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Wisconsin Legislative SpotlightMaintained by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), this page provides an overview of recent and upcoming activities in the Wisconsin Legislature. The LRB revises its content weekly during legislative floorperiods. Links to more detailed information are highlighted in the text. |
The next scheduled floorperiod for the Wisconsin Legislature is January 19 to 28, 2010. The schedule of floorperiods for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session was established by 2009 Senate Joint Resolution 1.
On Tuesday, December 1, Governor Doyle signed 2009 Senate Bill 40 into law as 2009 Wisconsin Act 89 with a partial veto. The bill relates to public financing of campaigns for the office of supreme court justice. The bill establishes public financing by creating a financing option and two supplemental grants for a candidate. In his veto message, Governor Doyle stated that he believed his veto of section 17 of the act aligned the bill with its original intent.
The governor also signed 2009 Assembly Bill 250 on December 1, creating 2009 Wisconsin Act 90. It requires certain dog breeders (generally, those who sell 25 or more dogs a year) and animal shelters to be licensed by the state. The bill passed both houses unanimously. Licensing laws will take effect in 18 months.
2009 Wisconsin Act 91 makes Juneteenth Day (June 19) a legal holiday. The day commemorates June 19, 1865 as the day when slaves throughout Texas first received word that all slaves in the U.S. had been freed by President Lincoln. The original bill, SB-170, sponsored by Senators Coggs and Taylor, was passed by both houses in September.
2009 Wisconsin Act 87 requires a business closing or mass layoff notice to include contact information for the local workforce development board. The Department of Workforce Development must provide a list to an employer of resources available in the area that provide career planning, job search, job skills training, and other support services for affected employees. The employer must provide a copy of that list to affected employees.
2009 Wisconsin Act 81 relates to the placement of children and Act 82 relates to child abuse prevention grants.
2009 Wisconsin Act 92 (SB-349) permits a minor 12 years of age or older to be employed without a work permit by a nonprofit organization in and around the home of an elderly person or a person with a disability to perform snow shoveling, lawn mowing, leaf raking, or other similar work.
2009 Wisconsin Acts 83 and 84 make changes to coverage under the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan.
As of December 4, Governor Doyle has signed 92 bills into law. There are 11 enrolled bills awaiting gubernatorial action. On December 10, all enrolled bills not yet called for by the governor will be sent to him by the chief clerks pursuant to the 2009 session schedule.
A list of all enacted legislation from the 2009 session can be viewed at: http://www.legis.wi.gov/2009/data/acts/.
Other enrolled bills may be viewed by using the Enrolled Bills database in the "Searchable Infobase" section of the Wisconsin Legislature Web site.
2009 Senate Bill 419, introduced December 3, would establish standards for labeling products sold as Wisconsin certified honey.
2009 Senate Bill 418, introduced December 3, would require health care providers to disclose to a consumer its charges for certain services.
The Assembly Public Health Committee and Senate Health Committee will hold a combined public hearing on 2009 Senate Bill 368 and 2009 Assembly Bill 554, relating to the medical use of marijuana and the regulation of marijuana distribution organizations. The hearing will be held on December 15.
On October 13, the Assembly Committee on Public Safety held a public hearing on 2009 Assembly Bill 287, which proposes to increase the tax on fermented malt beverages. Video of the hearing can be found in the archive of WisconsinEye.
2009 Assembly Bill 590, which eliminates exceptions for spiritual treatment of a child in various sections of the law, was introduced by Representative Berceau on November 20. The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.
2009 Assembly Bill 556 and 2009 Senate Bill 327 would add new state symbols. AB-556 would designate the bacterium Lactococcus lactis as the Wisconsin state microbe, SB-327 would designate cheese as the Wisconsin state snack. 2009 Senate Bill 394 and 2009 Assembly Bill 596 would designate Harley-Davidson, headquartered in Milwaukee, as the Wisconsin state motorcycle. The state currently has 21 symbols.
2009 Assembly Bill 598, introduced on November 24, would make numerous changes relating to the regulation of snowmobile operation, including limitations on alcohol consumption and speed. 2009 Assembly Bill 599 was also introduced on November 24, and it would also regulate snowmobile operation by imposing a speed limit during the hours of darkness.
2009 Assembly Bill 603, introduced on November 24, would permit All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to operate on roadways and sidewalks from October 1 to April 30 if they are equipped with snow plows and engaged in snow removal.
On Wednesday, December 9, the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection will hold a public hearing on three bills, including 2009 Assembly Bill 405, which would prohibit the manufacture and sale of bottles and cups for children that contain bisphenol A (BPA).
Also on December 9, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing will hold a public hearing. The committee will discuss several bills, including 2009 Assembly Bill 419, which relates to rape shield provisions in civil proceedings and victims rights issues. The bill was passed by the Assembly in October.
For times and locations of public hearings this week, see the Schedule of Committee Activities.
2009 Senate Bill 359 would require school boards to provide instruction about the recent history of Hmong people. The library recommends the following titles related to this subject.
Hmong Resettlement / Legislative Reference Bureau, June 2004 (updated December 2009). (Tap the Power bibliography)
Wisconsin's Hmong Resettlement Task Force Report to Governor Doyle / Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, 2005.
Sample curriculum materials on Hmong in Wisconsin available in the LRB Library:
The 2009-2010 Wisconsin Blue Book has been published. The Blue Book is available online and is available for purchase from Department of Administration Document Sales for $8.75 plus sales tax if picked up in person; for mail orders, add $3 to the total to cover shipping. The authors of the Blue Book feature article, "Wisconsin at the Frontiers of Astronomy: A History of Innovation and Exploration," were interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio on November 11.
For more information about Legislative Service Agency publications, see the left panel of the Spotlight index page.
Send comments to LRB.Reference@legis.wisconsin.gov
Last revised: December 04, 2009