On June 11, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined eight other states and Washington, D.C. in a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed merger of wireless communication companies T-Mobile and Sprint. The complaint argues that combining the market share of T-Mobile and Sprint would result in less competition, higher prices, and reduced innovation. The […]
Wisconsin AG Joins Lawsuit to Block T-Mobile-Sprint Merger, Other Multistate Actions
Date Thu, Jun. 13, 2019 - 2:23pm By Hamilton
Gov. Evers Announces Health Care Coverage Partnership
Date Thu, Jun. 13, 2019 - 10:27am By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Health Services announced last week a Health Care Coverage Partnership aimed at boosting health care insurance enrollment, through both the individual market and Medicaid. The Partnership will: Educate consumers by promoting HealthCare.gov and using insurance agents and navigators. Engage with stakeholders, […]
Menard, Inc. v. City of Marinette (Property Tax Assessment)
Date Thu, Jun. 6, 2019 - 1:44pm By Hamilton
In Menard, Inc. v. City of Marinette (2018AP533), the Court of Appeals District III considered a lawsuit challenging the City of Marinette’s property tax assessment of a Menard’s store. In 2016, Marinette assessed the Menard’s store at a value of $9 million. Menard challenged the assessment in circuit court, contending the fair market value of […]
Town of Delafield v. Central Transport Kriewaldt (Federal Preemption of Weight Limits)
Date Thu, Jun. 6, 2019 - 1:43pm By Hamilton
In Town of Delafield v. Central Transport Kriewaldt (2017AP2525), the Court of Appeals District II held that federal transportation law does not preempt the town’s seasonal weight restriction on certain roads. Delafield posted signs identifying a seasonal weight restriction prohibiting vehicles over six tons from driving on designated town roads. A Central Transport delivery truck […]
Bill Lueders v. Scott Krug (Open Records Requests)
Date Thu, Jun. 6, 2019 - 1:42pm By Hamilton
In Lueders v. Krug (2018AP431), the Court of Appeals District II held that open records requesters have the right to receive electronic copies of email records. Bill Lueders, editor of The Progressive magazine and president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, emailed an open records request to Wisconsin state Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) for […]
Leicht Transfer & Storage Co. v. Pallet Central Enterprises, Inc. (Crime Insurance Coverage)
Date Thu, Jun. 6, 2019 - 1:41pm By Hamilton
In Leicht Transfer & Storage Co. v. Pallet Central Enterprises, Inc. (2019 WI 61), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that amounts paid in response to forged delivery tickets are not covered losses under a crime insurance policy. The underlying claim in the case arose when Pallet Central forged delivery tickets to Leicht. The companies used […]
Teske v. Wilson Mutual Insurance Co. (Claim Preclusion)
Date Thu, Jun. 6, 2019 - 1:39pm By Hamilton
In Teske v. Wilson Mutual Insurance Co. (2019 WI 62), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that previous litigation related to underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage precludes a second tort claim alleging negligence in the same accident. The litigation arose from a car accident that injured four members of the Teske family: Julie, Katherine, Elle, and Emily. […]
JFC Budget Votes Continue
Date Fri, May. 31, 2019 - 9:59am By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has continued to meet in executive sessions to vote on the 2019-21 state budget. Over the past two weeks, JFC has moved into some of the bigger budget items, including Tourism, Education, and Natural Resources. JFC plans to meet next Tuesday, June 4 but has not yet announced which agencies […]
May 28 – JFC Takes Up DNR, UW System, District Attorneys/Public Defenders
Date Fri, May. 31, 2019 - 9:59am By Hamilton
Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) rejoined the committee on May 28 after a medical absence over the past few weeks. With the full committee present again, JFC took up the district attorneys and public defenders, the University of Wisconsin System, and the Department of Natural Resources. Under District Attorneys and Public Defenders, Gov. Tony Evers […]
May 23 – JFC Passes Education Budget
Date Fri, May. 31, 2019 - 9:58am By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee took up the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) budget in their May 23 executive session. JFC Democrats presented an omnibus motion to adopt Gov. Evers’s DPI proposals. Because the motion included items already removed from the budget in JFC’s first executive session, JFC chair Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) ruled the motion […]