Governor Walker's signature closes out the legislative session while nomination paper signatures from voters across the state officially opens the electoral season.
The Governor signed over 100 bills in the last couple weeks on a wide range of issues that you can find in our links. The Governor still has some bills left to consider so the ink on the 2013-2014 hasn't run completely dry, but it's getting close.
Many of the legislators who authored those bills have signaled they are retiring from their seats, prompting one of the biggest legislative turnovers the state has ever seen. Many are running for other offices, some have taken new jobs, and others are simply retiring. You can see the updated list below along with other stories in Hamilton Consulting's signature Tidbits.
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Governor Walker Signs More Than 100 Bills
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Governor Walker signed over 100 bills in the last two weeks. Many of the bills passed the both houses of the State Legislature in the final days of session, in mid-March. You can find a full list of the bills Governor Walker signed on the Governor's website.
Read more...
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| Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Act 10 | |
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| 2014 Election Update |
- Sixth Congressional District Seat Open.
- Representative Hulsey enters Governor's race
- Walker launches new campaign ads
 | Walker Campaign Ad
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- Sheridan announces candidacy for Senate District 15
- State Legislature retirements
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules Excessive Punitive Damages Unconstitutional
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On April 22, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a decision (4-2) in Kimble v. Land Concepts, Inc., 2014 WI 21, holding that $1 million in punitive damages against a title insurance company violated due process and therefore was unconstitutional.
Justice Annette Ziegler authored the decision, and was joined by Justices Patrick Crooks, Patience Roggensack, and Michael Gableman. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson authored a dissenting opinion and was joined by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, Wisconsin Civil Justice Council, and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce filed an amicus brief in the case arguing that the $1 million award of punitive damages was unconstitutional.
The issue in the case was whether the $1 million in punitive damages awarded against First American Title Insurance Company violated the Wisconsin Constitution or the common law of the state of Wisconsin.
Read more...
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LRB Provides Online Privacy and Security Info
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In the wake of the Internet scare caused by the "Heartbleed Bug", the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau has released two reports detailing online privacy and state services regarding cyber security.
Regarding online privacy, a hot topic in the nation after the revelations in the media relating to the National Security Agency's surveillance, many states are moving forward with legislation to help citizens feel more safe online. In some state legislatures, legislation prohibits employers and schools from providing social networking usernames when applying for employment or acceptance.
Read more...
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Building Commission Approves New Projects
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The Wisconsin Building Commission, chaired by Governor and made up of Republican and Democratic state legislators, and one citizen member, passed four new state building projects:
- Construction of new motor vehicle storage facilities at the Onalaska Readiness Center in La Crosse County and the Portage Readiness Center in Columbia County;
- Expansion of the UW Hospital patient and Visitor Parking Ramp in Madison;
- Maintenance and repairs to existing UW-System buildings in Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Madison, and Oshkosh.
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DOJ Launches New Medical Forensics Website
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice has launched a new website which provides information and assistance for nurses and other medical professionals practicing medical forensics and responding to sexual assault cases.
The website provides information, training, and technical assistance for medical professionals to learn how to collect evidence. Said Attorney General Van Hollen, "It's incredibly important we tend to the victims of sexual assault with compassion and utmost sensitivity while gathering evidence critical to a successful prosecution."
Read more...
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Hamilton Consulting: Your Government Relations Easy Button
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As the 2013-14 Legislative Session progresses, the Hamilton team is working to make sure our clients have the tools necessary to accomplish their government relations goals. We encourage our clients to remember to make use of all the many services we provide:
- Political Tidbits - Political Tidbits is our FREE email newsletter on political and policy developments in Wisconsin, including links to relevant news articles, policy papers, and other informative documents. We are constantly updating our mailing list and we could use your help! Please let us know if your email address is changing so you will continue to receive our newsletter. Also, feel free to forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in subscribing.
- News Clips - President Harry Truman once wrote that you can't get all the facts from just one newspaper, and without the facts, "you cannot make proper judgments about what is going on." The right column of Political Tidbits contains a selection of the most important news stories, but did you know you can always get the latest news sorted by subject on the Hamilton Consulting website?
- Tracking Reports - Tracking Reports provide timely, in-depth coverage of your legislative initiatives. If your organization did not have a tracking report last session and you are interested in having one during the coming session, please contact one of our team members.
- Political Fundraising Calendar - Hamilton's political fundraising calendar allows you to see all of the upcoming fundraising events and import them to your own calendar.
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The Hamilton Consulting Group Political Tidbits is a free newsletter on Wisconsin political and policy developments. Please forward it to others who may wish to receive this service.
If you require additional information about a topic addressed in Tidbits for your organization's board meeting or trade publication, please do not hesitate to contact a Hamilton Consulting Group lobbyist.
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