On Monday, April 17, Gov. Scott Walker signed into law 2017 Wisconsin Act 3, requiring government to be neutral regarding the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). On that same day, he also signed 2017 Wisconsin Act 4, which allows for possession of CBD oil with written documentation from a Wisconsin-licensed doctor.

Act 3 requires government to be neutral regarding PLAs when contracting for state projects. The legislation signed by Walker on April 17 simply says that government can neither require nor prohibit the use of project labor agreements. Walker characterized the passage of the bill as “promoting healthy competition,” and further stated, “At the end of the day, this means the contractor ultimately chosen for the project is the one that has demonstrated excellent service and will work at good value for Wisconsin taxpayers.”

Act 4, or the “CBD Oil Bill,” which failed to pass last session, will allow easier access to use non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD oil) as a treatment for a medical condition, if there is written certification from a Wisconsin-licensed doctor that is no more than one year old.

The legislation aims to fix Lydia’s Law, a bill enacted in the 2013-14 legislative session that passed, but because of a loophole and federal regulations, still made CBD oil unavailable to Wisconsin patients. In a statement regarding the passage of the bill, Walker said, “Three years ago, we signed Lydia’s Law into effect, which cleared the way for a new treatment for people who suffer from seizure disorders,” adding, “Today, we’re making it easier for people in our state to obtain CBD oil without a psychoactive effect to treat a medical condition as advised by their doctor.”