The Wisconsin Departments of Administration (DOA) and Workforce Development (DWD) have reached an agreement on the handling of contested worker’s compensation hearings in Wisconsin. The worker’s compensation program provides an exclusive remedy for claims involving workplace injuries, ensuring that injured workers are compensated while also protecting employers from excessive litigation costs. On November 9, the […]
DWD and DOA Clarify Jurisdiction Over Worker’s Compensation Cases
Date Thu, Nov. 18, 2021 - 5:46pm By Hamilton
Wisconsin COVID-19 Update: Pfizer Vaccine Available to Kids Five and Older
Date Thu, Nov. 18, 2021 - 5:44pm By Hamilton
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Available to Children Ages Five and Up Following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control, children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In Wisconsin, that age group includes about 500,000 kids. The Wisconsin Department of Health […]
Wisconsin Legislature to Vote on Redistricting Next Week
Date Fri, Nov. 5, 2021 - 9:02am By Hamilton
Next week, both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature are expected to meet and to take up Republican leaders’ proposals for legislative and congressional redistricting. The Senate is expected to be in session on Monday, November 8, while the Assembly is expected to meet the following Thursday, November 11. The Legislature’s current floor session ends on […]
Audit Bureau Releases 2020 Election Report
Date Fri, Nov. 5, 2021 - 7:49am By Hamilton
Last month, the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released its report on election policy in Wisconsin. LAB is a nonpartisan agency of the Wisconsin Legislature. In February, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee directed LAB to examine issues with election administration in Wisconsin in the context of the November 2020 general election. The report includes 18 recommendations […]
Biden Administration Releases Employer Vaccine Rules
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:49pm By Hamilton
The federal government has released the details of two administrative rules affecting more than 100 million workers in the United States, about two-thirds of the country’s active labor force. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are either vaccinated against COVID-19 […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Holding Oral Arguments September Through December
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:43pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has announced its schedule for oral arguments for the remainder of 2021. Earlier this year, the court heard cases in January through April and one case in May, then took a break over the summer and began hearing cases again in September. Below is a summary of the court’s schedule for […]
Former Lawmaker Enters AG Race, Calls on Other Candidates to Join
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:29pm By Hamilton
After shrinking last month, the field of Republican candidates for Wisconsin Attorney General has expanded again. As we reported here, UW-Madison professor Ryan Owens announced in early October that he was leaving the race. That decision left Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney as the only person seeking his party’s nomination for the position. Then, […]
Environmental Policy: State Developing Equity Tool; UW Hosts Climate Forum
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:26pm By Hamilton
Evers Administration Developing Environmental and Health Equity Map On October 7, Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that his administration is “developing a comprehensive environmental and public health mapping system known as the Wisconsin Environmental Equity Tool [WEET] which will analyze and visualize data online so users can pinpoint Wisconsin’s most impacted communities, identify the environmental […]
Speaker Vos Completes Term as NCSL President
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:24pm By Hamilton
On Friday, November 5, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) completed his two-year term as president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The NCSL held its legislative summit in Florida this week where Speaker Vos ceremonially passed the gavel to Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki, a Democrat. The NCSL alternates its leadership between […]
Republican Legislators Release Redistricting Proposals
Date Fri, Oct. 22, 2021 - 8:58am By Hamilton
On October 20, Republican leaders in the Wisconsin Legislature announced their proposals for new state legislative and congressional districts. Redistricting, a process of redrawing legislative district lines to account for population changes, takes place by law every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The Republican redistricting proposals have been introduced as two bills, Senate Bills […]