August 17, 2012
Fun at the County Fair
Wisconsin’s county fairs are
a great part of summer
traditions. Many people
have fond memories of riding
the amusement rides, eating
delicious food, and being a
part of a big community
event. County fairs also
bring the best in
agriculture, showcasing
animals and displaying farm
life for fairgoers to
observe. Last year, more
than 3 million people
attended county fairs in
Wisconsin.
Earlier this year, the
Legislature passed a bill,
which was eventually signed
into law, to address an
issue brought to my
attention by the Wisconsin
County Fairs Association.
In years past, state law
exempted employees of county
fair associations from
income tax withholding who
received less than $100 in
wages or salary from the
fair association. The $100
exemption was established in
1964, and has not been
increased in 47 years. The
bill I authored, Senate Bill
89, increases the exemption
to $500.
By doing so, it benefits
short-term county fair
employees and county fair
associations by relieving
them of the administrative
burden of withholding taxes
for short-term seasonal
employees with minimal
earnings. It also ends the practice of
requiring county fair
associations to fill out the
paperwork for
employees who earn a very
small amount of money for only a
short period of time. That
burden can be particularly
challenging if it falls on
volunteers and seasonal
staff.
Senate Bill 89 received
strong support from the
Wisconsin Association of
Fairs, the Walworth County
Fair Board, other county
fair associations around the
state, and lawmakers of both
parties. The bill was
enacted into law as 2011
Wisconsin Act 131. As a
show of their gratitude, the
Wisconsin Association of
County Fairs presented me
with the ‘Grand Champion
Supporter’ Award for my work
on this issue, and I was
honored to receive the
distinction.
Another bill relating to
fairs passed by the
Legislature this session was
Assembly Bill 200, which
permits a state fair that
receives state aid to allow
the sale of wine on the
fairground without affecting
the receipt of the state
aid. Prior to Assembly Bill
200 being enacted, state law
specified that fairs were
ineligible to receive
funding if intoxicating
beverages were sold, with
the exception of malt
beverages. Assembly Bill
200 was introduced to promote Wisconsin’s
wineries and allow them to
include wine tastings at
their fair booths. The
bill was signed
into law as 2011 Wisconsin
Act 129.
As Labor
Day approaches, many people
mark their calendar for the
Walworth County Fair, held
this year August 29th
through September 3rd at the
Walworth County Fair
Grounds. My own home
county’s fair boasts a
Demolition Derby, harness
racing, chainsaw artists, a
cream puff eating contest,
pig races, and tractor,
truck and horse pulling
contests, just to name a few
of the activities.
Fairgoers can also look
forward to a variety of
great entertainment, live
music, mouth-watering food,
rides, games, animals, and
4-H displays. Last year,
attendance at the Walworth
County Fair was more than
140,000 people, continuing
its prominence as a local
favorite, as well as the
largest County Fair in the
Midwest.
In keeping with tradition, I
will be attending the
Walworth County Fair, making
myself available to meet and
talk with constituents and
fairgoers and, of course,
enjoying all the Fair has to
offer. If you attend a
County Fair, I wish you a
fun and enjoyable time.
-30-
Sen. Kedzie can be
reached in Madison at P.O.
Box 7882, Madison, WI
53707-7882 or by calling
toll-free 1 (800) 578-1457.
He may be reached in the
district at (262) 742-2025
or on-line at
www.senatorkedzie.com
