Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield) was appointed Thursday as interim chairman of the Assembly Committee on Transportation. Spiros replaces former Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi), whom Gov. Scott Walker recently appointed to be the assistant deputy secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Spiros served in the U.S. Air Force for six years and […]
Rep. Spiros Named Interim Transportation Committee Chair
Date Fri, Jan. 19, 2018 - 10:02am By Hamilton
Gov. Walker Calls Special Session on Welfare Reform
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:49pm By Hamilton
Gov. Scott Walker issued an executive order on Thursday calling for a special session of the legislature on welfare reform. As part of the special session, the legislature will take up a package of 10 bills authored by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield). LRB 5218/5282 would authorize the Department of […]
Floor Report: Assembly Votes on First Bills of 2018 and Unveils 2018 Agenda
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:42pm By Hamilton
The Assembly met on Jan. 16 for the legislature’s first floor session of 2018. In the relatively short calendar, most of the bills passed on a bipartisan basis with little discussion. First on the agenda, the Assembly voted to pass a resolution requiring anti-harassment and ethics training for Assembly members, officers, and employees. The Assembly […]
Bills of Note: Protective Status for County Jailers
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:23pm By Hamilton
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, the Assembly Committee on Corrections held a public hearing on AB 676 to provide protective status for county jailers. Under the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), protective occupation status allows employees to retire at an earlier age (50 years old) and receive duty disability benefits if they are injured in the line […]
Bills of Note: Occupation Credential Fee Waivers
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:15pm By Hamilton
Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) and Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) have authored legislation (AB 733/SB 616) that would waive fees for initial occupation credentials for people whose incomes are beneath 180 percent of the federal poverty line. The bill also eliminates the provision in the veterans fee waiver program that says veterans may only […]
Bills of Note: Apprenticeships
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:12pm By Hamilton
On Jan. 10, the Assembly Committee on Workforce Development held a public hearing on three bills that promote apprenticeships in Wisconsin. AB 745, authored by Rep. Romaine Quinn (R-Barron) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), would allow high school seniors to participate in apprenticeship programs. AB 734, authored by Rep. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) and […]
Bills of Note: Talent Attraction
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:10pm By Hamilton
The Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy held a hearing on Jan. 10 on AB 811, authored by Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac), that directs the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), in coordination with other agencies, to develop and implement talent attraction initiatives in Wisconsin. The bill adds […]
Governor’s Autonomous Vehicle Committee January Meeting
Date Thu, Jan. 18, 2018 - 3:03pm By Hamilton
The Governor’s Steering Committee on Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment met at the Capitol on Jan. 17. Created under Executive Order 245, the Committee continues to collect a variety of information on autonomous vehicles that will inform a final report due to the governor by June 30, 2018. Presenting first to the committee […]
Assembly Committee Holds Hearing on Litigation Reform Bill
Date Fri, Jan. 5, 2018 - 10:02am By Hamilton
The Assembly Committee on Judiciary held a hearing Thursday on a bill that would reform Wisconsin’s civil liability statutes to lower litigation costs for Wisconsin businesses and government. AB 773, authored by Reps. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) and John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Sens. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) and David Craig (R-Big Bend), would further improve Wisconsin’s […]
2018 Session Preview
Date Fri, Jan. 5, 2018 - 9:58am By Hamilton
If the flurry of activity and committee meetings is any indication, the legislature plans to get a lot done in the next two or three months. While there may not be a lot of high profile issues left in play, there is still plenty of legislation moving or dying in what will be the busiest […]