Gov. Doyle: Governor Doyle Signs Legislation to Preserve Affordable Housing for Elderly, Poor, and Disabled

Contact:
Jessica Erickson, Governor’s Office, 608-261-2156

Recent Supreme Court Decision Had Struck Property Tax Exemption that Enabled

Nonprofit Housing Providers to Offer Lower Rents to Low-Income, At-Risk
Residents

MONONA – At a bill signing ceremony at Monona Hills
Apartments today, Governor Jim Doyle signed into law legislation that
ensures that nonprofit organizations can continue to provide affordable
housing for low-income, elderly, and handicapped individuals. Senate Bill
512 reverses a recent Supreme Court decision that allows local governments
to collect property taxes from nonprofits that rent to low-income tenants.

“If left unaddressed, this ruling would have made it almost
impossible to convince nonprofits to maintain – much less build – critically
needed housing,” Governor Doyle said. “The decision also threatened to
raise the cost of affordable housing, forcing some providers to leave the
market. I am pleased to sign legislation today to ensure that nonprofits
can continue to provide affordable housing for our neediest residents.”

Last November, in a case involving Columbus Park Housing
Corporation and the City of Kenosha, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that
nonprofit organizations renting to low-income individuals were not exempt
from real property taxes.

For many years, this property tax exemption had been vital
to ensuring affordable housing, allowing nonprofit housing owners to offer
lower rents, better maintenance, and special services for at-risk residents,
the Governor said. Many of these residents are often elderly, handicapped,
mentally or physically challenged, victims of violence, or otherwise have
special needs. Others are working families, many with young children.

SB 512, which is retroactive to January 1, 2002, prevents
taxing units from collecting property taxes, restoring the law prior to the
court’s ruling. The bill also recognizes the real fiscal concerns of
municipalities, counties, school districts, and other property taxing
authorities. It instructs the Legislative Council staff to study the effect
of the case on property tax exemptions for property that is leased, and to
report to the Legislature on it findings by December 15.

Governor Doyle thanked WHEDA Executive Director Antonio
Riley and his staff, and the bill’s many authors, including Senators Carol
Roessler, Cathy Stepp, Julie Lassa, and Spencer Coggs, and Representatives
Spencer Black and Tom Hebl.

The Governor also signed legislation that will allow
prosecutors to pursue unsolved cases of second-degree intentional homicide
years later as new evidence develops.

Senate Bill 66 was prompted by a Beloit case, in which
police obtained a confession from a man suspected of choking his wife to
death 12 years after the murder. But the man could not be prosecuted,
because the statute of limitations on 2nd degree reckless homicide is only
six years.

The bill removes the time limit for prosecution of 2nd
degree intentional homicide and increases the time limit for prosecution of
2nd degree reckless homicide – allowing prosecutors to pursue unsolved
cases. The Governor thanked the bill’s lead authors – Senators Neal Kedzie
and Judy Robson and Representatives Dan Schooff and Suzanne Jeskewitz.

The Governor also signed 11 other bills:

* Assembly Bill 169, authored by Representative Sheryl Albers and
Senator Joe Leibham, allows a parent or guardian of a child under 16 to
request the child’s library records from a public library.
*
* Assembly Bill 263, authored by Representative Jeff Stone and Senator
Ron Brown, provides counties, cities, and villages with the same authority
towns currently have to fulfill bonding requirements through blanket bonds.
*
* Assembly Bill 273 increases judicial efficiency by allowing
municipal courts to hear refusal hearings and issue revocation orders for
operating while intoxicated proceedings. The bill’s authors are
Representatives Dan Vrakas and Greg Huber and Senators Scott Fitzgerald and
Bob Wirch.
*
* Assembly Bill 419 allows the Department of Transportation to suspend
or refuse to renew vehicle registration until an individual pays outstanding
towing or storage charges incurred as a result of a parking ticket. The
bill’s authors are Representatives Bonnie Ladwig and Shirley Krug and
Senator Alberta Darling.
*
* Assembly Bill 467, authored by Representatives Bonnie Ladwig and
John Ainsworth, provides funding to support the requirements of DOT as
outlined in AB 419.
*
* Assembly Bill 471 improves the process of reimbursement to cities,
towns, and villages when their fire departments respond to highway
accidents. The bill’s authors are Representative Dan LeMahieu and Senators
Tom Reynolds, Spencer Coggs, and Roger Breske.

* Assembly Bill 488, authored by Representative Steve Foti and Senator
Alberta Darling, gives full disclosure to the Wisconsin Center District by
requiring the Department of Revenue to report the amount of taxes for each
taxpayer.
*
* Assembly Bill 591, authored by Representative Frank Lasee and
Senators Robert Cowles and Bob Wirch, clarifies procedures for filing and
recording documents with county register of deeds offices.
*
* Senate Bill 105, authored by Senator Joe Leibham and Representative
Scott Suder, allows the Department of Transportation to suspend driving
privileges for convictions of making bomb threats, and carrying or
discharging firearms in a school zone.
*
* Senate Bill 340 helps the Department of Workforce Development
address the current workforce environment, promote efficiency in the
administration of unemployment insurance (UI), reduce the burden on small
businesses, and clarify current UI laws.
*
* Senate Bill 435 allows individuals to be exempt, based on religious
reasons, from the requirement that they must first apply to other health
care coverage programs before seeking treatment of hemophilia from the
Chronic Disease Program. The bill’s authors are Senators Mark Meyer and
Dale Schultz and Representatives DuWayne Johnsrud and Barbara Gronemus.