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The Legislature today voted today to give Tony Evers until Feb. 28 to deliver his budget address, short of the extension the guv wanted until March 5. The changed cleared the Senate 29-3, while the vote was 95-0 in the
Senate Republicans today voted along party lines to approve new rules for the chambers, including a provision banning anyone in the gallery from recording the proceedings. Republicans shot down five Dem proposals to add new rules, including one that would’ve
Assembly Republicans are planning to introduce an amendment to the pre-existing conditions bill that “mirrors” the Affordable Care Act’s provisions banning annual and lifetime caps, according to the bill’s authors. But the amendment won’t include language on essential health benefits,
Tony Evers and GOP lawmakers today laid down markers on the upcoming fight over expanding Medicaid, with the new guv saying he made clear he plans to include the move in his upcoming budget. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau,
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has said he wanted to staff up with Dem Tony Evers taking over the East Wing, has added seven positions to his office. He did so by pulling in positions from the chief clerk and
While Gov. Tony Evers acknowledged his biggest priorities might be tough lifts to implement, he pledged to supporters Monday night he would “stay the course.” Speaking at his inauguration gala at Monona Terrace in Madison, Evers also highlighted the need
The Legislature’s two top Republicans today called for building on the accomplishments of the past eight years as their colleagues were sworn in for new terms. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the November results, which kept Republicans in control
Echoing a theme from his successful campaign, Tony Evers Monday called for “putting people first” after being sworn in as Wisconsin’s 46th governor. The outgoing state schools superintendent reminded the crowd in the Capitol of the themes he campaigned on
Dem Josh Kaul bemoaned the lame-duck laws, but called for implementing universal background checks after he was sworn in as attorney general this afternoon. The former federal prosecutor said in his inaugural remarks that while the laws took away power
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling fears the Legislature will be left out of any incentive package the outgoing Walker administration negotiates to keep open a Kimberly-Clark plant, saying WEDC’s poor track record puts taxpayers at risk without some layer of
The state Senate Wednesday rejected a bill to provide new state protections for those with pre-existing conditions, which became a central issue in the fall campaigns. GOP Sens. Dave Craig, of Big Bend, and Chris Kapenga, of Delafield, joined Dems
Lawmakers would still strip Gov.-elect Tony Evers of the power to appoint the head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., under a revised proposal the Senate and Assembly approved Wednesday. But that power would be restored in September in a
The Assembly and Senate approved along party lines requiring the Department of Health to receive permission from the Legislature before asking the federal government for a waiver or to change an existing one. The bill that cleared the Senate 18-15
The state Senate briefly returned to the floor after a lengthy delay as GOP leaders tried to work out final details on the remaining extraordinary session bills. The Senate began looking at the bill dealing with legislative oversight of waivers
The state Senate approved the first of three extraordinary session bills Tuesday evening after pulling a provision that Dems warned would prevent local governments from using their employees to do some road work if the project were funded with state
The Senate voted 18-15 along party lines to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker’s appointments, including DOA Secretary Ellen Nowak returning to the Public Service Commission as chair. The other appointments included attorney Scott Beightol to the UW Board of
The Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 along party lines early Tuesday to approve three GOP-authored extraordinary session bills after making several tweaks to the legislation. The bills, which the Legislature plans to take to the floor today after they were
Governor-elect Tony Evers is calling on the members of the the Joint Committee on Finance to oppose any extraordinary session legislation, saying the bills represent “unfettered attempts to override and ignore” what voters decided in the midterm election. In written
JFC Co-chair John Nygren argued during today’s public hearing some of the changes included in the bills are things GOP lawmakers have tried before only to have Gov. Scott Walker veto them. That includes, for example, a provision that would
Dem Sen. Jon Erpenbach today slamming Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for authoring the bills, but not having the “guts” to testify on them before the Joint Finance Committee. “If you don’t have enough guts to show up and testify
The Legislature today voted today to give Tony Evers until Feb. 28 to deliver his budget address, short of the extension the guv wanted until March 5. The changed cleared the Senate 29-3, while the vote was 95-0 in the Assembly. Ahead of the Senate vote, Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald,
Senate Republicans today voted along party lines to approve new rules for the chambers, including a provision banning anyone in the gallery from recording the proceedings. Republicans shot down five Dem proposals to add new rules, including one that would’ve allowed the Senate to again consider an appointment after it’s
Assembly Republicans are planning to introduce an amendment to the pre-existing conditions bill that “mirrors” the Affordable Care Act’s provisions banning annual and lifetime caps, according to the bill’s authors. But the amendment won’t include language on essential health benefits, a change Gov. Tony Evers pushed for in a meeting
Tony Evers and GOP lawmakers today laid down markers on the upcoming fight over expanding Medicaid, with the new guv saying he made clear he plans to include the move in his upcoming budget. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters after the
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has said he wanted to staff up with Dem Tony Evers taking over the East Wing, has added seven positions to his office. He did so by pulling in positions from the chief clerk and sergeant at arms’ offices. Vos has used the new positions
While Gov. Tony Evers acknowledged his biggest priorities might be tough lifts to implement, he pledged to supporters Monday night he would “stay the course.” Speaking at his inauguration gala at Monona Terrace in Madison, Evers also highlighted the need to share his budget priorities with the people of Wisconsin,
The Legislature’s two top Republicans today called for building on the accomplishments of the past eight years as their colleagues were sworn in for new terms. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the November results, which kept Republicans in control of both chambers, were a “vote on confidence” in the
Echoing a theme from his successful campaign, Tony Evers Monday called for “putting people first” after being sworn in as Wisconsin’s 46th governor. The outgoing state schools superintendent reminded the crowd in the Capitol of the themes he campaigned on last fall, including fully funding public education, making healthcare affordable
Dem Josh Kaul bemoaned the lame-duck laws, but called for implementing universal background checks after he was sworn in as attorney general this afternoon. The former federal prosecutor said in his inaugural remarks that while the laws took away power from the AG’s and guv’s offices, “the priorities of the
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling fears the Legislature will be left out of any incentive package the outgoing Walker administration negotiates to keep open a Kimberly-Clark plant, saying WEDC’s poor track record puts taxpayers at risk without some layer of oversight. “The Legislature, the Joint Finance Committee certainly has a
The state Senate Wednesday rejected a bill to provide new state protections for those with pre-existing conditions, which became a central issue in the fall campaigns. GOP Sens. Dave Craig, of Big Bend, and Chris Kapenga, of Delafield, joined Dems in shooting down the bill 16-17. Craig told WisPolitics.com afterward
Lawmakers would still strip Gov.-elect Tony Evers of the power to appoint the head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., under a revised proposal the Senate and Assembly approved Wednesday. But that power would be restored in September in a move that appears designed to give the new guv and
The Assembly and Senate approved along party lines requiring the Department of Health to receive permission from the Legislature before asking the federal government for a waiver or to change an existing one. The bill that cleared the Senate 18-15 and the Assembly 59-32 was pared back from an earlier
The state Senate briefly returned to the floor after a lengthy delay as GOP leaders tried to work out final details on the remaining extraordinary session bills. The Senate began looking at the bill dealing with legislative oversight of waivers from the federal government. But Dems requested a return to
The state Senate approved the first of three extraordinary session bills Tuesday evening after pulling a provision that Dems warned would prevent local governments from using their employees to do some road work if the project were funded with state money. The bill also includes provisions that would make explicit
The Senate voted 18-15 along party lines to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker’s appointments, including DOA Secretary Ellen Nowak returning to the Public Service Commission as chair. The other appointments included attorney Scott Beightol to the UW Board of Regents. He replaces Republican Bryan Steil, who won a seat
The Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 along party lines early Tuesday to approve three GOP-authored extraordinary session bills after making several tweaks to the legislation. The bills, which the Legislature plans to take to the floor today after they were introduced Friday, would make a series of changes to state
Governor-elect Tony Evers is calling on the members of the the Joint Committee on Finance to oppose any extraordinary session legislation, saying the bills represent “unfettered attempts to override and ignore” what voters decided in the midterm election. In written testimony sent to the state’s powerful budget committee, Evers hit
JFC Co-chair John Nygren argued during today’s public hearing some of the changes included in the bills are things GOP lawmakers have tried before only to have Gov. Scott Walker veto them. That includes, for example, a provision that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs notifying the JFC when
Dem Sen. Jon Erpenbach today slamming Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for authoring the bills, but not having the “guts” to testify on them before the Joint Finance Committee. “If you don’t have enough guts to show up and testify and defend this stuff, it shouldn’t be introduced in the