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Association of Wisconsin Lobbyists
From WisPolitics.com …
— The liberal A Better Wisconsin Together put $78,210 behind a digital ad to support Jill Underly in the state superintendent’s race.
The group didn’t immediately respond yesterday to an email seeking a copy of the spot, which was detailed in a filing with the state Ethics Commission.
The ad comes a week after WEAC backed Underly in the seven-person field for state superintendent. The primary is Feb. 16.
Underly, the Pecatonica School District superintendent, reported over the weekend that WEAC’s PAC gave her campaign $18,000. That’s the max donation a PAC can make to a superintendent candidate.
— In the GOP primary for the 13th SD, Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin has now spent $41,608 on canvassing, mailers and a digital ad backing state Rep. John Jagler, of Watertown.
Jagler is in a three-way primary Feb. 16 that includes former GOP state Rep. Don Pridemore and Todd Menzel, of Columbus. The winner faces Dem Melissa Winker, of Oconomowoc, April 6 to fill the seat after Republican Scott Fitzgerald resigned to join Congress.
The final finance reports ahead of the Feb. 16 primary are due to the Ethics Commission by day’s end.
— Dem lawmakers are praising Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in his upcoming two-year budget.
Sen. Melissa Agard, who has sponsored legalization bills in the past, said now is the right time to legalize marijuana use in Wisconsin.
“At a time when we need to grow additional state revenue, this is the fiscally responsible decision for Wisconsin, said Agard, D-Madison. “At a time when we need to address our egregious racial disparities, this is the moral decision for Wisconsin. And at a time when our agricultural community needs a boost, this is the right statewide decision for Wisconsin.”
Under Evers’ plan to be formally introduced Feb. 16, the drug would be treated much like Wisconsin regulates and taxes alcohol. Wisconsin would join 15 other states, including neighboring Michigan and Illinois, in legalizing recreational marijuana. The plan would generate about $165 million a year with $80 million of the money going into a development fund for communities around the state and $34 million into funding for small, rural school districts. The guv is proposing using another $30 million for what he’s calling equity grants.
The state would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol, retailers would have to be permitted by the Department of Revenue, and individuals would need to be 21 to purchase pot for recreational use. Sales to minors would be prohibited.
GOP legislative leaders were largely mum on the plan after it was released yesterday.
But Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc and a member of the Finance Committee, knocked the plan.
“What’s always missing is the downside of these ideas. @GovEversjust give rural communities pot and everything is just fine,” Kurtz tweeted yesterday with a link to a story on a study suggesting marijuana abuse by youth with mood disorders was linked to suicide attempts.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos during a Jan. 28 WisPolitics.com luncheon reiterated his support for legalizing medical marijuana, but not as part of the budget process. But he said he doesn’t support legalizing it for recreational purposes.
“I’m still trying to find a way that we can do it where people accept the fact that we are not going to legalize recreational marijuana,” said Vos, R-Rochester. “I don’t think we have a need to have more drugs in society, especially when we see the opiod crisis and all the rest.”
See Evers’ release on the plan:
https://www.wispolitics.com/2021/gov-evers-proposes-legalizing-marijuana-investing-portion-of-revenue-in-equity-initiatives-and-rural-schools/
See Vos’ Jan. 28 comments:
https://youtu.be/7XeiCDie0BQ?t=2019
— Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said there is “no reason” to impeach President Trump and maintained it’s unconstitutional to impeach a former president.
Trump’s second impeachment trial is due to start Tuesday in the Senate.
“This is not a good thing to do. There’s no reason to do this, and we shouldn’t do it,” Johnson said in an interview aired Sunday on “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.
In their case against Trump, Democrats contend he is responsible for the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by telling his supporters to “fight like hell” against the certification of President Biden’s election victory. A mob of his supporters broke into the Capitol that day, and five people died in the violence.
Johnson also argued that going ahead with impeachment would not heal the nation.
“President Biden, in his inaugural address, talked about healing, talked about unifying this country. Is the impeachment trial of a former president, is that healing? Is that going to unify? I would argue no, it’s very vindictive, it’s very divisive, and we need to heal. We need to come together. We have enormous challenges facing this nation and the impeachment trial of a former president is not part of the solution,” Johnson said.
Program host Adrienne Pedersen pointed out the Democrats’ argument that a conviction would bar Trump from holding federal public office again.
Johnson said that would “pre-emptively” disenfranchise voters.
“Whether or not President Trump runs again for office should be a decision that President Trump makes, and whether or not he would be successful at it would be decided by the voters,” Johnson said.
“Couldn’t then a president just do whatever he or she wanted at the end of their term and not have consequences if you can’t go ahead with a trial of someone who is out of office?” Pedersen asked.
“If he has some legal liability, charges can be brought up in the justice system,” Johnson said. “But an impeachment is an impeachment of a sitting president, an impeachment trial, and I just don’t believe that’s constitutional.”
— Johnson also said he opposes President Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Act” that Democrats appear poised to muscle through the Senate without Republican support.
Johnson said hundreds of millions of dollars from a previous COVID-19 relief package remain unspent or unobligated.
“Listen, when you spend trillions of dollars, it will go to help people, no doubt about it. But we don’t have an unlimited checking account and we’re not being careful at all, we’re not doing oversight, we’re not stopping and considering, is there a better way of doing this?” Johnson said.
“That’s why I’m basically opposed to the $1.9 trillion. I think it’s very unwise. This is dangerous territory, but very few people are really concerned about it. I am concerned about it,” Johnson said.
— Also on the program, infectious disease specialist Ajay Sethi, associate professor of Population Health Sciences at UW-Madison, said the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in Wisconsin has picked up in recent weeks.
“Since that initial period, Wisconsin has actually had a good couple of weeks, and I would say we’re sort of in the middle of the pack as far as the U.S. goes, and comparing our state with similarly sized states like Maryland, Colorado and Minnesota, we’re actually doing quite well,” Sethi said.
Sethi also said the emergence of COVID-19 variants is concerning, and the state and country are “not doing nearly as much surveillance as we need to be to detect these new COVID variants that are existing and circulating in our state.”
He said a variant could become the dominant strain of COVID-19 and “we need to get people protected before this new variant sort of takes over the spread of COVID in the state.”
See more from the program, and the full 17-minute interview with Sen. Ron Johnson:
http://www.wisn.com/upfront
— Johnson tweeted over the weekend that YouTube has suspended his account.
A spokesman said Johnson can’t post new videos for a week.
Johnson tweeted late last month that YouTube had pulled two videos from his channel of doctors testifying before the Senate committee he used to chair. Both touted what they said were early treatments for COVID, though others in the medical community have questioned the treatments they were touting.
“YouTube has ‘suspended’ a U.S. Senator’s account (mine) because it contained information on possible effective early treatment for COVID using safe, cheap, and available generic drugs. Go figure,” Johnson tweeted on Saturday.
See the tweet:
https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1358194433481732097
— Lawmakers last week circulated 15 bills for co-sponsorship, including a bipartisan proposal to make it a class C felony for a law enforcement officer to have sexual contact or intercourse with a person who’s been detained or is in custody.
Consent would not be a defense against the proposed crime.
Meanwhile, a Dem bill would prohibit no-knock search warrants. The bill also would limit executing search warrants to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. unless a judge allows an exception with good cause.
See the Association of Wisconsin Lobbyist’s summary of last week’s bills circulated, including links to the co-sponsorship memos:
https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210207AWL.pdf
— Members of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus are circulating a resolution to declare February Black History Month and honor a half-dozen people who have been shot or killed by the police, including Jacob Blake.
In years past, the annual resolution passed the Legislature without much fanfare. But two years ago, controversy flared after Republicans refused to sign off on a version that included Colin Kaepernick, the Wisconsin native and former NFL quarterback who was one of the first players to kneel during the national anthem to protest police policies.
Then last year, a controversy erupted after Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, circulated his own resolution that sought to honor white people who had helped Black slaves escape to Canada. Allen dropped the resolution following conversations with his Black colleagues.
This year’s resolution from the Legislative Black Caucus includes: Naomi Carter, the first Black nurse in Madison; Hank Aaron, the former Milwaukee Braves player who passed away earlier this year; and The People’s Revolution, a faction of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The August shooting of Blake, who survived but was paralyzed, sparked violent protests in Kenosha that drew national attention. The resolution also seeks to honor two of his family members.
The others listed in the resolution include Tony Robinson, who was killed by a Madison police officer in 2015, and Alvin Cole, who was killed by a Wauwatosa police officer in 2020. The other three were killed by Milwaukee police officers: Sylville Smith, in 2016; Dontre Hamilton, in 2014; and Daniel Bell, in 1958.
Each of the six are identified in the resolution as a “victim of police brutality.”
Read the resolution:
https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210508Resolution.pdf
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Feb. 18: WisPolitics.com virtual luncheon with JFC co-chairs
Join WisPolitics.com for a virtual lunchtime discussion with Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Rep. Born and Sen. Marklein. They will preview GOP budget priorities.
The program is set to run via webinar from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, February 18.
The event will begin with a moderated discussion and then shift to questions from the audience.
Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctkvP4PuNPkrVn_K2GR68T60QHt6Z4JhrEipbc20pl44mhOg/viewform
We will send you a link to access the webinar on the morning of the event.
This event series is sponsored by Husch Blackwell Strategies, American Family Insurance, Xcel Energy, Walmart, AARP Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
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TOP HEADLINES
DHS Reports 671 New Cases
… 549,826 confirmed cases … 6,054 have died … 2,534,922 total negative tests [2,781 more cases – 1,266 fri, 934 sat, 62 more deaths – 28 fri, 32 sat, 11,820 more negative tests since Thursday] … 24,885 people have been hospitalized [about 4.5% of cases, 251 more since Thursday] … [7-day avg. daily cases: 1,058 – 1,349 a week ago. 7-day overall daily percent positive: 17.8 – 4.4 for multiple testers] … No counties had a “critically high” level of COVID-19 activity, 48 had a “very high” level … 24 counties had “high” … northwest, north central and western regions had “very high” and “shrinking” or “no significant change” levels … four other regions had a “high” level … 761,212 doses of the vaccines have been administered … 164,026 have received both shots … 986,275 doses of the vaccine has been allocated across Wisconsin. … preliminary daily number of vaccinations across the state shows fewer doses given this week than last week — although doses given tend to dip on weekends.
https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-dhs-reports-671-new-cases-covid-19
671 New COVID-19 Cases, Lowest Since Christmas Holiday
Case count falling faster than testing totals … 570 people were actively hospitalized [144 in ICU, 417 on respirators, 0 in Alternative Facility in West Allis, Bamlanivimab clinic closed Feb. 5] … no change in the past 24 hours, but a decrease of 127 from a week ago. … decreased every day for the past week. Thirty days ago the total was 1,054. … 1,180 [deaths] in Milwaukee County. … 30-day average daily death total now stands at 31.17, below the December 23rd reported record of 53.43. Thirty days ago the rolling average was 41.07. Top 10 Counties for cases per 100K: Menominee 18,051.1, Dodge, Jackson, Shawano, Trempealeau, Brown, Fond du Lac, Oconto, Sheboygan, Kewaunee 11,514.2 [Milwaukee 10,182.3, Dane 7,316.8]. Charts on cases and deaths, hospitalization by age, county.
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/02/07/wi-daily-671
WI grocery stores devising plans to get workers vaccinated
… Since the start of the pandemic, grocery store workers, working in a high-traffic environment for low pay, have been among those most exposed to the virus. Metcalfe said his stores average 25,000 customers a week. … [UFCW reports 17,400 of its 835K members infected or exposed, 109 died] … Metcalfe’s Market [offering, not requiring 500+ employees] on-site vaccinations from [flu shot provider] … two hours pay for each of the two shots they get, plus eight hours of sick time if they have harsh side effects. … “All COVID has been is an expense,” he said. … join a growing number of [state, nat’l] grocers who are offering benefits or bonuses to get workers vaccinated. Grocers’ Scholz “in the process of reaching out to retailers to find out who has plans and who doesn’t. … These folks that have been working, they’ve been essential since day one … they’ve done everything that was asked of them. … it’s important that we talk about patience. … to recognize the challenge the state has getting the doses they need to accomplish this. … [members are incenting jabs like Metcalf and] the other end of the spectrum where an employer is basically saying, ‘If you want to get a vaccine, go ahead and get it.'” he said. “I think I find that more in small towns.” … [planning webinars to Q&A with members]. Metcalf waiting for info on vaccine sites, proof of eligibility, survey found 80% interest, “We think that’s a fairly high number,” sending them links to vaccine info, prioritizing skilled workers, like butchers, ahead of more-exposed cashiers, “You can’t just take someone for the produce department and say, ‘Hey, go take down that side of beef.’ It’s a very skilled position.”
https://madison.com/ct/da9f2207-1fed-51ec-a0e8-672d63e76391.html
Racial disparities in Milwaukee County’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution continue
… less than 8% of the 73,000 doses administered to county residents have gone to Black residents, despite being about 27% of the county’s population. Just over 5% of the vaccine has gone to the county’s Hispanic residents, who make up about 16% of the county’s population … More than 60% of the doses have gone to white residents, while Milwaukee County is about 50% white … [Milwaukee Health Services Dr. Izard not surprised] because of the large number of white workers in the health care industry. … “Because we knew that and because that still was a necessary priority, then the consideration should have been how do we [now target] high-risk ethnic minority populations who we already know have two to three times the mortality rate from COVID,” he said. … [noting state focus on equal not equitable vaccine rollout] has now been corrected and the city’s federally qualified health centers are receiving the amounts they request. EM Dr. Weston: “These disparities represent a significant equity gap in vaccinations and one that we are focused and committed to improving.” Exec. Crowley: “we’re going to continue to work with the City of Milwaukee and all the local municipalities to support their vaccine distribution plans.” Mayor Barrett: “We’re working with our partners at the federal level, again we’ll work with Walgreens, we’ll work with churches, we’re working with the county, obviously, to try to get vaccinations — to the extent we have them — throughout the entire community.” Interim CHO Jackson “touching churches … community centers … places of employment where we know particularly individuals that are Black, Latinx and other minorities tend to work in large groups.” CHO nominee Johnson suggested targeting zip codes. DHS Deputy Willems Van Dijk prepping to report vaccination data by race. AP survey showed racial disparity nationally. City Board of Health prez Burich-Weatherly, Biden task force chair Dr. Nunez-Smith comment.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2021/02/08/r/4393279001/
Legislature approves first COVID bill since April; Evers vetoes it
… ping-ponged between both chambers of the Legislature over the last month … would have prevented health officials from barring [church] gatherings … given [JFC] oversight … of federal [pandemic] funds … not allowed employers and health officials to require vaccinations … provide[d COVID-related] liability protection for businesses and others … covered COVID vaccinations under the SeniorCare … allowed [JFC] transfer up to $100M in certain appropriations for COVID expenses … broaden[ed] open enrollment options … allow the governor to issue public health emergency declarations for the sole purpose of obtaining federal dollars. … allowed WI to capture millions in federal dollars to buoy its welfare program … a host of other things. … [hoped UI-wait expiration Sunday would compel Evers’ signature,] but …[Evers] said Republicans “knew I wouldn’t sign.” … “Wisconsinites know a compromise when they see one, and this isn’t it.” … [Vos-LeMahieu joint statement] counter[ed] that “it appears Governor Evers cares more about his own power than the people of Wisconsin.” … Senate [without floor plans] until later this month … called an extraordinary session that allowed the chamber to hit the floor on Friday. … Ahead of the floor session Friday, [Dems] introduced new … statewide mask mandate. … in effect until the end of the national emergency.
https://madison.com/ct/b49d8b3d-0940-513b-aa6f-eb99bca71103.html
Evers Proposes Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Under State Budget
36 States Have Legalized Medical Marijuana, 15 [including MI, IL] Approved Recreational Pot … to generate more than $165 million each year [$80M] for rural schools and underserved communities. … In 2018, voters in 16 Wisconsin counties and two cities supported ballot questions about the use of marijuana, a dozen of which were related to medical marijuana. … “Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin–just like we do already with alcohol–ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medicinal users and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state,” said Evers. [Sen. Bernier, Rep. Felzkowski among GOP support for medical pot] … “The bottom line is, he knows, I know, we know that the Republican Legislature is not going to legalize marijuana, per se,” said Bernier. “So, let’s talk about the things we can do, and work together.” … [Vos told recent WisPolitics forum] he backs legalizing medical marijuana … wouldn’t support including that proposal in the state budget. Vos, LeMahieu did not respond. 2019 MU Law poll found 59% support for legal pot, 83% support for med pot. DOR, DATCP would regulate, med pot would be tax-free. Would limit possession to 2 ounces, 6 plants. NORML’s Selthofner: “Prohibition is unconstitutional. … cannabis is safer than alcohol or cigarettes, and the wasteful spending we have on prohibition, which is not supported by science or the public, needs to change.” Rehash WI pot law, ACLU found leans harder on blacks, especially in Ozaukee, Manitowoc, Washington and Waukesha counties. WDOJ data found pot busts dropped from 19,261 in 2018 to 16,044 in 2019.
https://www.wpr.org/gov-tony-evers-proposes-legalizing-recreational-marijuana-under-state-budget
Senate panel considers bipartisan slate of alcohol bills
… [Felzkowski-Steffen bill] would legalize takeout cocktails, [Tauchen-Stroebel bills would] allow alcohol to be delivered straight to homes and make “click and collect” [designated pick-up zones] permissible statewide … all received a public hearing before a state Senate panel on Thursday. [though Tauchen bills died in prior sessions, he argued pandemic brought “expedited need”]. Distillers’ Klaetsch said “belated” bills require “sense of urgency.” While WRA supports all, Grocers oppose takeout cocktails but support delivery/pickup and Tavern League vice-versa. Bill review, with lobbies listed. Felzkowski-STeffen bill puts unspecified tamper-proof tape over open containers. Brewers’ Garthwaite asked to permit refilling growlers, but Felzkowski offered to sponsors separately. Home delivery bill requires payment at order, proof 21 and sobriety at delivery. Strobel noted bill may violate local 9 pm liquor sale curfews, sought input from locals to “make sure all stakeholders are in agreement with that.” Parking lot pick-up was implemented in Madison in 2018. Locals would be banned from stricter reqs, bringing Munies Witysnki’s opposition, while wine monger Moran supports.
https://madison.com/ct/e433f99f-71d9-59f3-b65b-4c4c5ad34a86.html
10 years later, Act 10 maintains a firm grip on WI govt
… It saved the state billions of dollars and took away much of the say government employees had in their workplaces, kicking off a rapid decline in union participation. Today, unions in Wisconsin claim 137,000 fewer members in the public and private sector than they did a decade ago. … Surreal developments unfolded hourly: Public workers wailed on vuvuzelas and heckled Republicans through bullhorns. Walker took a 20-minute [“dropped the bomb”] phone call from a prankster posing as conservative megadonor David Koch. One state Supreme Court justice put his hands on the neck of another during an argument. A camel meant for a “Daily Show” routine got tangled in a fence and fell down on the Capitol square. … “This is something that’s lasting,” Walker said in a recent interview. “Long after I’m no longer talking about politics, I think it will still be around, and it will still be a benefit to the people of Wisconsin. … The best vindication wasn’t winning the recall,” Walker said. “It was when things still worked.” … (Walker said) he was going to divide and conquer and then of course he did,” said [then Dem Rep., now DOR Sec.] Barca … “It helped to widen the wage gap between CEOs and workers and high-wage workers and average workers. There’s no doubt that’s had an effect on suppressing wages. And I don’t think that’s healthy for a society.” … “What Gov. Walker accomplished was, he got a substantial percent of Wisconsin to look at a teacher and not see the teacher of their child or their grandchild, but to look at a teacher and see a union member,” said [then-Dem Sen.] Cullen. Then-GOP Rep. Grothman: “I think the fact that (Democratic Gov.) Tony Evers did not try to repeal it says it all.” Then-MTI prez Matthews, then-Leadewr Fitzgerald comment. Analysis, rehash, including “divide and conquer” remark to megadonor Hendricks, right-to-work law 4 years later, old statements by Vos and Fitzgerald.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2021/02/05/a/4389037001/
WEC rejects complaints accusing state lawmaker of living outside his district
… On separate 4-2 [closed session] votes at its Thursday meeting, the bipartisan panel rejected three complaints filed against … [Rep.] Zimmerman [who] said he was “relieved … I’m ready to put this all behind me and stay focused on the jobs that I’m expected to do. … I am just solely focused on the road ahead,” Zimmerman said. … But [Hudson atty.] Yacoub, a Democrat who lost to Zimmerman in November, doesn’t appear ready to drop the issue … had talked with Pierce County District Attorney Halle Hatch … [who] is considering hiring a special prosecutor to review the allegations. Hatch did not immediately respond.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2021/02/05/c/4406915001/
Achieving Biden’s carbon goal ‘a moon shot’ for companies like We Energies
… [says Klappa at 4Q webcast] … “When you think about what it would practically take to get to a full carbon-free grid by 2035, you would frankly have to have enormous technological change,” Klappa said. … spokesman said Friday WEC Energy is well-positioned vis-a-vis Biden’s decision that the United States’ rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. … [Klappa touted] most promising new technology … of carbon capture. … “Regardless of whether we’re totally there in 2035, I think we can continue on the path of reducing emissions,” Klappa said. “We don’t need any change at technology to hit our 2030 goal of a 70% reduction. So, I’m still optimistic about the path of emission reductions. And we’ll see about 2035.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2021/02/05/achieving-bidens-carbon-goal-a-moon-shot-for-firms.html
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March 4: WisPolitics.com virtual luncheon with Democratic legislative leaders
Join WisPolitics.com for a virtual lunchtime discussion with Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, D-Mason, and Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh. They will discuss Dem priorities in the new session.
The program is set to run via webinar from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 4.
The event will begin with a moderated discussion and then shift to questions from the audience.
Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczFCsDmI8O6a5ZgtIHEXEV8nsj9uSW6mLYIE2oPlfMQjB12A/viewform
We will send you a link to access the webinar on the morning of the event.
This event series is sponsored by: Husch Blackwell Strategies, American Family Insurance, Xcel Energy, Walmart, AARP Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
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WEEK AHEAD
https://www.wispolitics.com/category/events/
Monday, February 8th
– 10:30 a.m.: Senate Committee on Sporting Heritage, Small Business and Rural Issues executive session on SB 25, relating to member meetings, bylaws and emergency powers of a cooperative, and other bills.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1594722
– 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.: Badgers United: “Wisconsin leaders & the future of UW Madison” with Exact Sciences Chairman and CEO Kevin Conroy, former UW System President Katharine Lyall, founder and Managing Director of Generation Growth Capital and former state Commerce Secretary Cory Nettles, UW System Board of Regents Vice President and Aurora Health Care Chief Legal Officer Michael Grebe and UW Foundation Chair and KSL Capital Partners co-founder Michael Shannon.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n3wiaar1RSKb3E0Er5wFhQ
– 1:30 p.m.: Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform public hearing on SB 50, relating to counting of tips for tipped employees and granting rule-making authority, and SB 11, relating to various changes to the worker’s compensation law.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1593851
– 2 p.m.: Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy public hearing. Members are to consider a series of appointments.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1595289
Tuesday, February 9th
– 9 a.m.: Senate Committee on Agriculture and Tourism public hearing on SB 68, relating to farmland preservation implementation grants, agreements and tax credits, along with several bills related to food labeling.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1595372
– 10 a.m.: Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, Senate Committee on Education joint informational hearing on demographics and the state of education.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1594579
– 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.: MMAC: “The business of metro MKE series: UW System leaders” with UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank and UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone.
https://web.mmac.org/events/The-Business-of-Metro-MKE-series-UW-system-leaders-2784/details
– 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.: UW Superior: “Bridging civic and public health during pandemic times” with professor Timothy Eatman.
https://www.uwsuper.edu/calendar/purposeful-pause-publicly-engaged-scholarship-in-a-time-of-pandemics_calendar483382512
– 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.: Milwaukee Rotary Club. Guest speakers are facilitator and social justice engineer Kima Hamilton and Wisconsin Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton.
http://milwaukeerotary.com/event/dasha-kelly-hamilton-and-kima-hamilton-understanding-implicit-bias/
– 12:15 p.m.: Marquette University Law School: “On the Issues” with state GOP Chair Andrew Hitt and former GOP U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble.
https://law.marquette.edu/current-students/issues-andrew-hitt-and-reid-ribble
– 1 p.m.: Senate Committee on Health public hearing on SB 3, relating to pharmacy benefit managers and prescription drug benefits, and other bills.
Wednesday, February 10th
– 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Tech Council Innovation Network: “What makes Wisconsin attractive to tech talent?” Participants include: Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha; Bill Hickey, principal of Wolf Track Ventures; and Kathy Henrich, chief executive officer of Milwaukee Tech Hub.
https://wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/event/what-makes-wisconsin-attractive-to-tech-talent-feb-10-tech-council-webinar-to-focus-on-policy/
– 10 a.m.: PSC hearing.
https://apps.psc.wi.gov/APPS/eventscalendar/Content/hearing.aspx?id=101112
– 11 a.m.: Assembly Committee on Corrections informational hearing on the Department of Corrections.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1594782
– 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.: Madison Rotary Club. Guest speaker is UW System President Tommy Thompson.
https://rotarymadison.org/event/program-tommy-thompson-online-major-issues-facing-uw-system-and-higher-education-in-wisconsin-post-pandemic/?instance_id=4703
Thursday, February 11th
– 11 a.m.: Joint Legislative Audit Committee public hearing on a proposed audit of elections administration.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1595338
– 11:05 a.m.: Joint Legislative Audit Committee executive session on a proposed audit of elections administration.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/raw/cid/1595339
– 2 p.m.: PSC hearing.
https://apps.psc.wi.gov/APPS/eventscalendar/Content/hearing.aspx?id=101112
– 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters: “Turtle Island Confederacies: A Talk on Relationships and Balance.” Speakers include: Richard Monette, professor of Law at the UW-Madison Law School and director of the Great Lakes Indian Law Center; Margaret Noodin, professor of American Indian Studies, associate dean of the Humanities and director of the Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education at UW-Milwaukee; and Rebecca Webster, an enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin and an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the American Indian Studies Department.
https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/evenings/turtle-island-confederacies-relationships-and-balance
– 6 p.m.: PSC hearing
https://apps.psc.wi.gov/APPS/eventscalendar/Content/hearing.aspx?id=101112
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 14th
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