Next week will mark the beginning of the next biennium’s state budget process, as 2019-21 agency budget requests are due to Gov. Scott Walker and the Department of Administration (DOA) on Monday, Sept. 17. Walker has directed agencies to be “aggressive” in identifying savings and to aim for zero growth in overall general purpose revenue […]
Study Committee Update: Direct Primary Care Committee Discusses Employer Models, Physician Burnout, Legislation
Date Thu, Sep. 13, 2018 - 10:23am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on Direct Primary Care (DPC) met for the second time on Aug. 29. The committee heard from several presenters and engaged in discussion on what the future work from the committee might look like. First, Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin) and Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) gave the committee an overview of the […]
Study Committee Update: School Trust Funds Committee Discusses Fund Management Strategy
Date Thu, Sep. 13, 2018 - 10:17am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on Investment and Use of School Trust Funds met for the second time on Sept. 5. The meeting focused on how and by whom the school trust fund should be managed. Areas of interest to committee members included adopting new strategies to increase the fund’s returns and reexamining the Board of Commissioners […]
LFB Releases Preliminary 2017-18 General Fund Tax Collections
Date Thu, Sep. 13, 2018 - 10:12am By Hamilton
On August 30, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released the preliminary 2017-18 general fund tax collections. Overall, revenues were 4 percent higher in fiscal year 2017-18 than in 2016-17, totaling $16,144.2 million. Actual collections for 2017-18 were $18.4 million, just 0.1 percent above the amount estimated in January. Revenues from individual income taxes were 1.2 percent […]
DOR Releases Online Sales Tax Emergency Rule
Date Thu, Sep. 13, 2018 - 10:07am By Hamilton
The Department of Revenue (DOR) filed an emergency rule this week related to the collection of online sales taxes. The rule will allow DOR to collect Wisconsin’s 5 percent sales tax from online sellers without a physical presence in the state beginning on Oct. 1, 2018. The emergency rule aims to bring Wisconsin into conformity […]
Wisconsin Continues to Lead ACA Litigation
Date Wed, Sep. 12, 2018 - 12:19pm By Hamilton
Earlier this year, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with 18 other states, filed a brief in support of preliminary injunction in federal district court against the federal government’s enforcement of the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A judge from the Northern District of Texas court heard […]
Study Committee Update: Alcohol Beverages Enforcement Committee Discusses Three-Tier, Agency Enforcement
Date Fri, Aug. 24, 2018 - 11:26am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on Alcohol Beverages Enforcement met for the second time on Aug. 22. The hearing started with attorneys from Wisconsin Towns and Wisconsin Municipalities Associations discussing how they handle inquiries from their members as to what is and is not allowable under Wisconsin law. Both groups said that they predominantly deal with the […]
Legislators Participate in ‘Apprenticeship Signing Day’
Date Fri, Aug. 24, 2018 - 9:58am By Hamilton
On Aug. 23, legislators participated in ‘Apprenticeship Signing Day,’ joining Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin in celebrating Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program. Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield), Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Lake Hallie), and Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls) attended the event, which took place at Royal Construction in Eau Claire. Apprenticeship Signing Day featured high […]
Marquette Poll: Walker/Evers, Baldwin/Vukmir Races Start Out as Dead Heats
Date Fri, Aug. 24, 2018 - 9:51am By Hamilton
On Aug. 22, Marquette University (MU) Law School released its first poll analyzing 2018 election candidates after the August primary elections. The poll went into the field the day after the primary from Aug. 15-19. Among likely voters, President Donald Trump had his highest job approval rating in the MU poll since he took office […]
EPA Proposes Affordable Clean Energy Rule
Date Thu, Aug. 23, 2018 - 2:00pm By Hamilton
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which replaces the 2015 Clean Power Plan. A rule promulgated during the previous administration, the Clean Power Plan imposed costly regulatory burdens on power plants in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA proposed repealing the Clean Power Plan […]