Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Study Concludes Law is Flawed, Annually Costing Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Representative Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Senator Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) have introduced Assembly Bill 32/Senate Bill 49, companion bills to repeal the state’s prevailing wage law. Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law requires state and local units of government to pay […]
Hutton, Vukmir Champion Bill to Repeal State’s Prevailing Wage Law
Date Fri, Apr. 3, 2015 - 9:03am By Hamilton
Amending Wisconsin’s Non-Compete Agreement Statute
Date Fri, Apr. 3, 2015 - 8:46am By Hamilton
Current Law A bill that would amend Wisconsin’s current statute governing non-compete agreements has been introduced to the legislature and if passed would preemptively override the State Supreme Court decision on Runzheimer Int’l v. Friedlen (2013AP1392). Wis. Stat. § 103.465 is Wisconsin’s current statute governing non-compete agreements. The current law allows employers to restrict the […]
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 […]
TIF Bills Get Hearing
Date Fri, Mar. 20, 2015 - 8:48am By Hamilton
In last week’s edition of Bills of Note, we alerted you to the introduction of the tax increment financing (TIF) bill package that was introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Three of these bills, Senate Bills 50, 54 and 57 will have a public hearing before the Senate committee on Economic Development and Commerce next week […]
Historic Preservation Tax Credit Report Released
Date Thu, Mar. 5, 2015 - 7:40pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) submitted its annual report on Historic Preservation Tax Credit Assistance program to the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). The report provides a summary of the total level of credits awarded under the program from its inception and details on the projects that received the credit. The historic tax credit, […]
Business Day in Madison 2015
Date Thu, Mar. 5, 2015 - 7:28pm By Hamilton
Business Day in Madison is the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce largest event of the year, with record setting attendance, speakers, seminars, and legislative visits. Speakers included: KT McFarland, a foreign policy expert that advised three sitting American presidents; Ed Goeas, of the Tarrance Group, a national pollster; Governor Scott Walker; Attorney General Brad Schimel; John […]
Legislature in Midst of Extraordinary Session on “Right to Work”
Date Fri, Feb. 27, 2015 - 9:43am By Hamilton
Last week, legislative leaders announced an extraordinary session of the Wisconsin legislature to pass Right to Work legislation. Soon after the announcement, Governor Scott Walker said he would sign Right to Work into law if the bill reaches his desk. Right to Work laws are designed to protect employees from being forced to pay dues […]
LinkWisconsin Gets Upgrade
Date Fri, Feb. 27, 2015 - 9:36am By Hamilton
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced the LinkWisconsin website has been upgraded to a new website with some new features and tools. According to a post from PSC Chairperson Phil Montgomery, “The launch of our new website correlates with the transition of the State Broadband Office’s (SBO) LinkWISCONSIN initiative from a federal grant […]
State Court Decides on Municipalities Ability to Revoke Conditional Use Permit
Date Thu, Feb. 26, 2015 - 4:06pm By Hamilton
On Thursday, January 8, 2015 the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case Oneida Seventh Generation Corp. v. City of Green Bay (2013AP591). The supreme court will decide whether the court of appeals properly applied the substantial evidence test, which can effect when a conditional use permit can be revoked by a municipality. […]