This week, the Wall Street Journal issued a fun quiz for political nerds everywhere. “We’ve blurred the faces, names and other tell-tale partisan signs from these 2014 campaign ads. Can you tell whether Democrats or Republicans are behind each of these campaign ads using just the imagery?”
TIF Study Committee October Update
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 6:14pm By Hamilton
In early October, the Legislative Council Study Committee on the Review of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) met to discuss further options for possible legislation, and look at drafted legislation that had been discussed at the previous committee meeting. A bill draft does not equate approval of the concept; drafts are preliminary and do not necessarily […]
DOA Releases End of Year Fiscal Report
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 5:42pm By Hamilton
Source: DOA FY14 Annual Fiscal Report The Department of Administration (DOA) released its fiscal report for FY14, and reported that state expenditures are less than budgeted, and tax revenues are below budget projections. The report detailed that while $14.8 billion was appropriated in the budget, actual expenditures came in at $68 million less than appropriated. […]
Burke and Walker Tied, Again
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 3:18pm By Hamilton
It may seem that much has happened in the governor’s race since Mary Burke’s announcement to take on Gov. Scott Walker nearly a year ago, and while that is true in some sense, the reality is that the fate of the race remains the same as it did when it began: It is toss-up that […]
Transportation Referendum on November Ballot
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 10:01am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Legislature has successfully adopted the same proposed constitutional amendment in each of the last two sessions, to make it illegal for the government to raid segregated funds for transportation to fill holes in the state budget. This qualifies the question for a deciding vote by electors in the upcoming November 2014 general election. […]
State of Wisconsin Business Event
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 9:38am By Hamilton
This week, the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce held their annual State of Wisconsin Business Event at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis. Keynote speakers included: Dr. Martin A. Regalia, Senior Vice President for Economic and Tax Policy and Chief Economist at the United States Chamber of Commerce; Stephen Moore, Chief Economist at The Heritage Foundation; […]
Upcoming Debates
Date Wed, Oct. 15, 2014 - 5:54pm By Hamilton
Don’t miss the last debates of the election season. Governor Walker & Mary Burke, Candidates for Wisconsin Governor October 17, Milwaukee area stations Brad Schimel & Susan Happ, Candidates for Wisconsin Attorney General October 24, Wisconsin Public Television October 29, WISC-TV
National Election Overview
Date Wed, Oct. 15, 2014 - 5:49pm By Hamilton
In the 2010 midterm elections, a wave of Republicans surged into the 112th Congress, consolidating the GOP hold on the House of Representatives. Although the Republican onslaught is unlikely to be repeated, this year’s midterm elections may shift the balance in the Senate, where the GOP is expecting to capture the majority. Historically, midterm elections […]
Transfer of Structured Settlements Committee Update
Date Wed, Oct. 15, 2014 - 5:37pm By Hamilton
The Legislative Council Study Committee on the Transfer of Structured Settlement Payments met last week to discuss the bill draft that would create a statute for the issue. Currently, Wisconsin is one of only two states that does not have state statute addressing the transfer of structured settlements. The committee’s discussion of the bill draft […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Issues Split Decision Resulting in Loss for Manufacturer
Date Wed, Oct. 15, 2014 - 4:31pm By Hamilton
The Supreme Court of Wisconsin on Tuesday, October 7 issued a split decision which resulted in a loss for Sohn Manufacturing in a worker’s compensation case. The issue before the Court was whether the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) preempts the State of Wisconsin from imposing penalties for safety violations under Wisconsin laws. […]