It is all but certain Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and four Wisconsin State Senators will face recall elections in 2012. Certification of the signatures is an ongoing process playing out in the courts and online, where you can watch Government Accountability Board employees work to verify signatures. Governor & Lieutenant Governor Recall […]
A Year in Review: 2011
Date Tue, Dec. 20, 2011 - 12:46pm By Hamilton
To say that 2011 was a historical and eventful year politically in Wisconsin is an understatement. Below is a summary of some of the major events that took place in Madison in 2011. Gov. Walker’s Budget Repair Bill (Act 10): Very few will soon forget the public employee union changes contained in Gov. […]
Bills Would Limit “Double Dipping” by State Employees
Date Thu, Dec. 8, 2011 - 9:42am By Hamilton
The Assembly Committee on Insurance held a hearing November 17, on two bills that would limit the ability of public employees who retired, and were later rehired to collect a salary and a pension simultaneously. Currently, under Chapter 40, this practice is legal. State workers can retire, start collecting their pensions and then go […]
Governor Releases Executive Order on Rulemaking
Date Wed, Nov. 9, 2011 - 7:36pm By Hamilton
Governor Walker issued Executive Order 50, Relating to Guidelines for the Promulgation of Administrative Rules, on November 2nd. The Governor’s executive order is an important step toward implementation and understanding of the new procedures adopted in 2011 Wisconsin Act 21, which passed during the January special session. Under the regulatory procedure, agencies must provide a […]
Bill Advances in Giving Employers Protection in Hiring Convicted Felons
Date Wed, Nov. 9, 2011 - 7:15pm By Hamilton
Senate Bill 207/AB 286, authored by Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc), allows an employer to consider an individual’s felony conviction record when deciding to hire or terminate that individual. Currently, if a person with a felony conviction record who has not been pardoned is either not hired or terminated from […]
Senate Passes Bill Repealing Punitive and Compensatory Damages under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act
Date Wed, Nov. 9, 2011 - 7:07pm By Hamilton
The Senate this week passed Senate Bill 202, authored by Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) and Rep. Michelle Litjens (R-Oshkosh), which repeals a law enacted last session (2009 Wisconsin Act 20) that for the first time imposed punitive and compensatory damages in discrimination cases under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. Before enactment of Wisconsin Act […]
Daubert Comes to Wisconsin — CLE Summit on Expert Opinion
Date Tue, Oct. 25, 2011 - 3:02pm By Hamilton
This one day “summit” is for trial lawyers who are engaged in the defense of civil litigation as well as those lawyers who represent businesses and professionals, and whose litigation fate relies heavily on the admissibility—or non-admissibility—of expert testimony, including the elimination of “junk science.” A comprehensive understanding of decisions and trends from other jurisdictions […]
Bill Would Provide Employers Protection in Hiring Convicted Felons
Date Tue, Oct. 11, 2011 - 5:06pm By Hamilton
The Assembly Labor and Workforce Development Committee this week held a public hearing on Assembly Bill 286, permitting employers to consider a person’s felony conviction record when deciding to hire or terminate the person. (The Senate companion bill is SB 207). Currently, Wisconsin is one of only four states that include convicted felons as a […]
Governor Walker Calls Second Special Session on Jobs
Date Wed, Sep. 28, 2011 - 3:58pm By Hamilton
For the second time this year Governor Scott Walker has called the legislature into special session to address jobs. The “Back to Work Wisconsin” special session is expected to begin on Thursday, September 19, and run through November. Walker’s announcement included a list of 26 pieces of legislation for the session. The list is replicated […]
Three Petitions against Democratic State Senators Certified by GAB
Date Wed, Jun. 15, 2011 - 12:31pm By Hamilton
The Government Accountability Board (GAB) voted to certify recall petitions against Senator Jim Holperin (D- District 12), Senator Robert Wirch (D- District 22), and Senator Dave Hansen (D- District 30). State law requires the recall elections be held on the sixth Tuesday after the petitions are found to be sufficient. If there is a primary, […]