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 […]
Next Steps for the Budget
Date Thu, Mar. 7, 2013 - 10:44am By Hamilton
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 […]
Mining Bill on the Assembly Floor Today
Date Thu, Mar. 7, 2013 - 10:42am By Hamilton
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 […]
DATCP Secretary Details Agency Efforts
Date Fri, Mar. 1, 2013 - 3:50pm By Hamilton
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 […]
Celebrate Red Cross Month
Date Fri, Mar. 1, 2013 - 10:05am By Hamilton
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 […]
Dept. of Corrections Secretary Talks with Wheeler Report
Date Fri, Feb. 22, 2013 - 1:16pm By Hamilton
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 […]
Kitty Rhoades Appointed Secretary of the Department of Health Services
Date Fri, Feb. 22, 2013 - 12:31pm By Hamilton
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 […]
Legislation Introduced Provides Transparency in Government Retention of Plaintiffs’ Attorneys on Contingency Fee Basis
Date Thu, Feb. 21, 2013 - 4:46pm By Hamilton
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 […]
Legislation Introduced Limiting Double-Dipping in Personal Injury Cases
Date Thu, Feb. 21, 2013 - 4:45pm By Hamilton
Rep. André Jacque (R-DePere) and Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) recently introduced SB 13/AB 19, which provides transparency and prevents fraud in lawsuits involving personal injury trusts by creating certain discovery requirements during litigation. Numerous types of personal injury trusts have been created under the federal bankruptcy code and state laws to ensure that injured […]
Legislature Introduces Legislation Limiting Phantom Damages
Date Thu, Feb. 21, 2013 - 4:40pm By Hamilton
Two Wisconsin legislators (Rep. André Jacque (R-DePere) and Sen. Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee)) have introduced Senate Bill 22, which abrogates the collateral source rule in personal injury cases, thereby allowing defendants to introduce evidence of the amounts actually paid to cover the plaintiff’s medical expenses. Under current law, defendants are not allowed to introduce evidence of […]