Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight

The Week of April 19, 2010

The final general business floorperiod of the 2009-2010 legislative session began on April 13 and will continue until April 22. A limited business floorperiod will begin on May 4 and end on May 6, and a veto review floorperiod is scheduled for May 25 and 26. The schedule of floorperiods for the 2009-2010 legislative session was established by 2009 Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Check the Assembly and Senate Daily Floor Calendars for items which will be considered during floor sessions.

Representative Will Not Seek Reelection

Representative Chuck Benedict (45th Assembly District) announced on April 14 that he will not be seeking reelection to a fourth term in the Assembly. He joins 12 other legislators who have announced their intentions to leave the legislature following the completion of their current terms.

Recent Bill Introductions

As of April 15, 960 Assembly bills and 689 Senate bills have been introduced. Recently introduced legislation can be found on the Legislature's Searchable Infobases site, or by using the Request text and history of legislative proposals function on the home page. Recently introduced bills include:

• 2009 Assembly Bill 926, relating to creating the Department of Environmental Quality and transferring some of the authority and duties of the Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Environmental Quality and to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 932, 2009 Assembly Bill 933, 2009 Assembly Bill 934, and 2009 Assembly Bill 935, relating to sex offender registration and notification.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 947, which would require certain identification in order to vote in a Wisconsin election.
• 2009 Senate Bill 663, relating to requiring bittering agents in certain engine coolants and antifreeze.
• 2009 Senate Bill 674, relating to the age at which a person who is alleged to have violated a civil law or municipal ordinance is subject to circuit court or municipal court jurisdiction rather than to juvenile court jurisdiction and prohibiting a juvenile who has committed a civil law or municipal ordinance violation from being placed in a juvenile detention facility. (Raises the age from 17 to 18.)

Bills Passing One House

2009 Senate Bill 434, relating to the sale of raw, unpasteurized dairy products, was passed by the Senate on April 15. The bill will now go to the Assembly where it must also be approved before it can be signed into law or vetoed by the governor.

2009 Assembly Bill 496, which would prohibit electronic text messaging while driving, was amended by the Senate and passed on April 13. The Senate amendment was concurred in by the Assembly, and the bill will now go to the governor for enactment or veto.

2009 Assembly Bill 556, relating to designating the bacterium Lactococcus lactis as the Wisconsin state microbe, was passed by the Assembly on April 15. The bill will now go to the Senate where it must also be approved before it can be signed into law or vetoed by the governor.

Committee Activity

For information on upcoming events refer to the Schedule of Committee Activities.

Recently Signed Legislation

Governor Doyle has not signed any new legislation in the past week.

Resources from the LRB Library

In honor of National Library Week, April 11-17, the Library staff recommends the following sources for background information on the contributions and quality of library services in Wisconsin.

The State of America's Libraries Report 2010 / a report by the American Library Association, 2010.

Public Libraries / Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 2009. (Informational Paper #39)

Wisconsin Public Library Service Data, 2007 / Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, 2009. An annual statistical survey of Wisconsin public libraries.

The Economic Contribution of Wisconsin Public Libraries to the Economy of Wisconsin / NorthStar Economics, 2008.

Public Library Services: Best Practices Review / Legislative Audit Bureau, 2008.

Library Services and Technology Act Plan for Wisconsin 2008-2012 / Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries and Community Learning, 2007. The state plan for dispersing federal funds for libraries in Wisconsin.

Recent Publications

• The Legislative Reference Bureau released a Wisconsin Brief on Raw Milk Sales and the library released a "Tap the Power" annotated bibliography on Performance Pay for Teachers.
• The Legislative Audit Bureau released an audit opinion on the Department of Employee Trust Funds’ 2008 financial statements, and a letter report on settlements and judgment awards received by the Wisconsin Department of Justice in recent years.
• The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Status of the State's General Fund.
• The Legislative Council Staff issued a 2008 Comparative Study of Major Public Employee Retirement Systems.

For more information about Legislative Service Agency publications, see the left panel of the Spotlight index page.

Spotlight Home

Prior Spotlight issues

Send comments to LRB.Reference@legis.wisconsin.gov

Last revised: November 13, 2012