To say that 2011 was a historical and eventful year politically in Wisconsin is an understatement. Below is a summary of some of the major events that took place in Madison in 2011. Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill (Act 10): Very few will soon forget the public employee union changes contained in Gov. […]
Voter ID Law Challenged
Date Tue, Dec. 20, 2011 - 11:33am By Hamilton
Wisconsin’s new voter ID law is facing some legal and logistical challenges. Three lawsuits have been filed seeking to overturn or modify the law, one in federal court in Milwaukee and two in Dane County Circuit Court. The lawsuits may determine if a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or other government-issued identification, is […]
Assembly Holds First Mining Bill Hearing
Date Thu, Dec. 15, 2011 - 6:02pm By Hamilton
The Assembly Jobs, Economy and Small Business Committee met yesterday for the first hearing on the proposed mining bill, AB 426. This bill is in response to Gogebic Taconite’s proposal to build Wisconsin’s largest ever iron mine. Earlier this year, the company said it needed more certainty in the state’s regulatory process before it proceeds […]
Gov. Walker, Wisconsin Legislature Receive National Accolades for Enacting Lawsuit Reforms
Date Thu, Dec. 15, 2011 - 11:30am By Hamilton
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) today came out with its annual Judicial Hellholes report, and instead of receiving negative scrutiny, Wisconsin received acclaims for the significant lawsuit reforms recently signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature. Although ATRA’s Judicial Hellholes report is renowned for documenting abuses of the civil justice system […]
Wisconisn Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Case Deciding Default Judgments
Date Thu, Dec. 8, 2011 - 9:49am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Johnson v. Cintas Corp. No. 2, et al., 2011 WI App 5, 2009AP2549, which is the latest in a number of recent cases accepted by the Court dealing with default judgments. The issue is whether a default judgment is void because the summons and complaint names the […]
Bills Would Limit “Double Dipping” by State Employees
Date Thu, Dec. 8, 2011 - 9:42am By Hamilton
The Assembly Committee on Insurance held a hearing November 17, on two bills that would limit the ability of public employees who retired, and were later rehired to collect a salary and a pension simultaneously. Currently, under Chapter 40, this practice is legal. State workers can retire, start collecting their pensions and then go […]
Gov. Walker Signs Trespasser Liability and Reasonable Attorney Fees Bills
Date Wed, Dec. 7, 2011 - 5:05pm By Hamilton
Today, Governor Scott Walker signed into law two of the remaining special session tort reforms bills recently passed by the Legislature. The two bills the Governor signed were: TRESPASSER LIABILITY – SPECIAL SESSION SB 22/AB 22 – 2011 WISCONSIN ACT 93Previously, trespasser liability law was based solely on common law, which adopted provisions of the […]
Governor Walker and Legislature Continue Focus on Civil Liability Reforms
Date Wed, Dec. 7, 2011 - 4:57pm By Hamilton
Hamilton Consulting lobbyist, Andrew Cook, had an article published in the most recent edition of the Wisconsin Defense Counsel’s Wisconsin Civil Trial Journal. The article, Governor Walker and Legislature Continue Focus on Civil Liability Reforms, summarizes the slew of civil justice initiatives considered in the regular and special legislative sessions during the last half of […]
Wisconsin Surpeme Court Hears Oral Argument in Case Deciding Default Judgments
Date Thu, Dec. 1, 2011 - 10:08pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in Johnson v. Cintas Corp. No. 2, et al., 2011 WI App 5, 2009AP2549, which is the latest in a number of recent cases accepted by the Court dealing with default judgments. (The oral argument can be viewed on WisconsinEye.) The issue is whether a default judgment […]
Governor Walker Signs Special Session Bill into Law Limiting Interest on Judgments
Date Thu, Nov. 17, 2011 - 11:42am By Hamilton
On November 16, Governor Walker signed Special Session Senate Bill 14 into law. The new law changes Wisconsin’s pre- and post-judgment interest from 12 percent – the highest in the nation – to the Federal Reserve prime rate plus one percent. The final bill included amendments that apply the interest on judgments to all cases […]