Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced an executive order creating the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence on August 23. The following day, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) announced the formation of four policy task forces, including the Speaker’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence. “Artificial intelligence” or “AI” refers to a range of technologies […]
Protasiewicz Joins Wisconsin Supreme Court as New Majority Asserts Control; Redistricting Lawsuits Filed
Date Thu, Aug. 17, 2023 - 10:20am By Hamilton
Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on August 1, replacing Justice Patience Roggensack, who did not seek reelection after serving two ten-year terms, including a stint as chief justice from 2015 to 2021. Justice Protasiewicz, previously a judge in Milwaukee County, defeated former Justice Dan Kelly in the […]
Gov. Evers Acts on 18 Bills, Vetoing Energy Source and Workforce Legislation
Date Thu, Aug. 17, 2023 - 9:44am By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced August 4 that he had taken action on 18 bills passed by the Wisconsin Legislature, signing eight into law and vetoing ten others. Aside from his partial vetoes of the 2023-25 state budget, these were the first vetoes issued by Gov. Evers in 2023. The new laws, numbered 2023 Wisconsin […]
Republican Melotik Wins AD 24 Special Election
Date Thu, Jul. 20, 2023 - 3:30pm By Hamilton
Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) defeated Bob Tatterson (D-Mequon) in a special election for the vacant 24th Assembly District. Melotik’s victory gives Republicans a 64-35 majority in the 99-member Assembly, two seats shy of a veto-proof majority. About 12,000 votes were cast in the July 18 election, and the results were as follows: Paul Melotik: 53.7% Bob […]
UPDATED: Fiscal Bureau Provides Updated Budget Numbers for 2023-25
Date Thu, Jul. 20, 2023 - 3:29pm By Hamilton
Following the enactment of the 2023-25 state budget (Act 19), the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) has released several memos on the budget, including the effects of partial vetoes issued by Gov. Evers. General Fund Projections Through 2027 According to this memo, the state is projected to have a balance of just over $4 billion at […]
PFAS Update: DNR Proposes 20 ppt Groundwater Standard for PFOA, PFOS
Date Thu, Jul. 20, 2023 - 3:23pm By Hamilton
On July 14, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) held a public stakeholder meeting on a rulemaking to establish groundwater standards for several PFAS compounds. Notably, DNR staff announced that the proposed rule will only seek to regulate two compounds, PFOA and PFOS. The scope statement for the rule included the possibility of regulating PFBS […]
2023-25 State Budget: Signed Into Law With 51 Partial Vetoes
Date Thu, Jul. 6, 2023 - 12:17pm By Hamilton
On July 5, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced his signing of 2023 Act 19, the Wisconsin state budget for the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, which began July 1. The two-year budget, assembled by the Republican-led Joint Committee on Finance, appropriates $97.4 billion. For comparison, the 2021-23 budget allocated $87.5 billion. The final version of the budget […]
Joint Finance Committee Takes Final Votes on 2023-25 Budget
Date Thu, Jul. 6, 2023 - 12:13pm By Hamilton
On June 22, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (Joint Finance Committee or JFC) held its final session on the 2023-25 state budget. After passing a series of motions to complete the budget, the committee voted to incorporate all its changes to date and to recommend the budget bill for passage by the Legislature. […]
State Budget: Gov. Evers Signs Shared Revenue, Education Funding Bills
Date Thu, Jun. 22, 2023 - 10:03am By Hamilton
As part of the 2023-25 state budget process, the Legislature has been advancing several bills to implement new programs and policy changes. The Republican-led Legislature has pursued policy language in separate legislation to avoid giving Gov. Tony Evers (D) the opportunity to exercise his powerful partial veto authority, which only applies to appropriations bills such […]
Assembly Floor Session: June 21
Date Thu, Jun. 22, 2023 - 10:02am By Hamilton
The Assembly met June 21 (floor calendar) to vote on bills and resolutions. The Assembly passed 15 bills in total, including a bill addressing reading instruction in K-12 schools and creating an early literacy assessment and intervention program. The Joint Finance Committee set aside $50 million in the state budget to implement this program. Notably, […]