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 | October 13, 2017 |
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| Wisconsin political news for clients and colleagues. |
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The busyness of fall session continues, and Tidbits is packed with action in the legislature from the past two weeks. This edition of Bills of Note highlights apprenticeships and several employment-related bills. This Tidbits also has updates on Medicaid and worker's compensation and recaps redistricting and high-capacity wells cases. Keep reading for the latest Wisconsin political news!
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| Bills of Note: Apprenticeships, Hire Heroes, Unemployment Insurance, Family Medical Leave |
Apprenticeships
In mid-September, Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) introduced a bill (AB 508/SB 411) that would prohibit the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) from requiring apprenticeship programs to have more than one journeyworker per apprentice. The Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform held a public hearing on the bill on Oct. 4.
Hire Heroes
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Timothy LaSage testifies on the Hire Heroes bill.
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WPS employee and veteran Timothy LaSage testified in favor of the Hire Heroes bills moving through the legislature. LaSage, a retired 1st Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and two-time Purple Heart recipient, spoke in favor of the bill that requires the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to establish a program to provide transitional jobs to veterans.
Unemployment Insurance
In September, Sen. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater) and Rep. Bob Kulp (R-Stratford) introduced a bill (SB 399/AB 516) that would make various changes to unemployment insurance law in Wisconsin, which is administered by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The bill is the agreed bill between labor and management members of the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council under DWD.
Continue reading about the unemployment insurance bill.
Family Medical Leave (to be introduced)
Sen. Alberta Darling (R - River Hills) and Reps. Joan Ballweg (R - Markesan) and Mike Rohrkaste (R - Neenah) sent out a cosponsorship memo last week asking for support of their federalization of Wisconsin's Family Medical Leave Law (FMLA). In their cosponsorship memo, the authors explain the reforms are intended to "remove the red tape in FMLA by adopting federal FMLA for most employers now required to follow both state and federal regulations whenever an employee utilizes leave."
Continue reading about the FMLA bill.
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Dane County Judge Vacates DNR-Approved Agricultural Well Permits
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On October 11, Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn, Dane County Circuit Court, vacated seven high-capacity well permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and remanded another. Clean Wisconsin convinced the court DNR had a public trust duty to deny the permits despite no statutory language that requires such action.
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Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Wisconsin Redistricting Case
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Click to enlarge timeline.
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On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Gill v. Whitford, the legal challenge to Wisconsin Republicans' redistricting map brought by Democratic voters against officials of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The Court agreed to hear Gill v. Whitford in June and voted to grant Attorney General Brad Schimel's request to stay the lower court's order requiring a timely redrawing of the Assembly district map. Schimel filed the state's opening brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in late July.
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Medicaid Deficit Projected for End of the Biennium
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On Oct. 2, the Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted a report on the Medicaid benefit budget to the Joint Committee on Finance. DHS projects that costs will exceed the budget by $7.9 million GPR by the end of the 2017-19 biennium, which began on July 1, 2017. The $7.9 million shortfall is due to higher than expected personal care expenditures and lower third-party revenue. Despite these negative impacts, DHS does cite there have been offsetting positive changes including a higher federal medical assistance percentage rate and more favorable enrollment levels and prescription drug expenditures in the first three months of the biennium.
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| Worker's Comp Advisory Council Meets on Proposed Bill |
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| Nurses Day at the Capitol |
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CNMs and lobbyist Rebecca Hogan meet with Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon).
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Hamilton Consulting Group was happy to guide certified nurse midwives through the Capitol this week as they advocated for the APRN Modernization Act sponsored by Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Ootsburg) and Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah).
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State Rep. Bob Gannon Passes Away at 58
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Rep. Bob Gannon (R-West Bend), the representative of the 58th Assembly district, passed away on Oct. 3 of natural causes. Elected officials expressed sorrow at the news, and Gov. Scott Walker released a statement writing, "Bob's energy and passion will be deeply missed." A memorial service for the representative will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15 in West Bend.
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