Assembly Bill 628/Senate Bill 528, authored Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) makes changes to the circumstances and procedures under which a local municipality can suspend retail tobacco licenses. The legislation passed the Senate and the Assembly via voice votes and now heads to Governor Walker for a signature. Under the […]
Legislature Passes Some TIF Bills
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:14pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Walker signed these bills into law as 2015 Wisconsin Acts 254, 255, 256, and 257 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. This week, the Assembly passed the following legislation part of the tax increment financing (TIF) bill package. The bills are a product of the 2014 Legislative Council study committee on TIF. The Senate passed […]
Legislation to Eliminate Twelve-Hour Hold for Strip Searches Passes
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 8:07pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Scott Walker signed this bill into law as 2015 Wisconsin Act 206 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. On February 18, the Assembly concurred on legislation to remove the twelve-hour hold provision for strip searches. The legislation, Senate Bill 248, would remove the requirement that jail administrators hold detainees for 12 hours before being […]
Minor Driver’s Sponsorship Liability Bills Pass Legislature
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:51pm By Hamilton
UPDATE: Governor Scott Walker signed this bill into law as 2015 Wisconsin Act 202 on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Sen. Kapenga (R-Delafield) and Rep. Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) championed legislation (Assembly Bill 540/Senate Bill 408) to limit the liability that may be imputed to an innocent parent or other adult who sponsors a person under the […]
Social and Financial Impact for Health Care Mandates Legislation Passes Assembly
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:47pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 543 and Senate Bill 413, authored by Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown) and Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield), would prevent the legislature from holding a hearing on or taking a vote on legislation that creates new health care insurance mandates until after it has received a report from the Commissioner of Insurance. Under current law, […]
Room Tax Technical Clarification Bill Advances
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:39pm By Hamilton
Assembly Bill 714/Senate Bill 578 authored by Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton) clarifies the definition of tourism entities that collect room tax. The legislation adjusts the creation date of an existing tourism entity to help those created after 1992 but before January 1, 2016. It changes a provision that requires all […]
Prohibition of Regulating Auxiliary Containers Passes Assembly
Date Thu, Feb. 18, 2016 - 7:35pm By Hamilton
Legislation that would prohibit a city, village, town, or county from regulating auxiliary containers (a bag, cup, bottle, etc.) made of cloth, paper, plastic cardboard, corrugated material, aluminum, glass, postconsumer recycled material, or similar substances, has passed the Assembly. In effect, this legislation would prohibit political subdivisions from regulating auxiliary containers, but would not prohibit […]
Legislation Would Support New Frank Lloyd Wright Heritage Trail
Date Fri, Feb. 5, 2016 - 11:40am By Hamilton
Bipartisan legislation to create a new “Frank Lloyd Wright Heritage Trail” through Wisconsin will be on the floor of the Assembly next week, where it is expected to pass. Assembly Bill 512/Senate Bill 384, introduced by Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville), Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine), and Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), will direct the Department of […]
Legislation to Allow Out-of-State Companies to Purchase Water & Sewer Utilities Advances
Date Fri, Feb. 5, 2016 - 11:24am By Hamilton
A bill (AB 554/SB 432) that creates a process for out-of-state utility companies to purchase or lease sewer utilities in Wisconsin is advancing through the legislature. Representative Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva) and Senator Frank Lasee (R-De Pere) introduced the legislation in December. The Assembly passed AB 554 on a voice vote in January. Last week, […]
Passed in the Senate: Limits on Liability Imputed to an Adult Sponsor of a Minor Driver
Date Fri, Jan. 22, 2016 - 10:46am By Hamilton
Sen. Kapenga (R-Delafield) and Rep. Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) have championed legislation to limit the liability that may be imputed to an innocent parent or other adult who sponsors a person under the age of 18 in obtaining a motor vehicle operator’s license. Under current Wisconsin law, Wisconsin is one of only eight states in which […]