Dane County Judge Rules Act 21 Unconstitutional Only as it Applies to the Department of Public Instruction

A Dane County Circuit Court judge has narrowly struck down a portion of 2011 Wisconsin Act 21, the regulatory reform bill passed during the 2011-12 Legislative Session and signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker. Background Act 21 made sweeping changes to Wisconsin’s rulemaking process in an effort to ensure greater agency oversight and accountability. […]

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Reed Hall Appointed Interim CEO of Troubled WEDC

Gov. Scott Walker has named Reed Hall Interim CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Hall replaces former CEO Paul Jadin who resigned last month to take over as President of Thrive, an eight county economic development group based in Madison. Hall served as Executive Director of Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, from January, 2000 […]

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DHS Creates Newborn Screening Task Force

The Department of Health Services (DHS) has created a new task force on newborn testing. The main charge of the Task Force is to make advisory recommendations to the DHS Secretary on a permanent organization structure for advice on the addition, deletion, costs, funding, informed consent and retention, use of blood samples and other issues […]

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Regulation Nation: The Wisconsin Perspective

The Great Lakes Legal Foundation has launched a new series of articles called Regulation Nation: The Wisconsin Perspective. The Foundation will produce various in-depth reports analyzing the legal underpinnings of Wisconsin’s often debilitating regulatory regime. They start, necessarily, at the beginning, with a report on What is a Rule? The report explores the legal definition […]

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Get to Know a Cabinet Member

Gov. Scott Walker’s weekly e-update has included a new segment the past couple of weeks: Get to Know a Cabinet Member. As Governor, one of the most important tasks I have is to appoint and communicate with leaders in each state agency. These leaders, called secretaries, ensure agencies run smoothly and efficiently as they operate […]

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Walker Approves Updated Homeland Security Strategy

Gov. Scott Walker recently announced that he has approved the updated Wisconsin Homeland Security Strategy, which is a collaborative interagency effort to guide Wisconsin’s emergency response and recovery efforts to major disasters and emergencies. The strategy focuses on 11 specified priorities that include improving information sharing and analysis, cyber preparedness, maintaining the continuity of government […]

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Court Strikes Down CSAPR

In EME Homer City Generation LP v. EPA, a federal court vacated the EPA’s Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which would have required 28 states, including Wisconsin, to significantly curtail sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the CSAPR exceeds the EPA’s […]

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Fuel Efficiency Standards to Nearly Double by 2025

The EPA and the NHTSA have finalized standards that will increase average fuel economy requirements for cars and light-duty trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. When combined with previous standards set for 2011-2016 models, this move will nearly double the fuel efficiency of those vehicles compared to new vehicles currently on the road. […]

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No Call List Sign-up Deadline

The quarterly deadline for Wisconsin’s No Call List is Friday, August 31st. All registrations that are added on or before Friday will receive protections from unwanted telemarketing calls and text messages beginning on October 1st. Those who sign up after the upcoming August 31 deadline will not be added to the list until January 1. The […]

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PSC Seeks Public Input on State Broadband Plan

The LinkWISCONSIN Alliance, which includes the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, is requesting public comments on a state plan to enhance the availability, adoption and applications related to high-speed Internet, or broadband, throughout Wisconsin.   This map from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) shows the current avaibility of broadband in Wisconsin. The LinkWISCONSIN Alliance, composed […]

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