On October 20, Republican leaders in the Wisconsin Legislature announced their proposals for new state legislative and congressional districts. Redistricting, a process of redrawing legislative district lines to account for population changes, takes place by law every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The Republican redistricting proposals have been introduced as two bills, Senate Bills […]
Wisconsin COVID-19 Update: Federal Health Emergency Renewed; Employers Awaiting Details of National Vaccine Mandate
Date Fri, Oct. 22, 2021 - 8:40am By Hamilton
On October 15, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra signed an order to renew the federal public health emergency due to COVID-19. The extension will last for 90 days, into mid-January 2022. This is the seventh time that the COVID-19 health emergency has been extended since it began January 31, […]
Statewide Election Updates: Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General
Date Thu, Oct. 7, 2021 - 9:42pm By Hamilton
First Democratic Candidate Enters Race for Lieutenant Governor Wisconsin will hold elections for its statewide partisan offices in 2022, including for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. With Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes running for U.S. Senate, Democrats will hold a primary election to select Governor Tony Evers’ new running mate. State Senator Lena Taylor of […]
Legislative Update: Senate Confirms Several Agency Heads; Democrats Propose Personal Property Tax Repeal
Date Thu, Oct. 7, 2021 - 9:38pm By Hamilton
Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature met on September 28 to vote on a variety of matters. We covered the Assembly’s agenda here and the Senate’s agenda here. The Senate voted to confirm nearly 40 of Governor Tony Evers’ (D) appointments to various state agencies, boards, and commissions, including six agency heads: Joaquin Altoro, Executive […]
DWD Announces $16.5 Million Contract for UI System Upgrades
Date Thu, Oct. 7, 2021 - 9:32pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has signed a contract for hardware and software updates to the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) system. DWD announced on September 29 that it will pay Flexion, a technology firm based in Madison, about $16.5 million over four years to perform phased software upgrades and other enhancements. The cost […]
Wisconsin Joins Midwest Electric Vehicle Coalition
Date Thu, Oct. 7, 2021 - 10:27am By Hamilton
Wisconsin and four other states have agreed to form the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition, or “REV Midwest,” to promote the development of electric vehicle charging stations across the region. On September 30, five midwestern governors including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing REV Midwest. Along with Wisconsin, participating […]
Political Update: Republican Race for Governor Advances; Milwaukee Mayor Appointed to Ambassadorship
Date Mon, Sep. 27, 2021 - 9:16pm By Hamilton
Last month, we reported on two key congressional races that Wisconsin will host in 2022. The state will also hold statewide elections for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. With Governor Tony Evers (D) seeking reelection in 2022, Republicans are likely to have a contested primary for their party’s gubernatorial nomination. Meanwhile, Milwaukee may soon […]
Wisconsin COVID-19 Update: State Employees Must Vaccinate or Test Weekly; State, Milwaukee Fund Vaccine Incentives
Date Mon, Sep. 27, 2021 - 4:30pm By Hamilton
As of September 27, Wisconsin had administered about 6.34 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 3.1 million Wisconsin residents or 53.5 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated. The state’s seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 2,603 cases per day. That number peaked in November 2020 at around 6,500 cases per day. About 7,930 […]
Employer Issues Update: Federal Unemployment Benefits Have Ended; Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Disabled Residents
Date Thu, Sep. 9, 2021 - 3:28pm By Hamilton
Effective September 6, several federal programs providing new or additional unemployment insurance (UI) benefits have ended. Notably, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program provided recipients of UI benefits with $300 per week in addition to the state benefits they were eligible for. The supplemental benefit was created in 2020 as part of the first […]
PFAS Update: State Hires California Firm to Litigate PFAS Claims; Other Lawsuits in Progress
Date Thu, Sep. 9, 2021 - 2:26pm By Hamilton
On August 25, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) and Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that the state had hired a law firm, Sher Edling LLP, to litigate against companies responsible for discharging PFAS compounds in Wisconsin. According to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Sher Edling “represents state and local governments […]