The Wisconsin Assembly has passed three bills, AB 19, AB 27 and AB 139, that will improve Wisconsin’s litigation climate, making Wisconsin a more attractive place to do business. Video of the floor debate is available from WisconsinEye. Personal Injury Trust Claims Transparency (AB 19): The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency and […]
Affordable Care Act FAQ
Date Tue, May. 7, 2013 - 3:56pm By Hamilton
In response to numerous inquiries related to the federal Affordable Care Act, the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) has developed FAQ documents to help answer questions employers, agents and consumers have about the impact the Act will have in Wisconsin. OCI will continually update the FAQs as additional information and guidance is […]
Governor Takes Cabinet on the Road for Economic Development
Date Tue, May. 7, 2013 - 3:52pm By Hamilton
Gov. Walker has launched a “Cabinet on the Road” initiative to give the Governor and the Cabinet leaders the opportunity to listen and gather feedback from area business leaders and economic development groups around the state. “This is all a part of our continued efforts to help the people create jobs,” Governor Walker said. “I’m […]
Wisconsin A National Leader in Screening for and Identifying Hearing Loss in Infants
Date Tue, May. 7, 2013 - 11:00am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is celebrating Wisconsin’s success in testing infants for hearing loss during Better Hearing and Speech Month. Click to see a public service announcement from DHS. “In 1999, when Wisconsin passed an initiative to begin early screening for hearing problems in babies, less than 2% of infants were screened,” […]
Civil Justice Bills Headed to the Floor
Date Fri, May. 3, 2013 - 8:41am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Assembly has scheduled a floor vote on three civil justice bills for Wednesday, May 8. Personal Injury Trust Claims Transparency (AB 19): The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency and prevent fraud involving personal injury trusts by creating certain discovery requirements during litigation. Numerous types of personal injury trusts have been […]
Policy Items & Earmarks in the Budget
Date Fri, May. 3, 2013 - 8:35am By Hamilton
Each budget cycle, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), releases an analysis of non-fiscal policy items in the draft budget. This year the LFB is also required to release a list of earmarks contained in the budget. Policy ItemsThe LFB identified 58 policy items in the budget bill. Criteria the LFB used to identify non-fiscal policy […]
Joint Finance Committee Begins Voting on Budget
Date Fri, May. 3, 2013 - 8:33am By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee has begun taking votes on various parts of the budget. Prior to each JFC session the Legislative Fiscal Bureau publishes a budget paper detailing the various options the committee will vote on at a specific session. The next JFC session is scheduled for May 9. The committee is slated to cover […]
Celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week
Date Thu, May. 2, 2013 - 4:16pm By Hamilton
The first full week of May is annually recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week, a tradition first celebrated in 1984. This year’s events focus on the theme of travel effect. From May 4 – 12 events will be held across the country focusing on the impact of travel and tourism. According to a press […]
Legislature Considers Various Venture Capital Proposals
Date Thu, May. 2, 2013 - 3:42pm By Hamilton
This week the legislature held a hearing on one venture capital bill and started discussions about another. Venture capital is a hot topic this session because Wisconsin lags behind other states in the availability of start-up capital, but there is a hesitancy to put taxpayer money at risk. The Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and […]
Misdemeanors in Wisconsin
Date Thu, May. 2, 2013 - 1:09pm By Hamilton
The non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau has compiled an informational brief on the statutory differences between misdemeanors and felonies. The brief also includes a 32 page list of all the statutory misdemeanors in Wisconsin.