The state Assembly signed off on a package of bills designed to help Wisconsin’s farmers through tax breaks and other measures. The effort began in earnest after Gov. Tony Evers called in his State of the State last month for
The Assembly today passed a proposal to raise the legal age to buy nicotine and tobacco products from 18 to 21. The bill’s author Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, said the bill was required for law enforcement officers to comply with
The Assembly passed a series of bills that would restrict labeling on meat and dairy products. The bills, AB 515, 516 and 518, would ban producers of plant-based and lab-grown food products from using terminology in their marketing that alludes
An override attempt of one of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget vetoes today failed in the Assembly along party lines with members of both parties accusing the other side of playing politics with students’ education. The provision within the budget Evers
The state Assembly signed off on a $392.4 million package on Thursday that would cut income taxes, expand a property tax break for businesses and reduce state debt. In doing so, Republicans challenged Gov. Tony Evers to sign the package
The Senate today passed a $392 million GOP package that would reduce income taxes and legislation that would exempt direct primary care agreements from state insurance laws after the chamber’s Dems blocked both bills yesterday. The tax cut bill passed
The state Senate signed off on an exception to state-imposed levy limits on local governments and another bill that would make it easier for municipalities to seek more property tax revenue through referendums. Currently, some municipalities collect fees from neighboring
The Senate sent a bill to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk that would approve 12 new circuit court branches over a three-year period. The bill, which has already cleared the Assembly, would add four judges each in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Senate Dems used a procedural move to block legislation that would exempt direct primary care agreements from state insurance laws. Dem complained that an Assembly amendment added to the bill opens the door to discriminating against LGBTQ patients and offered
Senate Dems used a procedural move late this afternoon to put off a final vote on a $392 million GOP package that would reduce income taxes, expand a property tax break for businesses and pay down debt. Majority Leader Scott
Dems sought unsuccessfully today to get the Senate to sign off on extending bar hours to 4 a.m. during the party’s national convention in Milwaukee this summer. An Assembly committee signed off on the proposal last week. But Senate Majority
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole and Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson The vote on Cole was unanimous, while Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, was the only member to oppose Amundson. Taylor said she has long
The Assembly passed a joint resolution calling for the second constitutional convention of the states in U.S. history to approve a balanced budget and place term limits on members of Congress Dems slammed the resolution as a dangerous path that
Assembly lawmakers passed a largely bipartisan group of bills from the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality. But task force members from both parties agreed the package was the beginning, and not the end, of the Assembly’s work on water
— The Assembly today unanimously backed a bill that would create new regulations for middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies that negotiate prices with both. Pharmacy benefit managers are currently regulated by federal law, but the Office of Commissioner of
A bill that would raise mandatory minimum prison sentences for fifth- and sixth-offense drunk driving offenses is on its way to the governor’s desk. Under current law, a person convicted for a fifth or sixth time of operating a motor
A divided Assembly voted along party lines to move forward with a bill that would put guidelines in place for the collection, testing and storage of sexual assault kits. But Dems accused Assembly GOP lawmakers of playing politics with a
The Assembly approved largely along party lines a series of bills from the GOP “Tougher on Crime” package meant to increase penalties for repeat offenders. But Dems quickly criticized the package as going in the opposite direction of a national
The Assembly today passed a bill that would establish mandatory punishments for UW System students who “materially or substantially disrupt the free expression of others.” But Dems quickly decried the bill as unnecessary, saying it would have a chilling effect
The Assembly passed a joint resolution that would proclaim tomorrow, the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, to be “Protect Life Day.” But many Dems dismissed the resolution as “political game-playing.” “This is what’s
The state Assembly signed off on a package of bills designed to help Wisconsin’s farmers through tax breaks and other measures. The effort began in earnest after Gov. Tony Evers called in his State of the State last month for a series of measures to help the ag industry and
The Assembly today passed a proposal to raise the legal age to buy nicotine and tobacco products from 18 to 21. The bill’s author Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, said the bill was required for law enforcement officers to comply with a recent national law which did essentially the same thing.
The Assembly passed a series of bills that would restrict labeling on meat and dairy products. The bills, AB 515, 516 and 518, would ban producers of plant-based and lab-grown food products from using terminology in their marketing that alludes to actual meat or dairy products like “cheese” or “bacon.”
An override attempt of one of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget vetoes today failed in the Assembly along party lines with members of both parties accusing the other side of playing politics with students’ education. The provision within the budget Evers vetoed would’ve required the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to put
The state Assembly signed off on a $392.4 million package on Thursday that would cut income taxes, expand a property tax break for businesses and reduce state debt. In doing so, Republicans challenged Gov. Tony Evers to sign the package after he pledged during the 2018 campaign to reduce taxes
The Senate today passed a $392 million GOP package that would reduce income taxes and legislation that would exempt direct primary care agreements from state insurance laws after the chamber’s Dems blocked both bills yesterday. The tax cut bill passed along party lines after the body’s Republican majority moved quickly
The state Senate signed off on an exception to state-imposed levy limits on local governments and another bill that would make it easier for municipalities to seek more property tax revenue through referendums. Currently, some municipalities collect fees from neighboring communities to provide ambulance services. Those fees now count toward
The Senate sent a bill to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk that would approve 12 new circuit court branches over a three-year period. The bill, which has already cleared the Assembly, would add four judges each in 2021, 2022 and 2023. When fully implemented, the cost would be $3.3 million annually
Senate Dems used a procedural move to block legislation that would exempt direct primary care agreements from state insurance laws. Dem complained that an Assembly amendment added to the bill opens the door to discriminating against LGBTQ patients and offered an amendment to strip out the change. But Republicans tabled
Senate Dems used a procedural move late this afternoon to put off a final vote on a $392 million GOP package that would reduce income taxes, expand a property tax break for businesses and pay down debt. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, kicked off the debate saying he spoke with
Dems sought unsuccessfully today to get the Senate to sign off on extending bar hours to 4 a.m. during the party’s national convention in Milwaukee this summer. An Assembly committee signed off on the proposal last week. But Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, indicated earlier today that momentum for
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole and Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson The vote on Cole was unanimous, while Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, was the only member to oppose Amundson. Taylor said she has long believed the agency has problems and doesn’t believe Amundson has
The Assembly passed a joint resolution calling for the second constitutional convention of the states in U.S. history to approve a balanced budget and place term limits on members of Congress Dems slammed the resolution as a dangerous path that could quickly turn into a “runaway convention,” where state delegates
Assembly lawmakers passed a largely bipartisan group of bills from the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality. But task force members from both parties agreed the package was the beginning, and not the end, of the Assembly’s work on water quality. Rep. Katrina Shankland, a Dem from Stevens Point who
— The Assembly today unanimously backed a bill that would create new regulations for middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies that negotiate prices with both. Pharmacy benefit managers are currently regulated by federal law, but the Office of Commissioner of Insurance has no authority over them. AB 114 would put
A bill that would raise mandatory minimum prison sentences for fifth- and sixth-offense drunk driving offenses is on its way to the governor’s desk. Under current law, a person convicted for a fifth or sixth time of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated must be fined at least $600 and
A divided Assembly voted along party lines to move forward with a bill that would put guidelines in place for the collection, testing and storage of sexual assault kits. But Dems accused Assembly GOP lawmakers of playing politics with a similar bipartisan proposal by adding “poison pill” provisions such as
The Assembly approved largely along party lines a series of bills from the GOP “Tougher on Crime” package meant to increase penalties for repeat offenders. But Dems quickly criticized the package as going in the opposite direction of a national trend of criminal justice reform. “Today this is the last
The Assembly today passed a bill that would establish mandatory punishments for UW System students who “materially or substantially disrupt the free expression of others.” But Dems quickly decried the bill as unnecessary, saying it would have a chilling effect on free speech guaranteed under the First Amendment. Rep. Jimmy
The Assembly passed a joint resolution that would proclaim tomorrow, the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, to be “Protect Life Day.” But many Dems dismissed the resolution as “political game-playing.” “This is what’s going on across this country in the hopes of building