The Joint Committee on Finance (Joint Finance Committee or JFC) of the Wisconsin Legislature continues its work on the 2023-25 state budget, taking votes to reshape the budget as initially proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). The committee began the process on May 2 by voting to remove many new programs and significant changes to […]
Joint Finance Committee Budget Votes: May 23 and 25, June 1
Date Thu, Jun. 8, 2023 - 11:41am By Hamilton
Senate and Assembly Floor Sessions: June 7
Date Thu, Jun. 8, 2023 - 11:22am By Hamilton
Senate (floor calendar) The Senate met on June 7 to consider a variety of measures. The chamber passed 17 Senate Bills, including transportation-related bills on driver contact records, snowmobile trail signs, probationary licenses, temporary license plates, agricultural road grants, and safety, mapping, and communication aids for ATV/UTV organizations. The Senate also passed natural resources-related bills […]
Two Candidates File for AD 24 Special Election
Date Thu, Jun. 8, 2023 - 11:17am By Hamilton
A special election will take place on July 18 to fill the vacant 24th Assembly District. The seat was represented by Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) from 2009 until his resignation in May. Knodl won a special election for the 8th Senate District on April 4, replacing former Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), who resigned last year. Gov. […]
Assembly Passes Shared Revenue Bill; Acts 6-10 Signed Into Law
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:59am By Hamilton
In May, the Wisconsin Assembly held one floor session, while the Senate did not meet. No additional floor dates have been scheduled for May. So far, six bills have been signed into law this month. Assembly: May 17 (floor calendar) The Assembly met May 17 and passed one bill and eight resolutions. The Assembly devoted […]
Environmental Policy: DNR Budget, PFAS Legislation, NRB Appointments
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:57am By Hamilton
There have been several significant updates on environmental policy in Wisconsin, including PFAS, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the 2023-25 state budget. Finance Committee Approves DNR Budget Motions The Joint Committee on Finance held an executive session May 18 to vote on budget motions related to DNR, the Environmental Improvement Fund (EIF), and […]
Legislators Propose Hospital Price Transparency Requirements
Date Fri, May. 19, 2023 - 8:52am By Hamilton
Several legislators have authored a bill to create hospital price transparency requirements in Wisconsin. The authors, Sens. Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Bradley (R-Franklin) and Reps. Brooks (R-Saukville) and Rozar (R-Marshfield), are referring to the legislation as the “Know Your Healthcare Costs Act.” The bill requires hospitals to create a publicly available, machine-readable digital file containing a […]
Assembly Republicans Release Shared Revenue Proposal
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 10:10am By Hamilton
On April 27, Assembly Republican legislators outlined their 2023-25 state budget proposal for “shared revenue,” state tax revenue that is divided among local governments to support various programs and services. The proposal shares some similarities with what Gov. Evers (D) proposed in his executive budget, in particular dedicating one-fifth of the state’s sales tax revenue […]
Finance Committee Begins Voting on 2023-25 Budget Motions, Removing Hundreds of Gov. Evers’ Proposals
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:39am By Hamilton
This week, the Joint Committee on Finance began voting on motions to reshape the 2023-25 state budget as originally proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). This process, expected to conclude by mid-June, will result in the final budget bill that will be voted on by the full Legislature. Wisconsin’s next fiscal year (2023-24) will begin […]
Tracking the Senate Confirmation Process for the Evers Administration Cabinet
Date Thu, May. 4, 2023 - 9:19am By Hamilton
In a January interview, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) said that the Senate would work to hold confirmation hearings on department secretaries and other agency heads appointed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). During Gov. Evers’ first term, the Senate chose not to take confirmation votes on about 185 of the governor’s appointments, including many […]
Gov. Evers Signs First Acts of 2023-24 Session
Date Wed, Apr. 19, 2023 - 9:50am By Hamilton
In April, Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed the first four laws of the 2023-24 legislative session as 2023 Wisconsin Acts 1 through 4. So far, the governor has not issued any vetoes this session. Act 3, originally SB 75, implements the recently approved constitutional amendment regarding bail and pre-conviction release for people accused of a […]