Reactions to the State of the State are always mixed, with people typically splitting along party lines. WisconsinEye once again provided exceptional video coverage of both prepared and off-the-cuff reactions following the governor’s speech. The official Democratic response was provided by Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca. Immediately following the […]
New Legislators Receive Committee Assignments
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2014 - 9:55pm By Hamilton
The three legislators who were elected to the Assembly in special elections this fall have now received their committee assignments for the coming year. Speaker Vos has assigned committees for the new legislators. They are as follows: Rep. KulpTransportationLaborWorkforce DevelopmentJudiciaryWays and Means Rep. RodriguezJobs, Economy, and MiningHealthEducation Criminal JusticeLegislative Council Rep. SkowronskiHealthNatural ResourcesUrban and Local […]
Legislature Considering Sales Tax Holiday
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2014 - 5:21pm By Hamilton
The future of the state’s tax system is a hot topic this spring. While Lt. Gov. Kleefisch and Dept. of Revenue Sec. Chandler gather new ideas from the public with their series of tax roundtables, the legislature is considering proposals already on the table. On January 7, 2014 the Assembly Committee on Small Business Development […]
Legislature Back in Session
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2014 - 4:48pm By Hamilton
After taking a break for the holiday season, the legislature is headed back to the floor. The Assembly will be back on the floor on January 14 and the Senate will be back later this month. There are a few dynamics that could affect the remaining months with regard to what items make their […]
Legislative Snapshot
Date Thu, Dec. 19, 2013 - 12:00pm By Hamilton
This week saw completion of the round of three special elections to replace Republican Assembly members who left their seats for other positions. Jeff Stone’s southeastern Wisconsin seat was won easily by Franklin alderman Ken Skowronski on Tuesday, so the Republican’s in the Assembly retain their 60-39 majority. Republicans are a lock to hold […]
Affordable Care Act Update
Date Thu, Dec. 19, 2013 - 8:31am By Hamilton
Although reports indicate that the federal healthcare.gov insurance exchange website is working better than when it was launched in October, Wisconsin is taking action to make sure residents who are losing their state coverage, and thus must shop for coverage on the exchange, have plenty of time to do so. Enrollment in Wisconsin On December […]
Vos and Barca Debrief the End of the 2013 Floor Period
Date Fri, Dec. 6, 2013 - 9:07am By Hamilton
On Nov. 20, 2013, WisconsinEye senior producer Steve Walters hosted a Civil Dialogue with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The leaders covered many topics related to the end of the 2013 legislative floor period. The session kicked off with a review of […]
Covering the Capitol
Date Fri, Dec. 6, 2013 - 9:02am By Hamilton
WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters recently hosted a Capitol Roundtable with a handful of the state’s most well-known Capitol correspondents, Scott Bauer, AP; JR Ross, WisPolitics; Mary Spicuzza, Wisconsin State Journal; Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network. The journalists provided an interesting take on what happened during the first half of the 2013-14 Legislative Session and what sort […]
Last Floor Sessions of 2013
Date Tue, Nov. 19, 2013 - 11:59pm By Hamilton
The Senate and Assembly have adjourned their last regular sessions for 2013. Both houses had busy agendas as they moved to get bills passed before the end of the calendar year. Elections and Politics The most contentious issues involved elections – from voting to recalls and redistricting. Party line votes and long debates were abundant. […]
Legislature Debating Nonmetallic Mining Law
Date Sun, Nov. 10, 2013 - 8:06pm By Hamilton
Iron ore mining features heavily in Wisconsin’s history, but that is not the only type of mining the state is known for. Wisconsin has long been considered one of the nation’s best sources of industrial sand and stone. While many quarries have dotted the landscape for past 100 years, the sand mining boom in Western […]