The Assembly voted 62-32 today to overhaul reading assessments for Wisconsin grade schoolers. The bill has already cleared the Senate and now heads to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk. Three Dems joined majority Republicans in backing SB 454, which would replace the current reading readiness assessment program with a tiered early

The state Senate signed off on nine bills that Republicans introduced as part of a sporting heritage package, including legislation that would direct the DNR to overhaul turkey hunting regulations. SB 610, approved 20-12 along party lines, would overhaul administrative rules to cut down the number of hunting zones and

The Senate voted today along party lines to ban abortions if they’re sought due to the sex, race or disability of the fetus and to cut off abortion providers from the state’s Medical Assistance program. The chamber also approved legislation requiring doctors to tell women who have begun the drug

GOP state Sen. Joan Ballweg joined two of her Dem colleagues in voting against bills that would ban transgender students who were born male from competing in girls’ and women’s sports in high school and college. The Markesan Republican told WisPolitics.com in a phone interview she opposed the bills for

The Assembly passed along party lines in separate 60-38 votes two bills GOP-backers say would ban critical race theory from student lessons and training for state and local government employees. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other GOP lawmakers during a meeting with reporters ahead of the floor session said the

Both houses of the Legislature today signed off on bills that would require school districts to post more information about what they teach and lead to them making available online how they spend their money. SB 463 would require school districts to post on their websites learning materials organized by

The state Senate today voted along party lines to approve legislation that would require health care professionals to provide care to babies that survive an abortion. The bill, approved 19-12, is similar to legislation Gov. Tony Evers vetoed in 2019. At the time, Evers said the legislation was duplicative and

The Senate today confirmed four members of Gov. Tony Evers’ cabinet, including two who have been waiting since early 2019 for a vote. Evers announced his picks of Dawn Crim to lead the Department of Safety and Professional Services and Craig Thompson at Transportation before he was sworn into office

Assembly Republicans today fell short of the two-thirds vote needed to override Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of a bill to cut off extra unemployment payments from the federal government. Assembly Republicans in a 59-37 party line vote during an extraordinary session failed to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority of members

The state Senate put the final touches on the Legislature’s $89.2 billion budget Wednesday, clearing the way for the document to head to Dem Gov. Tony Evers. As in the Assembly, the document received bipartisan support in the Senate with three Dems joining all 20 Republicans present in backing the

The Senate today backed an Assembly change in use-of-force legislation that was requested by the Milwaukee Police Association, eliminating the original bill’s provision to hold officers criminally liable for failing to intervene when another officer uses force illegally. The bill now goes to Gov. Tony Evers. Under the new version

The Senate voted 20-12 to repeal the personal property tax imposed on business equipment, sending the proposal to Gov. Tony Evers. The Senate signed off on changes the Assembly made to the original bill after the guv’s Department of Revenue raised concerns. Still, the vote fell along party lines in

The Assembly today passed a bill that would eliminate Wisconsin’s personal property tax, which businesses pay on furnishings and equipment. Lawmakers made two changes to the bill, which ultimately passed 64-34 along party lines, to address concerns raised by the Department of Revenue. Currently, railroads can’t be treated differently from

The Assembly today passed three bills approved 14-0 by the Joint Finance Committee, sending them to the Senate. AB 406 would prevent increases in unemployment insurance coverage costs for businesses over the next two years. The bill, passed through a voice vote, comes as rates are expected to increase following

The state Senate passed a bill that would allow transfer students to participate in school sports. The bill would prohibit school districts from participating in the state’s interscholastic sports unless they make an exception to allow transfer students to play sports in the 2021-22 school year. No lawmakers spoke ahead

Senators today nearly along party lines passed a bill that would give the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee final say over opioid lawsuit settlements. AB 374 puts in place guidelines on how the state should handle lawsuit settlements from opioid manufacturers. It would also require 30 percent of the settlements to

The Senate voted today to send Gov. Tony Evers a bill that would prohibit Wisconsin law enforcement from enforcing certain future federal gun laws. AB 293, concurred in through a voice vote, would prohibit enforcing federal laws that take effect on or after Jan. 1 this year if they ban

The Senate voted today to send Gov. Tony Evers a bill that would delay redrawing of boundaries for city councils and county boards. Under AB 369, the February 2022 primary and April 2022 general election for local offices would be held under current maps drawn in 2011. The bill, concurred