Message to Wisconsin Legislators: Hands Off the Advisory Council

On Behalf of | Oct 3, 2013 | Firm News

For the last 40 years, the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council advises the Worker’s Compensation Department and the Legislature on policy matters concerning the development and administration of the worker’s compensation law. Overall, the Council has been an unequivocal success. Unlike the volatility found in other states, the Wisconsin Council maintains the overall stability of the worker’s compensation system without regard to partisan changes in the legislative or executive branches of government. The Council provides a vehicle for labor and management representatives to play a direct role in recommending changes in the worker’s compensation law to the legislature. This year Republican legislators have already muddled up the Unemployment Compensation Advisory Council, making recommendations that have rolled back unemployment compensation standards which have been in place for decades.

Recent news indicated that Republican legislators are questioning the use of the Council in the worker’s compensation system. These Republican politicans, including Dan Knodl, the Chair of the Legislature’s Labor Committee, have indicated they plan to send recommendations to the Council on possible cost saving changes. Those “cost savings” were part of the budget process in which the legislature made changes to the Unemployment Compensation program, reducing benefits to employees without the support of the Labor and Management Advisory Council.

The Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council, composed of five management, five labor, and three non-voting insurance members appointment by the Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development and chaired by a Department employee, meets regularly at different sites around Wisconsin. The public is welcome at these meetings to offer their concerns. The Council obtains input from various worker’s compensation constituents including interested members of the legal, medical, labor, management, insurance, and employer communities. Hearings on proposed changes are held followed by Advisory Council deliberation. With input from all of these sources, the Council attempts to produce a well-balanced bill.

As a general rule, business and insurance interests thrive on stability and known costs. The Council’s work provides this certainty for the players in the worker’s compensation system. In the interests of appearing “business friendly”, a Republican end run outside of the Council may actually produce the exact opposite effect-uncertain and fluctuating premiums, costs, and legal issues.The Council has always produced an “agreed upon bill” which results in annual changes in benefit rates and substantive law. The bill proceeds to the Labor Committees and the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate where, after passage, the Governor signs the bill into law. This process has worked and created stability in Wisconsin for many decades, a system that other states can only envy. The successful Advisory Council process should not be altered by outside influence from the legislature.

Archives

Categories

FindLaw Network