This week, Assembly Bill 450, that I coauthored with Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville), was signed into law by Governor Scott Walker. Ozaukee County officials who were instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront, attended the bill signing.

Beginning in 2012, the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors received approval from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to permit licensed vendors to sell liquor on the premises of the Ozaukee County fairgrounds for special events. The Department of Revenue made their decision to issue "Class B" permits to concessionaires based on chapter 125.31 of Wisconsin State Statutes.

Upon receipt of approval, Ozaukee County designated concessionaires and applied for and received the necessary permits. Ozaukee County operated under these parameters since 2012 with no reported problems or complaints. Unfortunately, the Department of Revenue recently interpreted chapter 125 of Wisconsin State Statutes differently, resulting in Ozaukee County being prohibited from selling liquor and wine in the exposition center at the Ozaukee County fairgrounds. In working with county officials and the Department of Revenue, we were able to remedy the situation by allowing Ozaukee County to continue operating under the parameters the Department of Revenue previously approved.

Assembly Bill 450 remedies a statutory interpretation oversight, while simultaneously allowing the Ozaukee County Board to continue their process of approving vendors to sell intoxicating liquors.

Governor Scott Walker signing Assembly Bill 450 into law.

Hunting legislation

The State Assembly, last week, unanimously approved Assembly Bill 314, authored by Representative John Spiros (R-Marshfield), which allows individuals with a disability to hunt with a firearm, crossbow, or bow from a vehicle that is furnished with a mechanized lift station.

Assembly Bill 314 provides deer hunters with a safer alternative to traditional tree stands and opens the door to producers of portable deer stands to continue designing practical solutions for hunters. More important, this legislation allows individuals who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so, participate in one of Wisconsin's foremost recreational activities: hunting.

2017-18 Wisconsin State Blue Book

My office still has an abundance of 2017-18 Wisconsin State Blue Books available. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this publication, please contact my office.

Published biennially since 1853, the Wisconsin State Blue Book is the oldest publication in Wisconsin. Initially, the Wisconsin State Blue Book served as a manual for the State Assembly, a pocket-size volume of less than one-hundred pages, and designed for legislators to have information about state government at their fingertips.

According to the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, the principal authors of this venerable publication, "Over the decades, the Blue Book evolved in size, scope, and purpose. The Blue Book's many iterations were caused by the increased availability of information about state government and the public." By 2015, the Blue Book exceeded one-thousand pages and was laden with dense statistical information that history buffs and political junkies would find engrossing; every day citizens, conversely, would find this information uninteresting. The newly-revised State of Wisconsin Blue Book is designed to provide non-political junkies with enthralling content about Wisconsin history and government.

Recognizing that the Blue Book was becoming too lengthy and dense, the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau undertook a Herculean effort: revamping this esteemed repository of information about Wisconsin and its history. The 2017-18 State of Wisconsin Blue Book is intended to serve as an introduction to state and local government, not the primary source for information regarding these entities. More substantive and timely information about state government can be accessed through the Internet than could ever be accessed by a team of researchers tasked with penning a book. Recognizing this, the 2017-18 State of Wisconsin Blue Book contains biographies of legislators, descriptions of executive and judicial agencies, and statistics pertaining to Wisconsin government and elections. It does not, however, reproduce information that is archaic, or can be easily obtained and accurately elsewhere.

As denoted earlier, if you are interested in obtaining a copy of the 2017-18 Wisconsin State Blue Book, please contact my office with your name and address. My staff and I will make it a priority to ensure that your copy arrives in a timely manner.

In the district

I was recently honored with the Associated Builders and Contractors' "Building Wisconsin Award," for introducing and supporting legislation that creates jobs and grows Wisconsin's economy.

Receiving the 2017 ABC "Building Wisconsin Award."

If you are interested in meeting with me to discuss legislative issues or need assistance with case work, I am available to meet with you one-on-one in the district. You can schedule a time to meet with me by contacting my office.

2017 Wisconsin Christmas Tree selected

Governor Scott Walker announced, this week, the selection and harvest of the 2017 State Capitol Christmas tree. The forty-foot balsam fir was harvested in the Town of Emery and donated by Jim Ryf. This year's State Capitol Christmas Tree will have the added privilege of honoring the capitol's centennial with ornaments from school children across Wisconsin.

The 2017 capitol Christmas tree was delivered by Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. If you are visiting The Wisconsin State Capitol and want to view the 2017 capitol Christmas tree, it is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday and 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., on weekends. 

Have a great week,

Stay up to date

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