Hamilton Political Tidbits – December 22, 2021

Put your political and holiday trivia knowledge to the test with this quick quiz. The respondent with the best score wins a priceless prize: a copy of Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, signed by the Hamilton Consulting Group team. The book that inspired the hit Broadway musical!

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are either vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly for the disease. Almost immediately following the publication of the OSHA rule, Fox Business reported that at least 24 states with Republican attorneys general had filed various lawsuits against the federal government.

Democratic members of the Wisconsin Assembly selected new leaders at a caucus meeting on December 20. A majority of the caucus’ 38 members voted to elect Reps. Greta Neubauer and Kalan Haywood as the Assembly’s new minority leader and assistant minority leader, respectively.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting public hearing and comment periods for three rules regulating the allowable levels of certain PFAS and other compounds in surface water, groundwater, and drinking water. DNR plans to present its final proposed regulations for all three rulemakings to the Natural Resources Board (NRB) at the board’s February meeting.

In December, Gov. Evers has taken action on 34 bills, signing 27 of them into law and vetoing seven others. The bills were presented to the governor automatically on December 2.

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin has issued its first major ruling related to this cycle of redistricting in Wisconsin. The Republican-led Legislature passed its proposed congressional and state legislative maps along party lines in early November. Gov. Evers vetoed those maps in mid-November and has called for the state to adopt alternative maps drafted by his “People’s Maps Commission.”