Budget Update

The Joint Finance Committee continues to vote on various parts of the budget. The committee has mostly voted on non-controversial items thus far, so this week’s session was a change of pace as the committee voted on some more weighty issues. Video of the JFC hearing from WisconsinEye. JFC covered the following items at its […]

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Assembly Advances Civil Justice Legislation

The Wisconsin Assembly has passed three bills, AB 19, AB 27 and AB 139, that will improve Wisconsin’s litigation climate, making Wisconsin a more attractive place to do business. Video of the floor debate is available from WisconsinEye. Personal Injury Trust Claims Transparency (AB 19): The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency and […]

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Joint Finance Committee Begins Voting on Budget

The Joint Finance Committee has begun taking votes on various parts of the budget. Prior to each JFC session the Legislative Fiscal Bureau publishes a budget paper detailing the various options the committee will vote on at a specific session. The next JFC session is scheduled for May 9. The committee is slated to cover […]

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Legislature Considers Various Venture Capital Proposals

This week the legislature held a hearing on one venture capital bill and started discussions about another. Venture capital is a hot topic this session because Wisconsin lags behind other states in the availability of start-up capital, but there is a hesitancy to put taxpayer money at risk. The Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and […]

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Legislature Considers Lemon Law Reforms

A coalition of vehicle manufacturers and dealers, including Hamilton Consulting clients, are supporting a Lemon Law reform bill being circulated by Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha). In their request for co-authors for the bill, the groups set forth their rational for supporting the legislation: Wisconsin is universally known among automobile, motorcycle, […]

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Civil Justice Reform Bills Moving Forward

The past few weeks have been very active on the civil justice reform front. The Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees have held a number of public hearings on bills supported by various Hamilton Consulting clients related to the state’s civil justice system. Eliminating Phantom Damages AB 29/SB 22, authored by Rep. Andre Jacque and Sen. […]

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WisconsinEye Features Discussion of the History of Reporting in the Capitol

WisconsinEye’s latest Capitol Roundtable featured an interesting discussion between veteran capitol reports. Five Capitol reporters from the 1960s to the 1990s talked about their jobs, joys and frustrations in a special edition of Capitol Roundtable on April 12, 2013. In those early years, TV and radio reporters were first allowed to cover Capitol news conferences […]

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Statewide Budget Hearings Draw Crowds

The Joint Finance Committee is traveling the state in an effort to give Wisconsinites a chance to comment on the state budget before the committee begins voting on specific items on April 25. Information and video from the four scheduled public hearings will be added as it becomes available: Thursday, April 4 at Greendale High […]

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Legislature Considers Civil Justice Reforms

The 2011-12 Legislative Session was a watershed year for civil justice reforms in Wisconsin, but that does not mean that there are no concerns remaining. A number of civil justice related bills have been introduced and are working their way through the system. Limiting Phantom Damages Rep. André Jacque and Sen. Paul Farrow have introduced […]

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Statewide Hearings on State Budget Begin

The Joint Finance Committee is hitting the road in an effort to give citizens around the state a chance to comment on the state budget. Information and video from the four scheduled public hearings will be added as it becomes available: Thursday, April 4 at Greendale High School in Greendale Monday, April 8 at Lambeau […]

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