Over the last two weeks, there has been extensive bill movement as Governor Walker signed eleven bills into law on April 8th and this week, the State Assembly took up a long list of bills. This included legislation on the ban of microbeads and a bill that would allow for popular ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, to operate in Wisconsin.

Ride-sharing Bill 

At the end of March, Representative Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva) introduced Assembly Bill 143, to regulate and allow for the operation of ridesharing services. The bill quickly moved through committee and passed the Assembly this week on a bipartisan 79-19 vote. If signed into the law, the bill would pre-empt local ordinances in places such as Madison and Milwaukee that are already regulating the ridesharing companies. This bill would require companies purchase a $5,000 license and maintain at least $1 million in liability insurance, and drivers would have to undergo background checks. 

Microbeads

As explained in a previous edition of Bills of Note, Assembly Bill 15/Senate Bill 15, introduced by Rep. Mary Czaja (R-Irma), prohibits the sale and manufacturing of products containing microbeads. The bill has now passed the Assembly and Senate with unanimous consent in both houses.

If signed into law by Governor Walker, the manufacturing and sale of microbeads (including over-the-counter products) will be prohibited in the state as of December 31 2019. The prohibitions included in the bill do not apply to prescription drugs. Similar legislation passed last year in Illinois and New Jersey.

Gov. Walker Signs 11 Bills

Governor Walker signed 11 bills into law on April 8th, creating statutes in areas ranging from restraining orders to newspapers to the Incorporation of the town of Ledgeview in Brown County. Below is a list of those signed bills: 

• Act 4: Restraining Orders and Injunctions
• Act 5: Human Trafficking
• Act 6: Raffles
• Act 7: Newspaper Recycling
• Act 8: Liquor Licenses
• Act 9: Food Protection Practices
• Act 10: Liquor Samples
• Act 11: Town Line Highway
• Act 12: Municipal Court Matters
• Act 13: Town of Ledgeview
• Act 14: Intimidating a Witness