 53-46, down from the current 58-39 (there are two vacant seats, both previously held by Republicans).
With the new partisan makeup of the Legislature, there will be significant changes to the membership of committees that affect assisted living. The ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long-Term Care is Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Middleton, who is likely to take over as chair. Joint committees will have equal membership between Democrats and Republicans, including the budget-setting Finance Committee and the Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, which will examine the HFS 83 rewrite later this year.
3. Marriage Amendment Passes, May Affect Seniors
The state constitutional amendment on marriage was approved with 59 percent voting in favor. Concern over the effect on seniors of the so-called second sentence, a clause banning arrangements "substantially similar" to marriage, had led the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups to oppose the amendment. There is a strong likelihood of litigation to determine what "substantially similar" means with regard to issues like domestic partnerships, visitation rights and health care decision-making.
