The review period for Governor Walker to veto or sign bills from the 2015-2016 legislative session has passed, but some legislators still have work to do in the Capitol. In this week's Tidbits, read about the 2016 legislative study committees and the Joint Finance Committee's pending decision on a proposal to reform long-term care services in Wisconsin.
In judiciary news, read about Justice Prosser's retirement announcement and the candidates who are already planning to apply for the open Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. Also in Tidbits, learn more about the state Department of Justice's (DOJ) appeal to allow Wisconsin's right-to-work law to stay in effect while the law is under judicial review, and Wisconsin's DOJ has joined a coalition of states asking the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate an EPA ozone rule.
Also in this issue of Tidbits you can find the latest state election news and a guide to Wisconsin's new campaign finance laws.
|
|
New Vacancy on State Supreme Court
|
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David T. Prosser Jr. has announced he will retire from the highest court in Wisconsin later this summer with four years left in his term.
In his letter of resignation Justice Prosser said, "Public service was the career I chose at an early age. The goal has been fulfilled... For me, the time has come to step down, pass the torch, and begin a new chapter in my life."
Gov. Scott Walker will accept applications for an appointment to fill the seat through mid-May, and the appointee will hold the seat until elections are held in April 2020.
|
|
JFC May Vote Soon on Long-Term Care Reforms
|
|
Attorney General Appeals Ruling on Right-to-Work
|
Friday, April 8, Dane County Circuit Court Judge C. William Foust struck down
2015 Wisconsin Act 1, Wisconsin's right-to-work law, concluding that labor unions have a property right to a portion of a worker's wages. Under 2015 Wisconsin Act 1,
"No person may require, as a condition of obtaining or continuing employment, an individual to do any of the following:
- Refrain or resign from membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of a labor organization.
- Become or remain a member of a labor organization.
- Pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges or expenses of any kind or amount, or provide anything of value, to a labor organization.
- Pay to any 3rd party an amount that is in place of, equivalent to, or any portion of dues, fees, assessments, or other charges or expenses required of members of, or employees represented by, a labor organization."
Wis. Stat. s.
111.04 (3).
Attorney General Brad Schimel has filed an appeal with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III, and is seeking a stay of Judge Foust's decision. A stay, if granted, would allow Act 1 to remain in effect during the appeal.
Read more about Attorney General Brad Schimel's appeal to protect workers' wages.
|
| Legislative Study Committees Finalized |
|
|
Get Ready for Campaign Season: Basic Fundraising Points You Need to Know
|
Nomination papers are circulating and the candidates listed on the ballot have yet to be finalized, but that has not precluded the onslaught of fundraising appeals in your mailbox, inbox and even on your voicemail.
|
|
Hamilton's Political Fundraising Calendar
|
As campaign season gets underway, consider using Hamilton's
political fundraising calendar. The calendar provides an excellent resource to find all upcoming fundraising events. Included are all events for state and national elected officials who represent Wisconsin. Fundraisers provide a great opportunity to get to know current and prospective legislators and other elected officials.
The information on the calendar comes from candidates and committees, so please be sure to RSVP to the person indicated in the event information, not the Hamilton Consulting Group.
|
| AG Schimel Sues EPA over New Ozone Standard |
Wisconsin joined a coalition of states and industry groups challenging EPA's new ozone standard. The new standard was released on October 26, 2015, and lowers the ozone standard to 70 parts per billion (ppb).
Read more about DOJ's brief and the rule.
|
| Governor Vetoes Two Bills |
The review period for the governor to sign or veto legislation has now ended. While Gov. Scott Walker signed most bills, he also issued his first full vetoes.
Senate Bill 360 and
Senate Bill 87 were vetoed and returned to the Senate.
SB 360 made several changes, both technical and substantive, to the administrative rules promulgated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The governor vetoed the bill,
citing concerns with the broad scope of the legislation and changing the administrative rules without any economic impact analyses and stakeholder engagement.
SB 87 directed the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) to promulgate rules to require an inspection of a one or two-family dwelling for a major renovation of more than 20 percent of the dwelling's value. In his
veto message, the governor stated that SB 87 would create unnecessary regulatory burdens on homeowners and drive up administrative costs for DSPS and local units of government.
|
Senate District 32: Shilling vs Kapanke
|
|
As the spotlight burns on what has been an extraordinary Presidential election, Wisconsin's state legislative races are starting to take shape, albeit with much less attention.
One of those races has turned out to be more interesting than expected as former State Sen. Dan Kapanke has decided to challenge sitting Minority Leader Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse). While her odds to return to the senate representing her La Crosse area seat remain very favorable, the pathway now has some unexpected obstacles.
|
Tony Zammit Enters Crowded Race for 67th Assembly District
|
|
Tony Zammit of Chippewa Falls has entered a crowded Republican primary for the 67th Assembly District. Zammit, the executive director of the Chippewa Valley Symphony, officially declared his candidacy on April 13.
In a statement released by his campaign, Zammit said, if elected he will focus on improving the education system and strengthening the economy in northwestern Wisconsin. Zammit also praised the work of current 67th Assembly District Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax), who is stepping down from his position in the fall due to health issues.
Zammit is a former employee of the Republican National Committee and has worked for Republican Minnesota politicians including former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
|
Law Creates New Funding Stream for Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
|
A
bill that would create a new dedicated funding stream for law enforcement to fight internet crimes against children was signed by Gov. Scott Walker as
2015 Wisconsin Act 369 in April 2016. The law transfers $1 million from an existing appropriation for drug law enforcement to a new appropriation for investigating internet crimes against children. The bill was championed by Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc).
Read more about the new law.
|
|
Mandatory CPR Training Bill Signed into Law
|
In one of the final bill signings this legislative session, Gov. Scott Walker signed
AB 545 into law as
2015 Wisconsin Act 390. The legislation requires mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training be taught in every health class offered to pupils in grades seven through 12. The requirement will be effective starting with the 2017-18 school year. The bill was introduced by Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield) and Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) late last fall and passed both chambers with strong majorities.
|
| Hamilton Consulting: Your Government Relations Easy Button |
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 news sorted by subject on the Hamilton Consulting website?
- 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.
|
|
The Hamilton Consulting Group Political Tidbits is a free newsletter on Wisconsin political and policy developments. Please 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.
|
|
|
|
