The Wisconsin Counties Association is holding a free webinar on broadband deployment in Wisconsin on May 20 at 10 a.m. The importance of a robust broadband infrastructure to ensuring a high quality of life, facilitating job creation efforts and generating efficiencies in government operations has been well established. Despite a recognized need, communities around the […]
EPA Accepting Comments on Stormwater Proposal
Date Thu, May. 2, 2013 - 10:27am By Hamilton
The EPA has formally proposed revisions to its effluent guidelines for stormwater discharges from construction and development point sources. The proposed rule would make several revisions to the non-numeric requirements of the existing rule, as well as withdraw the numeric discharge standards. These changes reflect the terms of a settlement agreement between EPA and the […]
Analyzing the Impacts of Industrial Sand
Date Thu, May. 2, 2013 - 10:16am By Hamilton
The April 2013 issue of Wisconsin Interest, the magazine published by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, has an article making an economic and environmental argument in favor of frac sand mining. The article, “Mining Success,” also discusses the impact the sand industry has had on local governing boards.
The Truth About the Trust Bill
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:12pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Civil Justice Council (WCJC) fully supports and has the utmost respect for the men and women who have served in the military and protected our country. We also have the utmost sympathy for veterans who are injured as a result of their service. The WCJC would not support legislation that attempts to unfairly […]
Let Jury Decide on Reimbursement
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:09pm By Hamilton
Members of the WCJC executive committee had an editorial on collateral source legislation, Senate Bill 22 / Assembly Bill 29, published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Let Jury Decide on Reimbursement Under current Wisconsin law, plaintiffs and their attorneys reap significant windfalls in personal injury cases because the jury never gets to see evidence of […]
Legislature Considers Lemon Law Reforms
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:02pm By Hamilton
A coalition of vehicle manufacturers and dealers, including Hamilton Consulting clients, are supporting a Lemon Law reform bill being circulated by Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha). In their request for co-authors for the bill, the groups set forth their rational for supporting the legislation: Wisconsin is universally known among automobile, motorcycle, […]
WEDC Audit Raises Concerns
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 3:22pm By Hamilton
Wisconsin’s non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau has released an audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) detailing multiple compliance issues in the state’s main jobs agency. WEDC has faced repeated criticism for poor financial controls since its creation in July 2011. The latest audit confirmed many of the earlier concerns still exist and also highlighted […]
Settlement Shutters More Wisconsin Coal Plants
Date Mon, Apr. 22, 2013 - 5:34pm By Hamilton
The EPA, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), and various co-defendants and co-plaintiffs, have entered into a settlement agreement which will significantly alter Wisconsin’s energy generation portfolio and cost over a billion dollars. This action is part of a larger EPA plan to “eliminate or minimize emissions from coal-fired power plants, cement plants, glass plants […]
Wisconsin Senators Reach Deal on Federal Judge Nominations
Date Mon, Apr. 22, 2013 - 11:50am By Hamilton
Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators, Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin, have forged an agreement to establish a Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission that will work to move federal nominations that require approval of the U.S. Senate forward. The new agreement alters the makeup of a state nominating commission used to screen applicants for federal judge and US Attorney […]
Civil Justice Reform Bills Moving Forward
Date Fri, Apr. 19, 2013 - 9:07am By Hamilton
The past few weeks have been very active on the civil justice reform front. The Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees have held a number of public hearings on bills supported by various Hamilton Consulting clients related to the state’s civil justice system. Eliminating Phantom Damages AB 29/SB 22, authored by Rep. Andre Jacque and Sen. […]