Forward Janesville - TheReport - Spring 2016

SPRING 2016 • 9 D.C. Confidential: Insider Perspectives from Inside the Beltway D.C. Confidential: Legislative Priorities On February 24, Forward Janesville guided a delegation of more 40 Rock County business and civic leaders to Washington, D.C., for two days of politics and policy. The annual pilgrimage, which began in 2014, provides a unique opportunity for Forward Janesville members to share regional legislative priorities and other concerns directly with key leaders. This year’s priority agenda is summarized here. Each of these programs are, or will be, in jeopardy without Congressional action before the end of the 2016 fiscal year. During the trip, Forward Janesville urged lawmakers to continue these vital initiatives. 2016 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES This document contains the federal priorities of several key stakeholders including the Janesville area business community, the City of Janesville, Rock County, and the School District of Janesville. These issues have been divided into five main areas of concern: economic development, transportation, community development, education and work- force development, and criminal justice. We encourage the Wisconsin Congressional delegation to favorably consider these issues as the 114th Congress continues. Business Tax Reform Our business community supports comprehensive tax reform that includes addressing both the individual and corporate tax codes. Lowering the tax burden for all American businesses would reduce the competitive disadvantage our businesses face in the global economy; encourage domestic and foreign investment; and drive job creation. We encourage lawmakers to overhaul America’s tax codes. Remote Sales Tax Collection State and county governments, who rely on sales tax collections to support their operations, realize only a fraction of what they should from online transactions. We support legislation like the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would allow states to collect sales tax on purchases from out-of-state sellers. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to hold a vote on this legislation in 2016. We encourage Senators to support this bill, and hope that the U.S. House of Representatives will follow suit. Transportation Funding We applaud Congress for passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which will give the Wisconsin Department of Transportation the certainty it needs to move forward with much needed infrastructure improvements like the I-39/90 expansion project. While passage of the FAST Act represents great progress, the bill’s funding increase of 11 percent over five years will not meet the nation’s transportation infrastructure needs. We encourage lawmakers to: (A) Seek a sustainable, long- term funding source for transportation programs, and (B) Provide all states the ability to consider adding tolls to existing highways. Support for Public Transit Federal funding is vital to our urban transit systems’ capital needs and daily operations. While the FAST Act increases dedicated bus funding by 89 percent over five years, it does not distribute funding equitably to the states. For example, Wisconsin accounts for two percent of the nation’s population, but receives just one percent of the funding. We encourage Congress to address this funding discrepancy, and remind lawmakers of the importance of programs like the Bus and Bus-Related Facilities Program, which is critical to supporting major transit equipment replacement activities. Continued Support for Housing and Community Development Programs Federally-backed housing and community development programs such as the Rent Assistance Program, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are critical to assisting the housing needs of our citizens. We urge Congress to increase funding for administration of the Rent Assistance Program to 100 percent of fee eligibility, and require more timely notification of funding to housing authorities. We also request that Congress restore CDBG and HOME funding to 2010 levels and adjust them annually based on median income and poverty level changes. Community Development Funding The federal government offers numerous sources of funding for community, but these programs have become increasingly difficult to access because of their heightened emphasis on addressing regional issues. More often than not, community projects are heavily influenced by local variables. Additional challenges exist with aligning projects to fulfill the low-to-moderate income national objectives that serve as the foundation for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Many smaller urban areas, such as Rock County, struggle to meet these national objectives for non- housing oriented CDBD activities. We encourage Congress to re-examine these Continued on page 12