Hamilton Political Tidbits – August 22, 2019

Political Tidbits - August 22, 2019
Hamilton Consulting Group
 August 22, 2019
Wisconsin political news for clients and colleagues.

This week's Political Tidbits features a Q&A with Wisconsin Assembly Speaker and NCSL President Robin Vos. Also in this edition, Gov. Evers has issued several executive orders on health care and energy. Plus, more developments on these issues in both the administration and the Legislature.

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Q&A With Assembly Speaker & NCSL President Robin Vos

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) was recently named president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). NCSL is a bipartisan organization serving state legislators and staff from around the country by providing research, resources, and advocacy on behalf of states. Speaker Vos is the first legislator from Wisconsin to serve as head of the organization.
 
After officially taking on the new position, Speaker Vos provided Hamilton Consulting answers to a few questions about his experience both at NCSL and in the Wisconsin Legislature.
 
 
Bills of Note: Dental Therapists

The Senate Committee on Health & Human Services this week held a public hearing on a bill that would create a new license in Wisconsin for dental therapists, an intermediate level of dentistry practice between hygienists and dentists. The bipartisan bill has received wide support from a coalition of 62 stakeholder groups but is opposed by the Wisconsin Dental Association.
 
 
Gov. Evers Issues Executive Order on Prescription Drug Prices

This week, Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order creating a Task Force on Reducing Prescription Drug Prices. The task force is charged with addressing the rising cost of prescription drugs in Wisconsin, which the executive order says cost Wisconsin residents $1.3 billion in 2019 and costs the state's Medicaid program $400 million annually.
 
 
Gov. Evers Announces Caregiving Task Force Members

This week, Gov. Tony Evers announced the members appointed to his Task Force on Caregiving. The task force is charged with examining strategies to develop the direct care workforce, reduce health care costs for care givers, and increase access and quality of care.
 
 
UPDATED: Status of Gov. Evers Appointments

After Gov. Tony Evers's inauguration in January, the governor began appointing cabinet secretaries and staff for his new administration. The appointments are still making their way through the Senate for confirmation. While none have been confirmed by the full Senate, all but one of fifteen cabinet secretaries have had public hearings, and nine have been voted out of committees. This week, a Senate committee voted on Evers's appointment to the Department of Health Services.
 
 
Gov. Evers Issues Executive Order on Clean Energy

On Aug. 16, Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order on clean energy, establishing a goal for Wisconsin electricity consumption to be carbon-free by 2050, among other initiatives.
 
 
PSCW Approves Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line

This week, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) voted unanimously to preliminarily approve and select the route for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line. The line will electrically connect Dane County, Wisconsin to Dubuque County, Iowa.
 
 
AG Kaul Joins Lawsuit Against Clean Power Plan Repeal

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined a coalition of 22 states and seven local governments in a lawsuit challenging the federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which repeals the Clean Power Plan. EPA proposed repealing the Clean Power Plan in 2017 after determining the rule exceeds EPA's statutory authority and is inconsistent with the Clean Air Act. As a replacement, EPA finalized the ACE Rule in June.
 
 
Water Quality Task Force Meets in Milwaukee

The Speaker's Task Force on Water Quality met earlier this month in Milwaukee to discuss lead in drinking water, among other issues.
 
Continue reading about the task force meeting.
 


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