An important step in the legislative process is when the entire Assembly convenes on the Assembly Floor to take votes on bills. This week, the Assembly held two separate floor sessions to vote on issues such as advertising motor fuel prices by the half-gallon, concealed carry license renewals, project labor agreements and deleting from the constitution the office of state treasurer (second consideration), among others. Two additional pieces of legislation that passed this week were Assembly Bill 49, relating to the use of cannabidiol oil, and Assembly Bill 69, relating to access to investigational drugs.
Assembly Bill 49: relating to: definition of tetrahydrocannabinols and the use of cannabidiol.
AB 49 allows for the possession of CBD oil in Wisconsin, giving families who have exhausted all options another treatment option. This oil has shown promise in treating seizure disorders, especially among young children. AB 49 will help ease the suffering and fear that many families and parents go through just trying to help their children and family members.
AB 49 specifies that an individual must have documentation (certification) issued by a physician within the last year to possess CBD oil. This documentation must also state why the individual possesses the CBD oil. Under this bill, CBD oil may be used to treat a medical condition, not just seizure disorders.
Rep. Swearingen filling in for Speaker Pro Tempore on the Assembly Floor
Assembly Bill 69: relating to: access to investigational drugs, devices, and biological products and limitations on liability related to their use.
AB 69 grants terminally ill patients access to investigational treatment options that are in the process of obtaining FDA approval, but are not yet available on pharmacy shelves. These medications have passed the manufacturers’ Phase 1 clinical trial, which ensures safety, but are undergoing the FDA’s rigorous and expensive approval process. Under this bill, a terminal patient would be granted access if they were to meet all of the following conditions: the patient has considered all other treatment options, has received a recommendation from their treating physician, and has given written informed consent for the use of the investigational treatment.
There was a substitute amendment to this bill that added two additional eligibility requirements: the terminal patient must be ineligible for or otherwise unable to participate in a clinical trial for the investigational drug; and the individual must be aware of the potential costs that may be associated with or result from the use of the investigational drug. This bill is a route terminally ill patients can take, once they have exhausted all other treatment options, in order to be granted quicker access to potentially lifesaving drugs.
If you would like to watch the Assembly floor sessions from Tuesday and Thursday, you can watch here.
State Building Commission Update
As part of the biennial budget process every legislative session, the state Building Commission recommends to the legislature a state building program, known as the Capital Budget, which includes a list of projects and funding sources to meet the state’s capital improvement and maintenance needs over the following two-year budget cycle.
This week, the higher education subcommittee, which I chair, met on Monday morning to approve projects for UW-Milwaukee, UW-Extension and UW-Whitewater. Among the items that we approved were all agency program funding, classroom and dorm renovations, utility corridor improvements, instructional tech improvements, Wisconsin Public Television Digital Transmitter replacement and the renovation of the Northwest Quadrant at UW-Milwaukee.
Higher Education Subcommittee Meeting
On Wednesday, the full commission met and approved the full Capital Budget including items that were approved by the higher education and administrative affairs subcommittees earlier in the week. Some notable items that are a part of the Capital Budget include:
Northwest Quadrant Renovation at UW-Milwaukee
Sandburg Residence Hall Renovation for UW-Milwaukee
Instructional Space Projects Program funding for the UW-System
Lowell Hall dorm floor renovation for UW-Extension
Utility corridor improvements/Chiller Plant Upgrade for UW-Whitewater
Milwaukee State Office Building replacement
Southeast Wisconsin Law Enforcement Facility renovation
Department of Correction facility updates
Full Building Commission
The Capital Budget will now go to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) and the Legislature for review as a component of the 2017-2019 biennial state budget.
The Building Commission is a bipartisan, eight member body chaired by Governor Walker, along with six legislators and a citizen member. The group's mission is to plan, oversee, and approve building projects around the state.
Assembly Committee on State Affairs Update
Continuing with our biweekly meetings, the Assembly State Affairs Committee voted on two bills last week Wednesday and held a public hearing on another piece of legislation.
The committee passed Assembly Bill 56 on a 14-0 bipartisan vote and AJR 2 on an 8-4 vote. This week, both bills were scheduled for floor votes in the Assembly and passed with bipartisan support.
Assembly Bill 56: relating to, advertising motor fuel prices by the half-gallon.
Assembly Joint Resolution 2: relating to, deleting from the constitution the office of state treasurer (second consideration).
AB 56 will allow a person who sells less than 15,000 gallons of motor fuel in this state per year to advertise motor fuel prices by the half-gallon. Current law requires motor fuel prices to be advertised by the gallon. In tourist areas such as the Northwoods, a number of small businesses, lodges and resorts have utilized the ½ gallon method of selling fuel for their snowmobile, ATV and boat customers before the recent regulations prohibited them from doing so.
Assembly Joint Resolution 2, which is on the second round of legislative review, will remove the office of Wisconsin state treasurer and is on its second round of review by the state Legislature. The elimination of a constitutional officer has to be passed during two consecutive legislative sessions.
Assembly State Affairs Hearing
Additionally, the committee heard testimony on Assembly Bill 60, which deals with individuals misrepresenting themselves as an engineer.
Assembly Bill 60: relating to an employee in the classified service representing himself or herself as an engineer.
This legislation will prevent someone from using the title “engineer” when they do not possess the necessary credentials or education to identify as such. The authors brought forth this legislation after they heard that a number of individuals have identified themselves as engineers only to find out that they did not have a degree or certification. As a result, local officials and members of the public who may rely on a technical opinion or information provided by the individual thinking he or she have an expertise or credential that in reality they do not possess.
Constituent Meetings in Madison
I had the opportunity to meet with Heidi Lehman, the Family Engagement Liaison for the Rhinelander School District, during the Family Voices Legislative Day at the Capitol last week. Family Voices of Wisconsin strives to promote a family voice in public policy, systems change and professional education. They advocate for individuals with disabilities and make sure these individuals are entitled to integrated, individualized and community-based support and services.
Heidi Lehman and Rep. Swearingen
This week was Agriculture Day at the State Capitol! I met with Ron Krueger, the General Manager of Eagle River Seed Farm LLC. We discussed current legislation relating to the certification of potato seeds and allowing DATCP to issue more timely abatement and eradication orders for potato late blight.
Rep. Swearingen and Ron Krueger
It was great to have members from the Wisconsin Grow North group come to Madison from Three Lakes, Rhinelander, and Eagle River to discuss our state’s creative economy. We had great discussions on the importance of the arts to today’s youth and applying that knowledge and creativity to their careers. Thanks for coming to the Capitol!
Rep. Swearingen with the Wisconsin Grow North Group
Members of the Civil Air Patrol visited my office on Wednesday. Thanks for informing me about your duties and the leadership benefits of becoming a member!
Rep. Swearingen and Civil Air Patrol Members
I also met with Mike Knetter who currently serves as the President and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Foundation in Madison. Mike is a Hodag and graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1978. It was great to catch up with Mike and hear about his current position at the University of Wisconsin.
Rep. Swearingen and Mike Knetter
National Consumer Protection Week
DATCP NEWS RELEASE: Make Use of New Tools in the Fight Against ID Theft
Release Date: March 9, 2017 Consumer Protection Week: Identity Theft
For a conscientious, law-abiding citizen, there are few things more frightening than having your personal information stolen and misused by a criminal. And the theft of the information can be silent and invisible, going unnoticed for months or even years. For many identity theft victims, the first indication that their information has gotten away from them is when they file their taxes and get word back from the IRS or a state tax department that a return has already been submitted in their name.
This type of tax-related identity theft was a factor in 75% of all of the identity theft complaints filed with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in 2016. The ID theft category received the fourth-most complaints of any type of consumer issue last year.
Thankfully, while the tax ID theft number was staggering, the overall count of identity theft complaints was actually down significantly from 2015 (down 48%). While we cannot be certain of the cause of the drop, it may be attributable to a combination of new protective measures put in place by tax authorities and increased education and awareness of the risks of identity theft.
While identity theft comes in many shapes and sizes, the most well-known form is financial identity theft. Financial ID theft refers to anything affecting your financial status or credit score such as unexpected purchases on your existing accounts or new loans or lines of credit opened in your name.
Child identity theft, where the identity of a minor is stolen and misused, is the fastest growing type of identity theft. It also creates the most sustained damage because it often goes undetected until the minor is old enough to attempt to take out loans or apply for jobs using their Social Security number.
Medical identity theft is the misuse of insurance information to obtain medical services. It could involve alterations to treatment services and medical records.
Finally, criminal identity theft is committed by individuals who are hiding from law enforcement.
Most general identity theft guidance is consistent from year to year and protects against the majority of the types noted above:
shred unnecessary documents that contain sensitive personal information
file important documents in a lockbox
use long, complex passwords on online accounts
be cautious with how you share your information
be careful what you access or send when you are working on a public WiFi network.
One recent protective measure for digital accounts deserves consideration from all web users: "two-factor authentication."
Two-factor authentication requires a web user to enter an additional piece of information along with their password in order access a site or toolset. This second piece of data is sent directly to the user through a text message or via email upon the first login to a site on a particular device. Someone with your username and password alone could not open your account – they would need this second line of access.
If the web services you use offer this option, take it. The inconvenience of needing to receive a secondary key for a web service pales in comparison to the time and money spent repairing the damage that could be caused by an identity thief who accesses your accounts.
Another great identity theft protection tool is the Wisconsin Child Credit Protection Act which allows parents and guardians of minors up to 16 years of age, to create a credit report for their child and immediately freeze it to protect the child's credit record from unlawful access. The request must be made by mail due to documentation requirements and costs $30 ($10 to each of the three major credit bureaus). This is a small price to pay for protecting a child from identity theft and for a parent or guardian's peace of mind.
For additional information on identity theft risks and protective measures, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
WPS Foundation offers Technical College Scholarships
Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Foundation is committed to higher education and student success. As part of that commitment, WPS Foundation is partnering with the Wisconsin Technical College System to fund scholarships for students who live within the company’s service area and plan to attend technical college programs in the fall. Applications for the WPS Foundations scholarships are now being accepted.
Scholarships are offered to current high school seniors. One-year honoree scholarships of up to $750 will be awarded based on outstanding academic achievement, leadership in school and community activities, and financial need.
For more information regarding available scholarships, and for an online application, visit the scholarship website. High school students can also visit their guidance counselors for additional information. The deadline to apply is April 15.
About Wisconsin Public Service Foundation
Wisconsin Public Service Foundation is funded by company shareholders, not by the customers of its utility subsidiaries, and is in its 53rd year. Through direct grants, scholarships and an employee Matching Gifts program, the foundation actively supports improvements in the quality of life in the communities served by Wisconsin Public Service. Since its inception, the foundation has provided nearly $32 million in contributions to programs that support work in the areas of arts and culture, community and neighborhood development, education, human services and health, and care for the environment.
Community Events
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