The Senate voted today to make it a felony to have sexual contact with an animal, allow minors to operate food stands without a license and match the state’s hemp program to federal law. Under current Wisconsin law, it’s a class A misdemeanor to commit an act of sexual gratification

The Senate unanimously backed five of Tony Evers’ picks to serve in his cabinet, the first confirmation votes since the guv’s agency heads all began their jobs nine months ago. Without debate, the Senate voted 33-0 to confirm: Peter Barca at Revenue, Joel Brennan at Administration, Kathy Blumenfeld at Financial

The state Senate signed off on four transportation bills, including three that cleared the Assembly last week. The package is part of a promise Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, made as the Joint Finance Committee worked on the budget to approve additional reforms

The state Senate on Wednesday unanimously signed off on a plan to use additional revenue from online sales to reduce income taxes by $136.1 million in tax year 2020, clearing the way for the proposal to go to the guv. The plan would work in concert with a separate income

The state’s troubled youth prisons would close six months later than originally planned, while counties would get additional time to apply for grants to fund the regional facilities slated to help reshape the juvenile justice system in Wisconsin, under legislation the Senate approved today. The bill, which next goes to

The Assembly today also approved a measure that would use additional sales tax revenue collected from online retailers to lower income tax rates. The bill would target the reductions in the bottom two brackets while also capturing more online transactions to increase the amount of sales tax the state would

The Assembly today approved four measures from the so-called Road to Sustainability package authored by Rep. Joe Sanfelippo: *AB 273 would offer ways for the DOT to source materials at lower cost. *AB 275 would require the DOT to up the number of design-build projects in its pipeline to ensure

The Assembly signed off on a bill modifying a law passed last session that restructured the state’s juvenile justice program. The bill, which received a joint public hearing last week, would push back the closure of the state’s troubled youth prisons and give counties more time to apply for grants

The Assembly today passed a pair of bills that stiffen penalties for drunken drivers. AB 15 and 17 would require those charged with first-offense OWI to appear in court and would implement a presumptive mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for OWI homicide, respectively. Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon,

The Assembly today voted to ensure the sales tax created to pay for the Milwaukee Brewers stadium would end in 2020. The 0.1 percent sales tax on the five-county area — which includes Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha and Racine counties — has been in place in 1996. Under the bill

The Assembly approved by voice vote a bill that boosts a loan forgiveness program to incentivize more minorities to pursue a career in education. The bill, which boasted bipartisan support, would expand the program form Milwaukee to any school district in the state where at least 40 percent of the

The Assembly today approved a package of measures stemming from recommendations made last session by the Interagency Council on Homelessness. But the proposed funding for the measures, which comes out to roughly $3.8 million, can only be released at the discretion of the Joint Finance Committee. Assembly Majority Leader Jim

A bill that would set standards and fees for wireless providers when they seek to install 5G infrastructure was approved by voice vote in the Assembly today. The bill now heads to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk after the Senate voted 25-5 to pass it earlier this month. But the measure

The Senate today approved a bill that would set standards and fees for wireless providers when they seek to install 5G infrastructure after Dem Sen. Tim Carpenter temporarily blocked a final vote on the measure. The Milwaukee Dem brought forward a number of amendments to the bill, ranging from a

The state Senate today approved a measure that would make the insurance appeals process easier. The proposal addresses the so-called “step therapy” process, a cost-saving method employed by insurance companies that makes patients try a number of drugs recommended by the insurer before “stepping” up to cover the cost of

The remaining GOP-backed abortion-related bills passed the state Assembly this afternoon without any Democratic support. The three bills’ passage came after the chamber voted to approve legislation to require care for those who survive an abortion. All of the bills passed with almost complete Republican support, though GOP Rep. Chuck Wichgers,

A GOP bill to require care for those who survive an abortion is heading to the state Senate after clearing a divided Assembly this afternoon. The “born alive” bill passed the body on a 62-35 vote. GOP Rep. Chuck Wichgers, of Muskego, joined all Dems in opposing it. The bill would outline care

A bipartisan bill to overhaul the state’s expungement process is heading to the state Senate after passing the Assembly this afternoon via voice vote. The legislation, from Reps. David Steffen and Evan Goyke and Sens. Alberta Darling and Fred Risser, would change who’s eligible for expungement and the timeline, but