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 […]
Wisconsin Was Awarded Billions of Dollars in Federal Funds for Education and Transportation Under the CRRSA
Date Fri, Feb. 12, 2021 - 9:18am By Hamilton
Last month, we discussed a few aspects of the $900 billion COVID-19 response legislation passed by Congress in December of last year. The economic stimulus and COVID relief package, called the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), was passed along with the 2021 federal budget to form a 5,600-page spending bill totaling roughly […]
PSCW Holds Electric Vehicles Workshop
Date Fri, Dec. 6, 2019 - 2:56pm By Hamilton
On Dec. 5, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) held a workshop on electric vehicles (EVs). The workshop is part of PSCW’s investigation of EV policy and regulation, an investigative docket that PSCW approved in February 2019. (PSCW Docket # 5-EI-156.) According to the notice, input at the workshop will be used to inform future […]
Hands-Free Driving Bill Introduced
Date Tue, Nov. 12, 2019 - 3:45pm By Hamilton
Wisconsin legislators have introduced a bill (SB 522/AB 582) that would ban use of wireless communication devices while driving, except for hands-free use. The bill would put Wisconsin in line with nearly 20 states that ban handheld cell phone use while driving, including neighboring state Minnesota, which recently passed a similar law. The bill provides […]
June 6 – Senate & Assembly Reach Compromise on Transportation; Other JFC Votes Include PSC, OCI, DOJ
Date Thu, Jun. 13, 2019 - 3:18pm By Hamilton
The focus of the June 6 executive session was one of this session’s (and previous budgets’) most contentious issues: transportation. After deliberations between the Senate and Assembly Republican caucuses, JFC approved a $484 million transportation plan that increases fees but does not increase the gas tax, as proposed by Gov. Evers. The transportation motion, approved […]
Assembly Committee Holds Hearing on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Date Fri, May. 31, 2019 - 9:51am By Hamilton
This week the Assembly Committee on Energy & Utilities held a public hearing on legislation (SB 236/AB 233) that would incentivize the installation of electric vehicle charging stations across Wisconsin. Authored by Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) and Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) as part of the Assembly Republicans’ environment and energy proposals, the bill would […]
Legislators Circulating Transportation Reform Bills
Date Fri, May. 31, 2019 - 9:47am By Hamilton
Last week, legislators circulated a package of proposed reforms for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT). The bills aim to improve efficiency and accountability at DOT. Co-sponsorship for the bills is due this Friday, May 31. Joint Finance Committee member Sen. Tom Tiffany is listed as an author on several of the proposals. Other authors […]
PSCW Approves Notice of Investigation of Electric Vehicles
Date Fri, Feb. 22, 2019 - 8:59am By Hamilton
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) unanimously voted on Feb. 21 to open a generic docket (PSCW Docket # 5-EI-156) for the investigation of electric vehicle (EV) policy and regulation. The Notice of Investigation lists eight considerations that the Commission’s investigation will include, such as EV impacts on electric storage and transmission; policies and […]
Transportation Task Force Meets
Date Thu, Feb. 7, 2019 - 12:33pm By Hamilton
Department of Transportation (DOT) secretary-designee Craig Thompson, at the direction of Gov. Evers, has assembled a bipartisan transportation budget task force. The Transportation Stakeholder Task Force includes municipalities and counties, business and construction groups, tourism entities, and legislators from both Republican and Democrat legislators (full list of members). The task force has met twice to […]
Gov. Walker’s Autonomous Vehicle Committee Releases Final Report
Date Thu, Jul. 12, 2018 - 3:40pm By Hamilton
At the end of June, the Governor’s Steering Committee on Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Testing and Deployment submitted their final report to the governor. The report is a required deliverable under Executive Order #245. For the past nine months the steering committee convened monthly to hear presentations from a variety of stakeholders and discuss the […]