Several legislators have authored a bill to create hospital price transparency requirements in Wisconsin. The authors, Sens. Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Bradley (R-Franklin) and Reps. Brooks (R-Saukville) and Rozar (R-Marshfield), are referring to the legislation as the “Know Your Healthcare Costs Act.” The bill requires hospitals to create a publicly available, machine-readable digital file containing a […]
Legislators Propose Hospital Price Transparency Requirements
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:52am By Hamilton
Litigation Financing: Coalition Asks Federal Committee to Adopt Disclosure Rule
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:50am By Hamilton
We recently reported on the ongoing controversy involving Burford Capital, the largest provider of third party litigation funding (TPLF) in the world. On May 8, a broad national coalition of 35 business associations and tort reform advocates sent a letter to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules regarding TPLF. The letter asks the committee […]
Assembly Republicans Release Shared Revenue Proposal
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 10:10am By Hamilton
On April 27, Assembly Republican legislators outlined their 2023-25 state budget proposal for “shared revenue,” state tax revenue that is divided among local governments to support various programs and services. The proposal shares some similarities with what Gov. Evers (D) proposed in his executive budget, in particular dedicating one-fifth of the state’s sales tax revenue […]
Finance Committee Begins Voting on 2023-25 Budget Motions, Removing Hundreds of Gov. Evers’ Proposals
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:39am By Hamilton
This week, the Joint Committee on Finance began voting on motions to reshape the 2023-25 state budget as originally proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). This process, expected to conclude by mid-June, will result in the final budget bill that will be voted on by the full Legislature. Wisconsin’s next fiscal year (2023-24) will begin […]
Lawsuit Against Burford Capital Reveals Dangers of Litigation Financing
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:26am By Hamilton
Third party litigation funding or “litigation financing” is a form of investing in which hedge funds and other financiers invest in a lawsuit in exchange for a portion of any settlement or judgement award. The investment provides cash to plaintiffs to litigate a claim, while the financier—thanks to its sophisticated underwriting—anticipates the case to end […]
Tracking the Senate Confirmation Process for the Evers Administration Cabinet
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:19am By Hamilton
In a January interview, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said that the Senate would work to hold confirmation hearings on department secretaries and other agency heads appointed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). During Gov. Evers’ first term, the Senate chose not to take confirmation votes on about 185 of the governor’s appointments, including many […]
Gov. Evers Signs First Acts of 2023-24 Session
Date Wed, Apr. 19, 2023 - 9:50am By Hamilton
In April, Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed the first four laws of the 2023-24 legislative session as 2023 Wisconsin Acts 1 through 4. So far, the governor has not issued any vetoes this session. Act 3, originally SB 75, implements the recently approved constitutional amendment regarding bail and pre-conviction release for people accused of a […]
Assembly Floor Sessions: April 2023
Date Wed, Apr. 19, 2023 - 9:46am By Hamilton
April 18 (floor calendar) The Assembly met April 18 and passed five resolutions, including recognizing Earth Day and honoring the lives and public service of former Gov. Anthony Earl and former UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. The Assembly passed the following bills, primarily related to local government administration and the operation of miscellaneous programs: AB 36: […]
Senate Floor Session: April 19
Date Wed, Apr. 19, 2023 - 9:44am By Hamilton
The Senate will meet April 19 (floor calendar) to vote on bills, resolutions, and executive appointments. The Senate will vote on two agency heads appointed by Gov. Evers (D) and 25 other appointees to several professional examining boards, the Wisconsin Technical College System board, and various other regulatory and advisory bodies. The Senate will consider […]
Tracking the Senate Confirmation Process for the Evers Administration Cabinet
Date Wed, Apr. 19, 2023 - 9:39am By Hamilton
In a January interview, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said that the Senate would work to hold confirmation hearings on department secretaries and other agency heads appointed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). During Gov. Evers’ first term, the Senate chose not to take confirmation votes on about 185 of the governor’s appointments, including many […]