The Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this month heard oral arguments in a case deciding whether the defendant is an “owner” and thus liable for damages caused by a dog at the home he owned, but in which he did not live. The case is Augsburger v. Homestead Mut. Ins., 2012AP641. Background The defendant owned […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court to Determine Manure as a Pollutant for Insurance Policies
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 2:08pm By Hamilton
On Friday, September 12, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard a number of cases dealing with the issue of whether septage is a “pollutant” that triggers the pollution exclusions in the insurers’ policies. Below is a discussion of the cases heard by the Supreme Court. Background In the first case (Preisler v. Kuettel’s Septic Service, […]
Wis. Supreme Court to Determine Worker’s Compensation Case
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 2:01pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, September 23 in a case that will decide whether the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) preempts the State of Wisconsin from imposing penalties for safety violations under Wisconsin laws. Background An employee (Tonya Wetor) was injured on the job while working at […]
Part of Wisconsin Campaign Finance Law Invalidated by Federal Court
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 1:47pm By Hamilton
Earlier this year, Tidbits reported on a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision (McCutcheon v. FEC) in which the court struck down individual aggregate contribution limits to federal campaigns. In McCutcheon, the law in question limited how much an individual candidate could receive in total from numerous contributors. The Supreme Court held that the law was […]
Federal Court Upholds Voter ID Law
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 1:36pm By Hamilton
Earlier this summer, Tidbits reported that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had issued its long awaited opinions (League of Women Voters v. Walker and Milwaukee Branch of NAACP v. Walker) upholding Wisconsin’s controversial Voter ID law (2013 Wisconsin Act 23) and declaring it constitutional. However, the law was still on hold after the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s […]
Study Committee on Transfer of Structured Settlements
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 12:36pm By Hamilton
The Legislative Council has convened a summer study committee that has legislators and public members reviewing the transfer of structured settlement payments. The committee has been meeting since late July to hear presentations from Wisconsin and national professionals who handle structured settlement agreements. By late 2014, the committee plans to submit legislation to the Wisconsin […]
Gov. Walker Releases Jobs Plan
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 12:34pm By Hamilton
Governor Scott Walker has released a 64-page campaign jobs plan, “Continuing Wisconsin’s Comeback.” Walker’s plan focuses on: Tax reduction and relief; Closing the skills gap through worker training and higher education tuition freezes; and Putting more controls on state entitlement programs, to get more people working. You can read the highlights of the jobs plan […]
WEDA Names First Executive Director
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 12:28pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) has named its first full-time executive director: Brian Doudna, of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC). WEDA President Patrick Schloss said the organization was looking for a candidate who was “active in economic development” and had a “proven ability to grow an organization and proven leadership to […]
TIF Study Committee Moves Towards Possible Legislation
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 11:23am By Hamilton
Members of the Study Committee on the Review of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) discuss possible legislation. At the most recent meeting of the Legislative Council Study Committee on the Review of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), legislators and public members discussed bill concepts they would like drafted for review prior to the upcoming legislative session. […]
Structural Deficit Pegged at $1.8 Billion but Fluctuating
Date Thu, Sep. 18, 2014 - 11:17am By Hamilton
Following the Department of Revenue report in August on a $281 million tax revenue shortfall for the end of FY14 (June 30, 2014) the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has re-estimated the “structural deficit” going into the 2015-17 biennium. The structural deficit is a measure of how general fund tax collections in the current 2013-15 budget […]