Governor Scott Walker signed 30 bills into law at the Capitol on July 1. This included bills relating to motorcycle lighting, air pollution, controlled substances for optometrists, microbeads, GPS tracking, camping units and election law changes. Motorcycle Lighting Introduced in March by Representative Jagler (R–Watertown) as Assembly Bill 100, this bill permits a motorcycle to […]
Bills of Note: Changing the Rules
Date Fri, May. 15, 2015 - 10:05am By Hamilton
In this week’s edition of Bills of Note, we provide an update on the ride-sharing bill, a description of major reforms being circulated to change Wisconsin administrating rule-making processes, and a bill that would increase funding for law enforcement grants. Ride-Sharing Bill A bill we introduced in Bills of Note in mid-April has quickly gone […]
Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin President Builds Case for Prevailing Wage Repeal
Date Fri, Apr. 17, 2015 - 9:16am By Hamilton
Wisconsin Independent Businesses President Impugns Credibility of Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance John Mielke, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin (ABC-WI), appeared recently on Wisconsin Public Television’s “Here and Now” to discuss repeal of Wisconsin’s 80 year old law requiring state mandated wages to be paid on public construction projects. ABC-WI is the Wisconsin chapter […]
Bills of Note: Signed, Sealed and Soon to be Delivered in an Uber
Date Fri, Apr. 17, 2015 - 9:11am By Hamilton
Over the last two weeks, there has been extensive bill movement as Governor Walker signed eleven bills into law on April 8th and this week, the State Assembly took up a long list of bills. This included legislation on the ban of microbeads and a bill that would allow for popular ridesharing companies such as […]
Hutton, Vukmir Champion Bill to Repeal State’s Prevailing Wage Law
Date Fri, Apr. 3, 2015 - 9:03am By Hamilton
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 […]
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 […]
Energy Office Awards $1 Million to Wisconsin Trucking Companies
Date Wed, Dec. 17, 2014 - 3:37pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin State Energy Office awarded nearly $1 million to 53 trucking companies to fund diesel truck idling reduction technologies. Truck idling reduction technology provides power to heat, cool, or provide electricity to the truck as an alternative to the main engine, thereby saving fuel and reducing diesel fuel pollutants. Grants provide reimbursements for up […]
Transportation Referendum on November Ballot
Date Thu, Oct. 16, 2014 - 10:01am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Legislature has successfully adopted the same proposed constitutional amendment in each of the last two sessions, to make it illegal for the government to raid segregated funds for transportation to fill holes in the state budget. This qualifies the question for a deciding vote by electors in the upcoming November 2014 general election. […]
House Passes Highway Trust Fund Patch
Date Wed, Jul. 16, 2014 - 2:13pm By Hamilton
On Tuesday, July 15th, the House voted (367-55) to approve a $10.8 billion temporary patch to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent through May 2015. The bill has garnered the support of the Obama Administration and now requires Senate action. A similar bill is pending in the Senate and Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed […]
DOT Drunk Driving Task Force Members Resign
Date Thu, Jun. 26, 2014 - 11:56am By Hamilton
Four non-government members of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Drunk Driving Task Force have resigned from their place on the task force, citing procedural issues and conflicts of interest with the Tavern League of Wisconsin’s involvement on the board. Those who resigned, two doctors and two Wisconsin health professionals, explained in their four page […]