The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which replaces the 2015 Clean Power Plan. A rule promulgated during the previous administration, the Clean Power Plan imposed costly regulatory burdens on power plants in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA proposed repealing the Clean Power Plan […]
Study Committee on Investment and Use of School Trust Funds Meets
Date Tue, Aug. 21, 2018 - 8:47am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on the Investment and Use of the School Trust Funds met for the first time on Aug. 16, 2018. The committee, chaired by Rep. Terry Katsma (R-Oostburg) and Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), is tasked with reviewing the investment process and loan programs under the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL). The […]
Study Committee on Property Tax Assessments Meets
Date Tue, Aug. 21, 2018 - 8:43am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on Property Tax Assessment Practices met for the first time on Aug. 7, 2018. The committee, chaired by Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) and Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha), is tasked with reviewing and recommending changes to current property tax assessment practices in Wisconsin, including the role of comparable sales and market segments in […]
Study Committee on Body Cameras Meets
Date Thu, Aug. 2, 2018 - 10:30am By Hamilton
The Study Committee on the Use of Police Body Cameras met for the first time on July 26, 2018. The committee, chaired by Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) and Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison), is tasked with “review[ing] law enforcement policies regarding the use of body cameras and recommend[ing] legislation to establish uniform procedures regarding the […]
Study Committee on Alcohol Beverages Enforcement Meets
Date Mon, Jul. 30, 2018 - 1:19pm By Hamilton
The Study Committee on Alcohol Beverages Enforcement met for the first time on July 25, 2018. The committee, chaired by Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) and Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac), is tasked with reviewing the structure and enforcement of Wisconsin’s alcohol regulation efforts within the Department of Revenue (DOR). The study committee comes after a […]
Thompson Center Holds Criminal Justice Conference
Date Tue, May. 1, 2018 - 2:34pm By Hamilton
The Tommy Thompson Center on Public Leadership held a two-day conference last week focusing on Criminal Justice Reform. The program discussed how lawmakers can address criminal justice reform in “more cost-efficient and liberty-enhancing” ways while still prioritizing public safety. Topics included prisoner re-entry into the workforce, prosecutorial discretion, and civil asset forfeiture. The first panels […]
Special Session Bill Package Circulates
Date Fri, Feb. 3, 2017 - 10:58am By Hamilton
In early January, Governor Walker issued Executive Order 230, calling the Wisconsin State Legislature into special session to combat opioid abuse. In addition to calling for a special session, the governor directed his state agencies to take various administrative actions. The announcement came after the release of a report from the Governor’s Task Force on Opioid Abuse. […]
Bills of Note: SB 3 and AB 24 – Project Labor Agreements Neutrality
Date Fri, Feb. 3, 2017 - 10:30am By Hamilton
Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) introduced bills in their respective chambers requiring government to be neutral regarding the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). The Senate bill, SB 3, was recommended for passage on a partisan 3-2 vote by the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform on Feb. 2. We […]
Bills of Note: SB 10 – CBD Oil
Date Fri, Feb. 3, 2017 - 10:29am By Hamilton
Reprising a bill from last session, Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) introduced a bill that would allow parents easier access to use non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD oil) as a treatment for a medical condition. The bill, SB 10, allows for possession of CBD oil with written certification from a Wisconsin-licensed doctor. The […]
Joint Finance Committee Approves WEDC Tax Credit Reallocation
Date Thu, Jun. 16, 2016 - 12:21pm By Hamilton
On Monday June 13, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) approved the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC) request to reallocate tax credits between two tax credit programs. WEDC proposed reallocating $8 million in unused Early Stage Business Investment Tax Credits to the Business Development Tax Credit program. The Early Stage Business Investment Tax Credit program includes […]