Wisconsin political news for clients and colleagues.
Wisconsin is beginning to reopen amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read more below about how state and local officials are responding to the crisis after the Supreme Court invalidated the statewide Safer at Home order. Plus, a public hearing on the unemployment insurance program, latest resignations from the legislature and more news from the state capitol.
A few weeks after the Wisconsin Supreme Court invalidated the state's "Safer at Home" emergency order, state and local leaders continue to grapple with the ongoing pandemic and economic recovery. The Department of Health Services (DHS) has declined to promulgate Safer at Home as a statewide rule and instead some local health departments have orders in place. Gov. Tony Evers has also begun allocating federal funds for Wisconsin COVID-19 efforts.
Latest Resignations from the Wisconsin Legislature
Sen. Dave Craig (R-Big Bend) is the latest legislator to announce he will not run for reelection in November.
Out of the 16 Senate seats up in November, there are now seven open, with four Democrats and three Republicans retiring. On the Assembly side, there will be 11 open seats, with five Democrats and six Republicans retiring this year.
Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Unemployment Insurance Program
On May 27, the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform held an informational hearing on Wisconsin's Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. The hearing was held as Wisconsin unemployment numbers are at record highs, and many Republican legislators are criticizing Gov. Tony Evers's administration for reports of major backlogs in UI requests.
AG Kaul Submits Briefs on Affordable Care Act, Fuel Efficiency Standards
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul recently joined multistate coalitions in lawsuits on two important issues: the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and federal fuel efficiency standards.
Study Finds Federal Davis-Bacon Act Increases Costs, Limits Competition in Wisconsin
A new study from Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), partnering with Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin (ABC), shows the federal Davis-Bacon Act increases costs while limiting competition for construction jobs in Wisconsin. The Davis-Bacon Act, enacted in 1931, requires construction companies to provide a federally mandated "prevailing wage" on projects funded by at least $2,000 in federal money.
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.
To ensure that Political Tidbits never gets caught in your spam filter, please add publications@hamilton-consulting.com to your address book/contacts list. If you are receiving these emails via a workplace email account, please advise your IT service desk to do this for you.
