Hamilton Political Tidbits – November 19, 2021

On November 18, Governor Tony Evers vetoed Senate Bills 621 and 622, meaning that Wisconsin’s political maps for the next ten years will likely be set by the Wisconsin Supreme Court or a panel of federal judges.

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.

On November 15, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in early November by a vote of 228-206, with most Democratic members supporting the bill and most Republican members opposed. The Senate had passed the bill in August.

While redistricting has been the most contested legislative issue over the last few months, the Wisconsin Legislature and governor have also been working on other priorities. The Senate and Assembly each met once during November to vote on redistricting proposals and other matters.

The Wisconsin Departments of Administration and Workforce Development have reached an agreement on the handling of contested worker’s compensation hearings in Wisconsin. On November 9, the two agencies entered into a memorandum of understanding. Two days later, a DWD administrator sent a letter to the Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council and other key stakeholders explaining the memo.

Following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control, children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In Wisconsin, that age group includes about 500,000 kids.