Hamilton Consulting: Your Government Relations Easy Button

As the 2013-14 Legislative Session progresses, the Hamilton team is working to make sure our clients have the tools necessary to accomplish their government relations goals. We encourage our clients to remember to make use of all the many services we provide: Political Tidbits – Political Tidbits is our FREE email newsletter on political and […]

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Supreme Court Debate Scheduled

The State Bar of Wisconsin and We the People/Wisconsin are hosting a debate between the Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates. The incumbent, Justice Patience Roggensack, and her challenger, Marquette University Law School Professor Ed Fallone, will debate on Friday, March 22 at 7:00 PM before an audience at the State Bar Center. WISC-TV Anchor Eric Franke […]

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Voters Will Get Say on Transportation Fund Amendment

In November 2014, voters will go to the polls to decide whether to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to bar public officials from raiding the state’s road fund for other uses. Since 2003, more than $1.3 billion has been redirected from the transportation fund and spent on unrelated programs. AJR 2 would prevent any money the […]

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Next Steps for the Budget

Now that the budget has been introduced, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau will take 3-4 weeks to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the bill for the Joint Finance Committee (JFC). Starting in mid-March, JFC will schedule committee hearings and invite selected agency heads to appear and testify before the committee on their respective agency budgets. Public […]

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Mining Bill on the Assembly Floor Today

The mining bill, SB1, is being debated on the Assembly floor today. The bill is expected to pass this evening, after the 9.5 hours of scheduled debate expires. This is the last legislative step in the lawmaking process as the Senate passed the bill on February 27. Assembly approval would send the bill to Gov. Walker […]

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DATCP Secretary Details Agency Efforts

In an interview with The Wheeler Report, DATCP Secretary Ben Brancel talked about international trade, Wisconsin Clean Sweep Program, and robocalls.   What are the major accomplishments of your agency? International activities are showing success for 2012. We had $2.9 billion in agricultural commodities that left Wisconsin for other areas of the world. The most […]

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Celebrate Red Cross Month

March is Red Cross Month, a time to remind everyone of the work of the American Red Cross in communities across the country and around the globe.   The American Red Cross was created in 1881 by Clara Barton and officially chartered by Congress in 1900 to provide national and international relief during disasters, and […]

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Dept. of Corrections Secretary Talks with Wheeler Report

Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Wall spoke with The Wheeler Report this week about his agency and the challenges it faces.   As a new department secretary what are your goals for the agency?We have a tremendously talented workforce at DOC. We are the largest cabinet agency, and our mission of public safety is our […]

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Kitty Rhoades Appointed Secretary of the Department of Health Services

Gov. Walker has announced that Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary Dennis G. Smith is stepping down and is being replaced by DHS Deputy Secretary Kitty Rhoades. Prior to being appointed to her current position in January 2011, Rhoades served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1999 until her retirement in 2010. During her […]

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Legislation Introduced Provides Transparency in Government Retention of Plaintiffs’ Attorneys on Contingency Fee Basis

Rep. Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) and Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) have introduced legislation (SB 19) that provides greater transparency and oversight when the State of Wisconsin hires private plaintiffs’ attorneys on a contingency fee basis. This legislation applies to contingency fee contracts with private plaintiffs’ attorneys – cases where a plaintiff attorney is paid […]

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