Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight

The Week of September 6, 2010

The final scheduled floorperiod of the 2009-10 legislative session ended on May 26. The legislature is in an interim period for the remainder of the biennial session. The schedule for the current legislative session was established by 2009 Senate Joint Resolution 1. Senate and Assembly committees will meet during the interim to consider administrative rules and conduct informational hearings.

All state assembly seats and odd-numbered senate seats will be up for election this fall. The partisan primary election will be held on September 14, and the general election is on November 2. For more information on registered candidates, please see the Government Accountability Board's Web site or the LRB’s Wisconsin Brief on candidates in the primary election. You can also view a list of incumbents who will not be seeking reelection. The 2011-12 legislative session will commence on January 3, 2011, with the inauguration of members.

Committee Activity

The Joint Committee on Audit will hold a public hearing on Audit Report 10-9: Emergency Management on Tuesday, September 7 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 411 South, State Capitol. See the Schedule of Committee Activities for information about locations and times of other committee hearings.

Bill Statistics for 2009-2010 Legislative Session

In the 2009 legislative session, 406 bills have been signed into law. Six bills have been vetoed in their entirety, and 5 bills were vetoed in part.

There were 978 assembly bills and 708 senate bills introduced during the 2009 session. Additionally, one senate bill was introduced during the June 2009 Special Session, and 2 assembly bills were introduced during the December 2009 Special Session. All 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.

Recent Publications

• The Legislative Reference Bureau published a Tap the Power on Going Green and a Wisconsin Brief on State Agencies, Boards, Commissions, or Councils Created, Repealed, or Revised by the 2009 Legislature.
• The Legislative Council Staff published a staff brief on Emergency Detention and the Treatment of Minors Under Wisconsin 's Mental Health Statutes, and another on Intergovernmental Cooperation. It also released an information memorandum, Smoking Ban, which relates to 2009 Wisconsin Act 12, as amended by 2009 Wisconsin Act 276, and which took effect on July 5, 2010. The memorandum summarizes the legislation and provides answers to frequently asked questions.
• The Legislative Audit Bureau published a letter report on Justice Gateway Information System.
• The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has issued the recently signed federal Public Law 111-226 and Provisions Affecting Federal Funding for Medical Assistance Benefits and Foster Care Benefits in Wisconsin.

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

From the LRB Library

The e-waste recycling act (2009 Wisconsin Act 50) took effect September 1, 2010. In addition to recycling requirements, the law established an electronic waste recycling program in the Department of Natural Resources, called E-Cycle Wisconsin.

The library recommends these related resources from the collection:

“E-Waste Recycling” / Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (Tap the Power, September 2008)

“Electronics Recycling” / Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (Wisconsin Brief 08-11, September 29, 2008 (corrected))

Electronic Waste Recycling and Disposal : 2009 Wisconsin Act 50 / Wisconsin Legislative Council (Information Memorandum 2010-01, February 24, 2010)

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Last revised: November 13, 2012