Mary Lazich (R-ALEC) Fails to Represent Senate District 28 Again

The recent attack on the board of Milwaukee Area Technical College (SB 275) was co-sponsored by none other than Mary Lazich who ran unopposed to represent ALEC in Wisconsin State Senate District 28.

There are sixteen technical college districts in Wisconsin and at least three are partially in Senate District 28. The Milwaukee Area Technical College includes the Whitnall, Greendale, Greenfield, and Franklin School Districts which are all in senate district 28. Currently the board chair of each of these districts is on the MATC Board Appointment Committee. This board appointment process was agreed upon by each of the school districts as they formed the MATC District back in the mid 1960's. It was specifically to give the elected members of each of the school boards an input into the governing of the MATC District.

Let me make it clear that when the MATC District was formed each of the school districts had to give up authority which they previously had and transfer it to the new district. In exchange for this transfer of authority they were given input into the appointment of members of the new board. There are currently four members of the MATC Board Appointment Committee who represent the school districts in Senate District 28 which are also within the MATC District.

Senate Bill (SB 275) will do away with that appointment committee and replace it with the County Executives of Ozaukee County, Washington County, Milwaukee County and the Chairman of the Milwaukee County Board.

THERE WILL BE NO REPRESENTATION FROM SENATE DISTRICT 28 ON THE MATC BOARD APPOINTMENT COMMITTEE.

There are significant numbers of students from Senate District 28 who attend MATC, yet residents of Senate District 28 will have no input (under Lazich's Senate Bill 275) into the makeup of the Board. While on the other hand, there are few students from Washington County who attend MATC, but Senator Grothman's Senate District will have 50% of the input into the MATC Board under SB 275.

Senate Bill (SB 275) will replace five members of the board (two employers, two employees and one citizen at large) with five members from private for profit businesses or hospitals with at least two being from companies that employee over 100 and none from companies that employee less than 15.

This eliminates small business people, public employers, public servants, and citizens. This lack of multiple stakeholder input flies in the face of 100 years of participatory traditions in Wisconsin.

THIS BILL HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY MARY LAZICH AND HAS HAD NO OPEN DISCUSSION OR PROFESSIONAL OR COMMUNITY INPUT.