Assembly Bill 669/Senate Bill authored by Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem) and Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) has passed the Assembly, however it is uncertain whether the Senate will take up the bill. The legislation would establish criminal penalties for committing fraud against the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). The bill would make it a crime […]
WEDC Fraud Bill Passes Assembly, Status of the Bill Unclear in the Senate
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:19pm By Hamilton
Tobacco License Bill Heads to Governor
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:16pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 628/Senate Bill 528, authored Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) makes changes to the circumstances and procedures under which a local municipality can suspend retail tobacco licenses. The legislation passed the Senate and the Assembly via voice votes and now heads to Governor Walker for a signature. Under the […]
Legislature Passes Some TIF Bills
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:14pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Walker signed these bills into law as 2015 Wisconsin Acts 254, 255, 256, and 257 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. This week, the Assembly passed the following legislation part of the tax increment financing (TIF) bill package. The bills are a product of the 2014 Legislative Council study committee on TIF. The Senate passed […]
Legislation to Eliminate Twelve-Hour Hold for Strip Searches Passes
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:07pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Scott Walker signed this bill into law as 2015 Wisconsin Act 206 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. On February 18, the Assembly concurred on legislation to remove the twelve-hour hold provision for strip searches. The legislation, Senate Bill 248, would remove the requirement that jail administrators hold detainees for 12 hours before being […]
Minor Driver’s Sponsorship Liability Bills Pass Legislature
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:51pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Scott Walker signed this bill into law as 2015 Wisconsin Act 202 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Sen. Kapenga (R-Delafield) and Rep. Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) championed legislation (Assembly Bill 540/Senate Bill 408) to limit the liability that may be imputed to an innocent parent or other adult who sponsors a person under the […]
Social and Financial Impact for Health Care Mandates Legislation Passes Assembly
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:47pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 543 and Senate Bill 413, authored by Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown) and Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield), would prevent the legislature from holding a hearing on or taking a vote on legislation that creates new health care insurance mandates until after it has received a report from the Commissioner of Insurance. Under current law, […]
Bradley and Kloppenburg Advance to General Election
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:44pm By Hamilton
Rebecca Bradley and JoAnn Kloppenburg advanced to the Wisconsin Supreme Court general election on April 5. Bradley edged Kloppenburg, 45% to 43%, to take first place in the primary. Joe Donald came in a distant third place with only 12% of the vote. Bradley was appointed to the state’s highest court in October of last […]
Room Tax Technical Clarification Bill Advances
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:39pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 714/Senate Bill 578 authored by Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton) clarifies the definition of tourism entities that collect room tax. The legislation adjusts the creation date of an existing tourism entity to help those created after 1992 but before January 1, 2016. It changes a provision that requires all […]
Prohibition of Regulating Auxiliary Containers Passes Assembly
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:35pm By Hamilton
Legislation that would prohibit a city, village, town, or county from regulating auxiliary containers (a bag, cup, bottle, etc.) made of cloth, paper, plastic cardboard, corrugated material, aluminum, glass, postconsumer recycled material, or similar substances, has passed the Assembly. In effect, this legislation would prohibit political subdivisions from regulating auxiliary containers, but would not prohibit […]
Nuclear Moratorium Bill Heads to Governor
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:30pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 384, introduced by Rep. Ken Petersen (R-Waupaca) and Senate Bill 288, introduced by Sen. Frank Lasee (R-De Pere) would end the moratorium on nuclear power plants in the state of Wisconsin. The moratorium, 1983 Wisconsin Act 401, was put in place following the Three Mile Island plant accident in 1979. The Assembly Committee […]