The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued an interim decision expanding voluntary parties’ future liability for PFAS and other hazardous materials. DNR’s Voluntary Party Liability Exemption Program (VPLE), in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 292.15, allows property owners to clean up properties and then receive exemptions from liability for historic contamination on the […]
DNR, Citing PFAS, Scales Back Voluntary Party Liability Exemption Program
Date Tue, Jan. 29, 2019 - 2:10pm By Hamilton
Agencies Continue to Announce Leadership Teams, Confirmation Hearings Begin
Date Thu, Jan. 24, 2019 - 10:13am By Hamilton
Newly inaugurated Gov. Tony Evers is continuing to fill appointed positions in the administration. Recently announced appointments include: Public Service Commission Chair – Rebecca Cameron Valcq. Valcq is currently a partner at Quarles & Brady and previously worked as attorney for WE Energies. Confirmation hearing in Senate Utilities & Housing on March 12; confirmation recommended […]
Evers Continues to Build Cabinet, Staff
Date Thu, Jan. 10, 2019 - 3:29pm By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers was inaugurated on Monday, Jan. 7. Now officially in office, Evers is continuing to fill cabinet and staff positions, making new appointment announcements over the past several weeks. Evers’s executive staff includes: Chief of staff – Maggie Gau. Gau managed Evers’s campaign and has been his chief of staff throughout the transition. […]
HCG Guide to the Wisconsin Administrative Rules Process
Date Tue, Dec. 18, 2018 - 12:11pm By Hamilton
Wisconsin has been a national leader in reforming its administration rules process, creating a stable and predictable regulatory environment for Wisconsin businesses. Changes since 2011 have refined how agencies can enforce requirements and have given the governor and legislature more oversight in the rule-making process. The extraordinary session legislation recently signed by Gov. Scott Walker […]
EPA To Revise Waters of the United States Rule
Date Tue, Dec. 18, 2018 - 12:03pm By Hamilton
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this month a proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The revised rule is intended to increase predictability and stability in water pollution enforcement. The proposed rule would narrow the definition of primary WOTUS to include only […]
DOA Suspends RFPs
Date Tue, Dec. 4, 2018 - 4:41pm By Hamilton
The Department of Administration (DOA) procurement team has announced it is suspending all pending Requests for Proposals (RFPs) until after the transition from Gov. Scott Walker to governor-elect Tony Evers is complete. DOA said RFPs that have not reached their due date will be cancelled, with the option for agencies under the Evers administration to […]
CMS Approves BadgerCare Reform Demonstration Waiver
Date Thu, Nov. 1, 2018 - 2:55pm By Hamilton
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved Wisconsin’s Section 1115 BadgerCare Reform demonstration waiver. The waiver primarily makes changes to the BadgerCare childless adult (CLA) population in the state’s Medicaid program. The changes include: Work requirements. CLAs are required to participate in 80 hours per month of community engagement, including employment, […]
Unpacking DHS’s Budget Request
Date Thu, Oct. 4, 2018 - 4:15pm By Hamilton
On Sept. 17, state agencies submitted their 2019-21 biennial budget requests that, in total, included roughly $2.5 billion dollars in additional funding (according to Wispolitics). Accounting for the bulk of the increase in state general purpose revenue (GPR) are the usual cost drivers – education, health care and corrections. Coming in a distant second to […]
Agencies Submit 2019-21 Budget Requests
Date Thu, Sep. 20, 2018 - 4:41pm By Hamilton
This week, Wisconsin state agencies submitted their 2019-21 state budget requests to Gov. Scott Walker and the Department of Administration. Under Wisconsin’s biennial budget process, DOA’s State Budget Office and the Governor’s Office will review the agency requests and develop the biennial budget. The governor will then present his budget to the state legislature for […]
LFB Releases Preliminary 2017-18 General Fund Tax Collections
Date Thu, Sep. 13, 2018 - 10:12am By Hamilton
On August 30, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released the preliminary 2017-18 general fund tax collections. Overall, revenues were 4 percent higher in fiscal year 2017-18 than in 2016-17, totaling $16,144.2 million. Actual collections for 2017-18 were $18.4 million, just 0.1 percent above the amount estimated in January. Revenues from individual income taxes were 1.2 percent […]