I don't know if this has been discuss but I read this article about Groundhog Day:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/19/040419fa_fact3?currentPage=7
It seems that Bill Murray and Harold Ramis haven't really talked in 11 years after the finishing of Groundhog Day. Murray and Ramis had a falling out because Murray wanted the film to be more philosophical while Ramis had to remind him it was comedy. Because of this Murray was in a bad mood throughout production often being late on the set. After production wrapped Murray went home and hasn't spoken to Ramis since then.
I think this is probably one of the reasons (hopefully not) why Bill's involvement in GB III is sketchy. Personally I love Groundhog Day, its one of my favorite movies and I think it works because its half comedy and half serious.
Murray is talented and funny. But difficult.
He is, after all, the one who complained the most about the weight of the proton pack during the first movie