Gov. Evers gave his fourth biennial budget address on February 18, unveiling his 2025-27 executive budget. He proposes an operating budget of $ $118.9 billion over the next two fiscal years, adding a net 880.94 FTE positions. For comparison, the final 2023-25 state budget spent $97.4 billion with a net reduction of 175.51 FTE (GPR) […]
Justice Hagedorn Recuses Self from Act 10 Challenge Will Justice Protasiewicz Follow Suit?
Date Fri, Feb. 7, 2025 - 10:38am By Hamilton
Justice Brian Hagedorn recently recused himself from participating in a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court reviewing collective bargaining reforms affecting public union employees. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is considering a motion to bypass an appellate court review of a Dane County judge striking down elements of law. Late last year, Dane County Circuit Court […]
Dane County Judge Stays Ruling Overturning Act 10 Pending Appeal
Date Fri, Jan. 24, 2025 - 10:47am By Hamilton
A Dane County judge has temporarily stayed his decision overturning portions of Act 10, Wisconsin’s 2011 law limiting public employee collective bargaining, to prevent potential chaos during the appeals process. While the judge found the law unconstitutional for treating different categories of employees unequally, he emphasized that enforcing his ruling before a final decision could […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Holds Oral Arguments on “400-Year” Partial Veto
Date Tue, Oct. 22, 2024 - 2:23pm By Hamilton
October 9, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held oral arguments in a case challenging Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto that extended school revenue increases for 400 years. The lawsuit challenging the partial veto was brought by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business lobbying association. In the 2023-25 state budget bill, the legislature included […]
Session in Review: Wisconsin Legislature 2023-24
Date Tue, Apr. 30, 2024 - 12:11pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Legislature stands adjourned for the 2023-24 session and is not expected to reconvene until January 2025. This session, Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed 272 bills into law and vetoed 73 others. He also issued partial vetoes to the state budget and three other spending-related laws. With adjournment, all bills introduced this session have […]
Broad Support for Regulating Nonrecourse Litigation Advances Heard by Assembly Consumer Protection Committee
Date Tue, Oct. 24, 2023 - 11:03am By Hamilton
On October 11, the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection held a public hearing on Assembly Bill 464, a proposal to regulate nonrecourse civil litigation advance payments in Wisconsin. The bill was authored by Rep. Tusler (R-Harrison) and Sen. Wimberger (R-Green Bay). A coalition of the state’s leading business associations testified and registered in support of […]
Protasiewicz Joins Wisconsin Supreme Court as New Majority Asserts Control; Redistricting Lawsuits Filed
Date Thu, Aug. 17, 2023 - 10:20am By Hamilton
Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on August 1, replacing Justice Patience Roggensack, who did not seek reelection after serving two ten-year terms, including a stint as chief justice from 2015 to 2021. Justice Protasiewicz, previously a judge in Milwaukee County, defeated former Justice Dan Kelly in the […]
Litigation Financing: Coalition Asks Federal Committee to Adopt Disclosure Rule
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:50am By Hamilton
We recently reported on the ongoing controversy involving Burford Capital, the largest provider of third party litigation funding (TPLF) in the world. On May 8, a broad national coalition of 35 business associations and tort reform advocates sent a letter to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules regarding TPLF. The letter asks the committee […]
Lawsuit Against Burford Capital Reveals Dangers of Litigation Financing
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:26am By Hamilton
Third party litigation funding or “litigation financing” is a form of investing in which hedge funds and other financiers invest in a lawsuit in exchange for a portion of any settlement or judgement award. The investment provides cash to plaintiffs to litigate a claim, while the financier—thanks to its sophisticated underwriting—anticipates the case to end […]
Supreme Court Candidates Kelly, Protasiewicz Win Primary
Date Tue, Feb. 28, 2023 - 6:20pm By Hamilton
In Wisconsin’s spring primary, held February 21, four candidates were on the ballot for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Former Justice Daniel Kelly, a judicial conservative, and Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a judicial liberal, were the top two vote-getters. They will face off in the general election on April 4. Over […]