The Assembly was in session Thursday, January 22.  Although the agenda was fairly short, it included a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, which I briefly discussed in my previous E-Update.  Assembly Joint Resolution 1 and its companion, Senate Joint Resolution 2, would allow members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court to elect the chief justice from among themselves; the chief justice would serve a two-year term and be eligible for reelection.  Under the current system, the Court's most-senior member automatically assumes the position and holds it for as long as he or she remains on the Court.  The Senate passed SJR 2 on Tuesday, January 20, and the Assembly voted 62-34 to concur.  As the Legislature has now approved this amendment two sessions in a row, the amendment will appear in a statewide referendum this spring (the April 7 general election), and Wisconsin voters will get to decide on ratification.

I supported SJR 2 because I believe the members of the Supreme Court are in the best position to determine who is best qualified to lead them, much as the Assembly and the Senate elect their own leadership.  While seniority and the experience that comes with it are often valuable, they are not always necessarily the best indicators of leadership ability, and I believe Wisconsin's justices should have the opportunity to make that decision.  According to the joint resolution's Assembly author, Rep. Rob Hutton, 23 other states - including Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan - already use similar systems for selecting their chief justices.

The Assembly also passed Assembly Bill 8, which will make it a Class I felony to use cameras or other devices to view someone's body under their clothes without their consent, a practice called "upskirting".  AB 8 passed on a bipartisan voice vote.  As a member of the Assembly's judiciary committee, which held a hearing on AB 8, I was surprised that upskirting is not already illegal, but technology often evolves faster than the law, particularly in the area of personal privacy, and legislatures and law enforcement are constantly forced to play catch-up.

Governor Walker presented his State of the State Address to the Legislature on Tuesday, January 13.  If you missed it, you may read it here or view it on WisconsinEye.  The Governor offered a few hints about what will be in his 2015-2017 budget proposal, and he will officially present his budget to the Legislature in a few weeks when he gives his budget address, but in the meantime he has begun his budget rollout.  On January 22, he announced his "Workforce Readiness Plan", which focuses on workforce training and moving people away from dependence on government assistance.  I expect he will make similar announcements in other areas over the next weeks.

Deer Trustee Report Comments

Over the past few years, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been working on new rules based on findings contained in the Deer Trustee Report.  Emergency rules were in effect for the 2014 hunting season, and the DNR is now soliciting comments on identical permanent rules that would take effect for the 2015 season and beyond.  You may view the proposed permanent rules here and submit any comments you may have online.  The comment period will end at midnight, February 1, so be sure to get your comments in by January 31.