Hamilton Political Tidbits – October 8, 2021

Wisconsin will hold elections for its statewide partisan offices in 2022, including for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. With Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes running for U.S. Senate, Democrats will hold a primary election to select Governor Tony Evers’ new running mate. State Senator Lena Taylor of Milwaukee announced her candidacy on October 4, making her the first to enter the race on the Democratic side.

Two candidates have announced their campaigns for Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, which will be open in 2022 for the first time in 26 years. Last month, incumbent Representative Ron Kind of La Crosse announced that he will not seek reelection next year. Rep. Kind has represented the third district since 1997.

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature met on September 28 to vote on a variety of matters. The Senate voted to confirm nearly 40 of Governor Tony Evers’ appointments to various state agencies, boards, and commissions, including six agency heads. Both houses also approved along party lines Senate Joint Resolution 63, which describes principles and standards that Republican legislative leaders plan to use when drawing new political maps for the state based on the national census conducted last year.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced a public hearing and comment period on its proposed final rule related to firefighting foam containing PFAS. The rule is a result of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board board order WA-07-20. A public hearing on the rule will take place on November 4, 2021, while written comments are due by November 11. The agency released its fiscal analysis of the proposed rule in early September.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has signed a contract for hardware and software updates to the state’s Unemployment Insurance system. DWD announced on September 29 that it will pay Flexion, a technology firm based in Madison, about $16.5 million over four years to perform phased software upgrades and other enhancements.

Wisconsin and four other states have agreed to form the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition, or “REV Midwest,” to promote the development of electric vehicle charging stations across the region. On September 30, five midwestern governors including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a memorandum of understanding establishing REV Midwest. Along with Wisconsin, participating states include Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota.