After opposition arose over the potential construction of a new pig concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to step and review the permitting process. Wisconsin currently is home to approximately 240 cow CAFOs, but Badgerwood LLC, a Wisconsin-based subsidiary of Iowa-based Reicks Farms, is looking to construct the […]
EPA Plans to Review Permit for Pig Farm in Bayfield County
Date Sun, May. 31, 2015 - 7:41pm By Hamilton
LFB: No Additional Revenue Projected
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:25am By Hamilton
After weeks of optimistically waiting for new revenue numbers from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), legislators were faced with the bleak reality: there is no new revenue projected for the 2015-2017 budget. In the LFB memo to the members of the Joint Finance Committee, the LFB director explained that even if there was additional revenue […]
Senate and Assembly Meet: Pass TIF and Foodshare Bills
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:10am By Hamilton
Since the last edition of Political Tidbits, both the State Senate and State Assembly have met on the floor to pass and debate a number of bills. Last week, the Senate unanimously passed four bills that came out of the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on Tax Increment Financing Study Committee. This includes Senate Bill […]
WEDC & WHEDA Merger Called Off
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:08am By Hamilton
In the previous edition of Political Tidbits we detailed the just released bill draft that would merge the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) into one agency, the Forward Wisconsin Development Authority (FWDA). Last Friday, Governor Walker issued a press release requesting legislators to remove the WEDC and […]
Bills of Note: Changing the Rules
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:05am By Hamilton
In this week’s edition of Bills of Note, we provide an update on the ride-sharing bill, a description of major reforms being circulated to change Wisconsin administrating rule-making processes, and a bill that would increase funding for law enforcement grants. Ride-Sharing Bill A bill we introduced in Bills of Note in mid-April has quickly gone […]
Bills of Note: Mergers and the TIF Bill Package
Date Fri, May. 1, 2015 - 8:43am By Hamilton
This week in The Hamilton Consulting Group’s Bills of Note series, we provide you with an update on the status of each bill in the tax increment financing (TIF) bill package. In addition, we included an overview of the bill to merge the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) and the Wisconsin Economic Development […]
Governor Names DNR Deputy Secretary
Date Fri, Apr. 3, 2015 - 8:55am By Hamilton
Governor Walker has announced Kurt Thiede will be the new Deputy Secretary of the Department of Natural Resouces (DNR). Thiede has been hired from within the DNR, having served fourteen years with the agency. Prior to his new appointment he was Land Division Administrator, a position which oversaw 500 personnel working in wildlife, parks and […]
Business Groups Oppose the Most Expensive Regulatory Proposal in U.S. History
Date Fri, Mar. 20, 2015 - 9:11am By Hamilton
At an estimated $1.7 trillion hit to GDP, it’s been dubbed the most costly EPA regulation in U.S. history. On March 17, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and other state business groups voiced their opposition to EPA’s proposed new ozone standard. Citing a study commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), WMC comments note […]
Bills of Note: Repealing Rules, At-Will Employment, Charter Schools, and the Speed Limit
Date Fri, Mar. 20, 2015 - 8:53am By Hamilton
Assembly Passes Bill to Create Procedures to Repeal Invalid Rules By a partisan 63-36 vote, the Assembly passed AB 80 (Ballweg-R) which would establish “expedited” procedures for an agency to repeal a rule that the agency no longer has the authority to promulgate. Such rules can be rendered invalid because of the repeal or amendment of […]
JFC Holds Agency Briefings for Three Days
Date Thu, Mar. 5, 2015 - 7:45pm By Hamilton
The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) met for three days this week to hear testimony from nearly all state agencies on the governor’s proposed budget. Legislators posed questions to the department secretaries on the implementation of budget proposals and asked other questions pertaining to agency services. JFC members heard testimony from most agencies, however a few […]