Trump Adds Potential Supreme Court Picks
Date Thu, Sep. 10, 2020 - 4:35pm By Hamilton
On Wednesday, President Trump released 20 new names for his short list of potential Supreme Court picks. The new names join the previous list of 25 names he would consider for the position. President Trump first released a list of 11 potential jurists in 2016. The new additions are: – Daniel Cameron, Kentucky attorney general – Ted Cruz, Texas senator […]
September MU Poll: Presidential Race Remains Tight; Voters React to Kenosha Incidents and Schools Reopening
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 3:19pm By Hamilton
The latest Marquette University (MU) Law School poll released September 9, shows little movement among Wisconsin voters in their pick for the President. The poll, which was conducted Aug. 30 to Sept. 3, 2020, comes days after Wisconsin was thrust into the national spotlight over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. In addition to the […]
PSCW (Again) Extends Shut-Off Moratorium
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 10:09am By Hamilton
On August 20, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) voted 2-1 to again extend the utility shut-off moratorium until October 1, 2020. In July, the three-person Commission extended the moratorium for only residential customers (which previously was set to expire on July 25) until September 1. The moratorium was originally implemented by Governor Evers […]
Gov. Evers Calls Special Session on Policing Accountability and Transparency; Legislature Responds
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 10:08am By Hamilton
In response of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, on August 24, Gov. Evers called a special session of the legislature to address policing accountability and transparency to begin on August 31, 2020. The Senate and the Assembly gaveled in for the special session but met in “skeletal session,” meaning they did not actually […]
PFAS Update: DNR Stakeholder Group for PFAS Rules Meets, Firefighting Foam Emergency Rulemaking
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 10:06am By Hamilton
On Thursday, August 27, the DNR Stakeholder Group for PFAS rules met virtually to focus on the rule-making for PFAS Surface Water criteria in NR 105. The agenda included a recap of previous meetings and a discussion on how DNR intends to identify the economic impact of the developing standard. DNR reiterated their overall approach “used […]
LFB Releases Better-Than-Expected Revenue Numbers
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 10:04am By Hamilton
On August 30, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released the preliminary 2019-20 general fund tax collections. While many budget-watchers anticipated very bad news for state revenues, the LFB report actually showed tax collections up slightly (1.1 percent) over the previous year. Based on the preliminary information, collections totaled $17.5 billion in 2019-20, which is $112.6 […]
PSCW Releases Draft Order on EVs Pilot Program Plan
Date Wed, Sep. 9, 2020 - 10:02am By Hamilton
In August, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) voted to require Wisconsin’s major electric utilities to submit an electric vehicle pilot program plan for PSCW review and approval by May 15, 2021. Last week, PSCW opened a public comment period on the draft Commission order. Per the order, PSCW directed utilities to include in […]
COVID-19 Premises Liability Legislation Circulating in Wisconsin Legislature
Date Thu, Sep. 3, 2020 - 10:46am By Hamilton
Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam), and Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) are circulating legislation to shield Wisconsin businesses, schools, universities, and other entities from the threat of lawsuits alleging liability for COVID-19 exposures. Such protections would only apply to those who take adequate precautions to keep their premises safe. On September 9, […]
On Whose Authority? Recent COVID-19 Lawsuits Challenge Claims of Constitutional and Statutory Authority
Date Tue, Sep. 1, 2020 - 10:50am By Hamilton
Back in May, Wisconsin Legislature v. Palm settled the question of whether the Wisconsin Department of Health Services had explicit authority to extend a state of emergency. (Short answer: no.) But as policies surrounding COVID-19 prevention continue full force, it looks like the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear three more lawsuits challenging the authority of government officials: […]
Former Packer Brings Racial Discrimination Class Action Against NFL
Date Mon, Aug. 31, 2020 - 10:57am By Hamilton
Najeh Davenport, a former Green Bay Packers running back, and Kevin Henry, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, are the lead plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in concussion settlements paid out by the National Football League. The NFL had a 2014 settlement agreement with players that paid out players who had suffered head trauma. Specifically, […]